Studies have shown that children as young as eight can successfully wear daily disposable soft contacts.1 Here are other key facts about kids and contacts and at-home resources to share with families.
Parents may have questions about whether their child is ready for contact lens wear and if contact lenses are safe for their child.
Here are some facts about contact lenses and kids that you can share with families at your practice.
Children Do Well in Contact Lenses
- Children as young as 8 can quickly learn to handle contact lenses **1
- Kids are generally able to master insertion and removal within the first month. ††2
- Contact lenses are generally safe for age-appropriate children to wear.2 A six-year study that tracked kids as young as 8 found children could successfully and safely wear contact lenses.3 Another study reported soft contact lenses posed the same level of risk for children as they did for adults.4
The Contact Lens Advantage for Kids
- Contact lenses can dramatically improve how children and teens feel about their appearance and their participation in activities.5
- One study enrolled about 500 kids with myopia who were between the ages of 8-11.6 Researchers found children who were fit in contact lenses reported greater improvements in their quality of life compared to the those who were prescribed spectacle lenses, and most notably in their physical appearance, athletic competence, and social acceptance. 6
Extra Contact Lens Help at Home for Children with Myopia
- CooperVision offers a wealth of myopia resources for families including expert guidance from doctors about their child’s condition, the benefits of myopia control, contact lens insertion and removal tips, and the importance of managing screen time.
- Parents can watch relatable, short video clips illustrating other families’ myopia journeys. Video stories include 11-year-old Adam, a former spectacle lens wearer whose switch to MiSight® 1 day* for age-appropriate children helped him gain confidence in the classroom and attain a spot on his hockey team.
- All of CooperVision’s resources for families are readily available on MiSight.com, in addition to MiSight®’s social media platforms on YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram.
Be sure to check back with ECP Viewpoints℠ for more articles in the Myopia 101 Series. And visit the Online Success Center for further resources on myopia and MiSight® 1 day, including the MiSight® 1 day QuickStart program.
*Indications for Use: MiSight® (omafilcon A) daily wear single use Soft Contact Lenses are indicated for the correction of myopic ametropia and for slowing the progression of myopia in children with non-diseased eyes, who at the initiation of treatment are 8-12 years of age and have a refraction of -0.75 to -4.00 diopters (spherical equivalent) with ≤ 0.75 diopters of astigmatism. The lens is to be discarded after each removal.
** At initial dispense, 66/67 children successfully fit with MiSight® 1 day aged 8-12 were able to handle their lenses.
†† Children new to contact lens wear aged 8-12.
References:
1.Chamberlain P, et al. A 3-year Randomized Clinical Trial of MiSight® Lenses for Myopia Control. Optom Vis Sci. 2019; 96(8)556-567.
2. Sulley, A., et al. Wearer experience and subjective responses with dual focus compared to spherical, single vision soft contact lenses in children during a 3-year clinical trial. AAO 2019 poster presentation.
3. Woods J, Jones D, Jones L, et al. Ocular health of children wearing daily disposable contact lenses over a 6-year period. Cont Lens Anterior Eye. 2021 Aug;44(4):101391.
4. Bullimore MA. The Safety of Soft Contact Lenses in Children. Optom Vis Sci. 2017 Jun; 94(6): 638–646.
5. Walline JJ, Gaume A, Jones LA, et al. Benefits of contact lens wear for children and teens. Eye Contact Lens. 2007 Nov;33(6 Pt 1):317-21.
6. Rah MJ, Walline J, Jones-Jordan LA, et al. Vision specific quality of life of pediatric contact lens wearers. Optom Vis Sci. Aug;87(8):560-6.
