Post contributed by:
Lisa Keller
OD, Lisa S Keller, OD, IncIntroduction to Kids Contact Lenses
Parents often ask me, what age I recommend their children try contact lenses. My answer varies depending on the child and the situation. I’ve found that many of these kids want contact lenses earlier in life than in past years. Oftentimes, this is due to sports or extracurricular activity participation.
Questions to Consider Before Beginning Elective Wear of Contact Lenses with Kids
I take a few things into consideration before deciding if a patient is ready to begin elective contact lens wear. First, I always ask about the maturity level of the child. Can they keep their room clean? Is the child organized, or do they often lose personal items? Secondly, does the child want contact lenses, or are the parents insisting that the child needs them? A child who is forced to try contact lenses will almost always fail to do so.
Teaching the Child to Handle, Insert, and Remove Contact Lenses
Once we establish that the child is a good candidate for contact lenses, I have the child participate in contact lens training or a “contact lens teach.” During this visit, which we allow to last up to an hour, an optician will help the child learn how to handle, insert, and remove contact lenses. In my opinion, it’s vital that the child learns how to do all of these without help from the parent. I want to be assured that if the child has an issue with the contact when the parent is not around, such as at school, the child can remove the contact on his or her own.
Best Beginning Option for Children Deemed Ready for Contact Lens Wear
I almost always try to fit a young new wearer into some type of daily disposable option for a few reasons. First, as a new wearer, the child may lose or tear a contact lens. If this happens, the parent or child is only out the cost of one day’s wear. Opposing a couple of weeks or a month if the child were wearing a longer-wear modality.
Secondly, as a mother of teen and preteen boys, I can appreciate that kids are not always the most clean and can be forgetful. No matter how responsible they are. Having an option that can be thrown away daily, instead of relying on the child to properly clean and store a longer-wear lens, will greatly reduce the occurrence of eye infections and/or irritation. Lastly, I find that young wearers may choose not to wear their contact lenses every day. The option to wear one day and then toss is much more convenient than trying to keep track of when to dispose of those longer-wear lenses.
At the End of the Day, Contact Lens Wearing Depends on the Child
The right answer to the question asked is “It depends on the child.” I have fit kids into contact lenses as young as 8 years old, and they can be successful. I’ve also had teenagers and even adults who were not responsible enough to properly wear contact lenses. The bottom line is that successful contact lens wear can occur at all ages.
