Low-dose atropine 0.01% for the treatment of childhood myopia: a pan-India multicentric retrospective study

Objective The objective of this study was to assess the efficacy of low-dose atropine 0.01% in controlling myopia progression among Indian children over a 2-year period. Methods This retrospective study, conducted across 20 centres in India, monitored the progression of myopia over 2 years after initiating treatment with 0.01% atropine eye drops. This included children between 6 and 14 years with baseline myopia ranging from −0.5 D to −6 D, astigmatism≤−1.5 D, anisometropia ≤ −1 D and documented myopia progression of ≥0.5 D in the year prior to starting atropine. Subjects with any other ocular pathologies were excluded. Results A total of 732 children were included in the data analysis. The mean age of the subjects was 9.3±2.7 years. The mean myopia progression at baseline (1 year before starting atropine) was −0.75±0.31 D. The rate of myopia progression was higher in younger subjects and those with higher baseline myopic error. After initiating atropine, myopia progression significantly decreased to −0.27±0.14 D at the end of the first year and −0.24±0.15 D at the end of the second year (p < 0.001). Younger children (p<0.001) and higher baseline myopia (p<0.001) was associated with greater myopia progression and poor treatment response (p<0.001 for both). Conclusion Low-dose atropine (0.01%) effectively reduces myopia progression over 2 years in Indian children.