Children & Contact Lenses

Contact lenses can give a boost to a child's confidence.  Deciding on the right time will be different for each child.

Contact lenses can be a practical option for children, providing them with the freedom to participate in sports and other activities without having their glasses get in the way.

When can children wear contact lenses?

Physically the eyes can tolerate contact lenses at a very young age. However, when deciding whether your child is ready to wear contact lenses the question should not be "are they old enough"� but "is my child mature enough to take on the responsibility of wearing and caring for their own contact lenses?"�  Ultimately, this will be a joint decision between you, your child and their optometrist.

Children can be ideal candidates for wearing contact lenses if they accept responsibility for them. Children adapt well to wearing contact lenses due to their flexible personalities and tend to follow instructions better than adults. Provided the child is taught the correct way to insert, remove and care for their contact lenses they are likely to have few problems or complications.

Advantages of Contact Lenses

Glasses can often hinder children, especially when participating in sports, dance and recreational activities. Contact lenses provide a safer vision option than glasses for recreation use, as glasses are more vulnerable to being lost or broken. Contact lenses also do not interfere with the peripheral or sidevision of the wearer.

Contact lenses can do wonders for your child's self esteem. Children as well as teens are very conscious of how they are seen by their peers. Many kids opt for contact lenses over glasses, purely for cosmetic reasons. Switching from glasses to contact lenses can dramatically alter physical appearance and in many cases, prompts a self-confidence and self-esteem surge in the child.

Contact Lens Wear for Children

• Contact lenses must be prescribed by an optometrist.
• Make sure your child or teen understands and follows the cleaning steps for their contact lenses vital to maintain healthy eyes.
• Never allow your child to swap contact lenses with anyone else.
• If eyes become irritated, red or teary remove the contact lenses and consult your optometrist.
• Ensure lenses are not worn for longer than the prescribed time.
• Teach children to always carry a contact lens case with solution, should they need to remove their contact lenses.
• Spectacles should ideally be carried as a back-up to contact lenses.

If you're considering contact lenses for your child, take a look at how your child handles other responsibilities and keep in mind that switching your child from glasses to contact lenses does not have to be a permanent decision.

If your child does not adapt well, or is not up to the responsibility of wearing and caring for contact lenses you can always return them to wearing glasses. Contact lenses can always be tried again at a later date.

To discuss the option of contact lenses for your child, contact your ProVision optometrist. Informed parents working with their optometrist ensure the best possible care for a child's vision, eye health and development.