By Michael Hutton 

Contact lenses for children  can be a hugely important means of helping to build self-esteem and confidence according to Dr Michele Borba, internationally recognised expert on children, teens and parenting who says: "Children today are growing up faster than they used to and many parents are seeing that the stress from peers-and insecurities about appearances-now begins at a younger age." Many adolescents are hit especially hard by the so-called ‘Trifecta of Awkwardness' - braces to straighten teeth, medications to deal with varying levels of acne and glasses for vision problems such as short-sightedness. But with the latter issue, contact lenses can provide an excellent alternative to glasses which can significantly improve an adolescent's view of their appearance.

An even more attractive development has been the comparatively recent introduction of overnight ortho-k contact lenses for children  which involves wearing small custom-designed contact lenses to correct short-sightedness only while sleeping. After the lenses are removed each morning, the child enjoys perfect natural vision all day long until the lenses are reinserted at night. This means that every activity whether in the classroom, on the playing field or in the swimming pool can be tackled with confidence because the child will have perfect vision. "The desire to do well in school and sports, while being accepted socially, is a natural part of childhood development," says Dr. Borba. "Not being able to play sports can leave many teens feeling anxious, stressed out and unhappy."

Studies have shown that teens who wear contact lenses receive benefits beyond simply correcting their vision-improving how they feel about their physical appearance, acceptance among friends and ability to play sports. For children who initially disliked wearing glasses, wearing contact lenses also made them more confident about their academic performance. With ortho-k contact lenses for children , these benefits are further substantially enhanced by clinical research  which has shown that these special overnight lenses not only correct short-sightedness but also stop the child's prescription from getting any worse which, during adolescence, might otherwise increase by as much as half a diopter every year.

Check if your child is suitable for overnight ortho-k corrective contact lenses .