Contact Lenses for Children: What age to start? | Contact Lens Health Week

Contact lenses are not just for adults. Kids can also wear contacts as an option to glasses for correcting vision problems. But are contacts right for your kids? If so, at what age can you start? Contact Lens Health Week is from August 22nd to 26th. It is a good time to learn more about contact lenses for children. 

Benefits of contacts for kids

Contact lenses may not be right for every child, but lenses are beneficial for some kids and may have advantages over glasses. Consider some of the benefits below.

Better for sports: Contact lenses can be better to use when playing sports. Glasses can break and even fall off in some cases. It might also be easier for kids to wear protective eyewear for certain sports if they have contacts instead of glasses.

May make a child feel less self-conscious: Every child is different. Some kids may not mind eyeglasses at all. While others may feel self-conscious wearing glasses. Although there is nothing wrong with wearing glasses, contact lenses may help improve a child’s self-perception.

May improve vision better than glasses in some instances: According to the University of Rochester Medical Center, contact lenses may improve the quality of a child’s vision better than glasses in some instances.
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Risks

Contact lenses are regulated as a medical device by the FDA. Similar to most medical devices, it is important to use them as directed. But lenses can still pose some risks for wearers.

According to research in Pediatrics, about 70,000 children go to the emergency room each year due to injuries from medical devices. About 25% of those injuries are due to contact lenses.

According to the FDA, risks of contacts include the following:

• Eye infections
• Corneal abrasion
• Eye irritation
• Dry eyes  

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Tips for getting started 

How do you know what age to start? Each child is different. So, age is not the only factor to consider. Before you get your child started wearing contacts, consider their maturity level. For example, some elementary school-age children may be ready to wear contacts and be responsible for taking care of them, but other children, even older kids, may not be ready for the responsibility.

Once you decide your child is ready for lenses, consider the following tips:

Teach your child proper lens care: Right from the start, teach your child proper lens care. Show your child how to clean, rinse, and store their lenses and contact solution. Make sure your child understands the importance of handwashing and is comfortable putting their lenses in and taking them out of their eye.

Watch for irritation: Take the lenses out at the first sign of a problem. If your child develops any type of eye irritation or signs of an infection, make sure they take their lenses out. Also, if your child develops pink eye, eye allergies, or has red irritated eyes for any reason, do not put contacts in.

Wear lenses only as prescribed: There are different types of lenses that may be an option for your child. Stress the importance of only wearing lenses as prescribed. Make sure your child understands they need to remove their contact lenses before they go to sleep unless they are approved to sleep in. Also, your child should take lenses out before swimming.

If you have questions about whether contact lenses are right for your child, we are happy to help. Also, if you would like to ask whether an appointment with one of our eye doctors would be appropriate at this time, call our office at 508-746-8600.