Adverse effects of 0.01% atropine eye drops in treatment of children with myopia

Objective To observe the adverse reactions of 0.01% atropine eye drops in treatment of children with myopia.

Methods The children in observation group wore full correction single focus frame glasses, and every night before going to bed, children had to put one drop of 0.01% atropine eye drops into the conjunctival sac; children in control group only wore full correction single focus frame glasses. Before administration and after 6 months of treatment, the best corrected near vision, diopter, intraocular pressure, ocular axis, pupil diameter, adjustment range, tear film rupture time and tear secretion test were examined in both groups.

Results There were no significant differences in refractive diopter and optic axis between two groups before treatment(P > 0.05). After 6 months of treatment, refractive diopter was -1.38 (-2.19, -0.50) D in the observation group and -2.25 (-2.94, -1.75) D in the control group (P < 0.05); after 6 months of treatment, the length of optic axis in the observation group was (24.17±0.72) mm, and (24.67±0.88) mm in the control group, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). After 6 months of treatment, the pupils of the observation group were slightly enlarged, the amplitude of adjustment was decreased, the tear film rupture time was shortened, and the tear secretion test value was decreased, and the differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05). No blurred vision for near objects, dry, red and itching eyes occurred in children of both groups.

Conclusion 0.01% atropine eye drops can effectively slow down the growth of the ocular axis and the progression of myopia degree in children with myopia, and the adverse reactions are relatively mild, which have no significant impacts on children′s daily life and learning.