Are Kids Heading Toward Myopia Sooner? What New Canadian Research Means for Vancouver Families
Vancouver, Canada - October 9, 2026 / Gastown Optometry /
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, October 9, 2026 — A peer-reviewed Canadian study published in April 2026 reports that children first examined in 2020 and 2021 lost their natural farsighted buffer nearly three times faster than children first seen in 2017, placing them on an earlier path toward myopia. Gastown Optometry, an optometrist downtown Vancouver families can reach at 315 W Cordova St, is drawing attention to the findings and to British Columbia's coverage for children's eye exams.
New Canadian Data on Early Myopia Risk
The paper, "Pre-Myopic Children: Trends in Myopia Development and Management in Canada," was published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine on April 5, 2026, by Chow et al., with researchers from the University of Waterloo and Ontario optometry practices. It followed 1,740 pre-myopic children aged 6 to 10 across 15 Ontario practices.
Hyperopic reserve, the mild farsightedness that young eyes naturally carry and that protects against myopia, declined by 0.26 diopters per year in the 2017 cohort. In children first examined in 2020 and 2021, the loss was 0.73 and 0.71 diopters per year. Over the tracking period, 10.6% of the children (184 in total) went on to develop myopia. The study compares cohort years and does not identify a cause for the faster change.
The authors also reported that very few pre-myopic children had been given lifestyle advice, even though delaying the onset of myopia may matter more than treating it after it develops. Myopia can be managed and slowed, but it cannot be undone.
Children's Eye Exams and Myopia Management in Downtown Vancouver
Gastown Optometry offers a pediatric eye exam Vancouver families can book directly, with no referral needed. In British Columbia, MSP covers one comprehensive eye exam per year for all children and youth under age 19, with no out-of-pocket cost for the exam itself. Following Canadian Association of Optometrists guidance, the clinic recommends a first exam at 6 months of age, another at age 3, another before starting school at age 5 or 6, and annual exams from age 6 through 18.
Where myopia has begun, the clinic's website lists three management options that may be discussed at the exam: orthokeratology (Ortho-K), rigid gas-permeable lenses worn overnight to gently reshape the cornea; specialized soft contact lenses such as MiSight, designed to slow the eye's axial elongation; and low-dose atropine drops. Regular exams allow a child's eye growth and refractive change to be tracked over time, so any change is caught early.
Gastown Optometry is open Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Children's appointments can be arranged by phone at (604) 974-8008 or booked online.
About Gastown Optometry
Gastown Optometry is an independent eye care clinic at 315 W Cordova St in Vancouver, British Columbia. The clinic is led by Dr. Errin Bligh, a Doctor of Optometry who graduated as valedictorian from the University of Waterloo, served as President of BC Doctors of Optometry and holds an adjunct faculty position at the UBC School of Nursing. Gastown Optometry provides adult and children's eye exams, contact lens fitting, specialty contact lenses, laser surgery co-management and medical management of eye conditions.
Contact Information:
Gastown Optometry
315 W Cordova St
Vancouver, BC V6B 1E5
Canada
Errin Bligh
+1 604-305-3104
https://gastownoptometry.com/
