An Italian study found progression of myopia of prematurity (MOP) was reduced in patients using spectacles with highly aspherical lenslet target (HALT) technology.  

MOP is a refractive error occurring in individuals born prematurely and is considered a distinct entity from pathologic and school-age myopia, explained authors from the University of Padova. “With the progressive improvement in neonatal intensive care and the consequent increase in survival rates of preterm infants, the prevalence of MOP has also risen, making it a growing concern in paediatric ophthalmology,” they noted.  

Analysing progression of MOP in children previously affected by retinopathy of prematurity and who wore HALT technology (20) vs standard single-vision lenses (38), they found less myopic shift and axial elongation at 12 months in the HALT group than in the single-vision group (HALT −0.32±0.20D; 0.12±0.05mm vs single vision −0.93±0.34D; 0.46±0.09mm; p<0.0001). 

The findings suggest further investigation of HALT technology in selected subgroups of patients at high risk of severe myopia is required to reduce progression and the related lifelong cumulative risk of visual impairment, authors concluded.