Contact Lenses for Kids

There's no age restriction on contact lenses for kids. In fact, even very young children can wear them and many do for a variety of reasons. How can one decide whether contact lenses for kids make sense? Like any decision, it's important to consider the benefits against the disadvantages.

Contact lenses for kids make sense for the same reasons they do for adults. They help enhance appearance, they are comfortable to wear and they are a good choice for improving vision. Add to these reasons the facts that fitting a child isn't an issue and that children have all the same options as adults including daily wear, extended wear, continuous wear and disposable and it's difficult to argue against contact lenses for kids.

Kids who participate in sports find that wearing contact lenses is much easier than dealing with the hassle involved in wearing eyeglasses. Eyeglasses and sports aren't always a good match. They break more frequently and replacing children's eyeglasses isn't cheap!

Kids can be cruel, and children who wear eyeglasses find that they're frequently subjected to unnecessary taunting and name-calling. Such behavior can seriously impact a child's self-esteem and confidence, especially when they're young and don't know how to disregard the words being said.

Studies have shown that contact lenses for kids, in particular rigid gas permeable styles, have the added benefit of helping to keep nearsightedness from progressing.

There is something else to consider before making a final decision, however. Although a child's age isn't necessarily a consideration, a parent may wish to consider a child's maturity level. With the decision to wear contact lenses comes an understanding that the wearer has certain responsibilities that must be upheld. Since no two children mature at the same pace, a parent really is the only person who can make this determination.

It helps to think about the ways in which the child does or does not currently show responsibility. For example, how is the child at caring for pets, or at finishing chores or at completing school assignments?

If a child isn't yet mature enough to handle the responsibility, the parent then has to determine whether he or she is willing to take responsibility for cleaning, maintenance, insertion and removal of the contact lenses and also for scheduling eye examinations and follow-up visits as necessary.

If a child is mature and is motivated, that child likely will be a good candidate. And since most children take instruction well, especially when someone other than a parent gives it, they generally are very good at wearing and caring for contact lenses as they've been instructed by the eye doctor.

Contact lenses for kids do present the same risks as adults have including a higher incidence of eye infection, dryness or abrasion. Some children, even though they may be very motivated, are not good candidates for wearing contact lenses either.

As always when in doubt, talk the decision over with someone who has experience prescribing contact lenses for kids.