Clinical trial of press needle therapy with low-dose atropine for mild myopia in children

Background: The rising prevalence of mild myopia among kids needs very effective methods for preventing its progression. Recent research suggests that a combination of acupuncture and a small dose of atropine eye drops might be more effectively combined for myopia control. The trial will evaluate myopia control among kids aged 6-14 years old using buried needle acupuncture with low-dose atropine 0.01%. Objectives: To evaluate if there is a synergistic effect from periocular acupuncture and low doses of atropine on mild myopia in children 6-14 years old. Methods: A total of 80 children with mild myopia and 160 eyes were included in the randomized controlled trial from March 2020 to June 2021. All participants were then randomly assigned equally into both the treatment group, which included acupuncture and low doses of atropine and routine eye care, and the control group, which included sham acupuncture and routine eye care. The main outcomes were uncorrected visual acuity, best-corrected visual acuity, spherical equivalent refraction, amplitude and facility of accommodation, and axial length. All these were measured at 0, 2, 6, and 12 months. Treatment compliance and attendance were monitored. Results: The treatment group showed marked improvement in UCVA and BCVA, accommodation function, and rate of SER and axial length progression compared with the control group (P < 0.05). There were no serious side effects; two patients complained of mild transient pain. The combination regimen was generally tolerated without serious ocular or systemic side effects. Conclusion: Periocular acupuncture with low dose atropine solution (.01%) seems to be a safe and more effective method as compared with conventional treatment alone for controlling mild myopia in children. Large scale trials should be conducted for validating these findings.