What is atropine?

Atropine is derived from the Atropa belladonna plant. In the 1800s the belladonna plant leaves were rubbed on the eyes to widen the pupil to make one look more alluring. Then atropine became synthesized and made into eye drops to widen the pupil to allow one to look into the eye and examine the back of the eye, kind of like examining the back of a room from a window rather than from a keyhole. This examination can help with diagnosis of any eye problems.

The higher the dose of the atropine used, the more dilation of the pupil occurs, but can also bring along side effects that come with it including sensitivity to light and blurred up close vision.

What are low dose atropine eye drops used for?

Low dose atropine eye drops are used to help slow the progression of myopia (near-sightedness) in children. These eye drops are usually taken at bedtime. Low dose atropine eye drops do not reverse the effects of myopia, but can help slow it down from getting worse. Glasses are also used in conjunction with low dose atropine eye drops. Ask your eye doctor if low dose atropine eye drops is a treatment to consider for your child.

Atropine is typically used in a 1% dose to dilate the eye to do eye exams. But low dose atropine is usually dosed from 0.01% up to 0.05% to reduce the side effects of eye dilation, like light sensitivity, but still effective in slowing the progression of myopia in children from age 4 to 12. Low dose atropine eye drop treatment to help slow the progression of myopia can be used for up to three years.