The Effect of 0.01% Atropine Eye Drops on Axial Length and Refraction in Myopic Children Compared to a Control Group

Inclusion Criteria: * Children aged 4-16 years * Both genders * Myopia of baseline SER of -1.00D or more * Astigmatism less than or equal to -2.50D * No medical history predisposing severe myopia (e.g., Marfan syndrome, Stickler syndrome, and retinopathy of prematurity), abnormal ocular refractive anatomy (e.g., keratoconus, lenticonus, and spherophakia) * No history of other vision-threatening ocular diseases or previous intraocular surgery. * No current or previous use of atropine or pirenzipine, contact lenses or other forms of treatment that may affect myopia progression. Exclusion Criteria: * Astigmatism ≥ 2.5 D * Anisometropia\>1 D * Best corrected visual acuity \< 0.5 (6/12) * Prior intraocular surgery * Allergy to atropine eye drops * Systemic diseases associated with myopia such as Marfan syndrome, Stickler syndrome * History of cardiac or significant respiratory diseases * Lack of consent for participating in the study