By Nigel Little
Contact lenses for children can be worn successfully from a very young age according to the results of a new study undertaken by The Ohio State University College of Optometry and presented by Professor Jeff Walline, a leading specialist in paediatric ophthalmology, at the recent annual conference of The Association for Research in Vision and Opthalmology (ARVO). The study comprised 175 contact lens wearers who had worn soft lenses for at least 10 years and were fitted with contacts either as a child aged up to 12 years or during their teens (ages 13 to 19). Those fitted as children proved to have been equally successful with contact lens wear as those fitted in their teens.
Many practising opticians are wary of recommending contact lenses for children given a long-established view that they are difficulty to fit successfully and also that there is a risk that they will not be fully compliant with the hygiene requirements for lens cleaning. However, this latest study follows other previous investigations which have similarly concluded that children can be trained in lens insertion and removal as well as ensuring they understand the importance of following required protocols for cleaning. Given that glasses are often disliked by children because they restrict their participation in sports activities and can often be the cause of playground teasing and bullying, it is clearly beneficial if they are able to wear contact lenses from a young age.
More recently, the new overnight ortho-k corrective contact lenses for children have been shown to stop short-sightedness (known as ‘myopia') worsening by acting like a dental brace on the developing eye. In contrast, short-sighted children wearing glasses or conventional daytime contact lenses still experience steady progression of their short-sight, with the average prescription increasing by -0.3 to -0.5 diopters per annum. Myopia rates across the world have grown rapidly as more time is spent indoors under artificial light focusing on short distance objects such as TV and computers and increasing numbers of children are being affected by this condition which can lead to serious eye health problems in later life.
Check if your child is suitable for ortho-k corrective contact lenses .
