{"id":11745,"date":"2021-05-30T05:45:54","date_gmt":"2021-05-30T05:45:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/?page_id=11745"},"modified":"2021-07-14T07:33:16","modified_gmt":"2021-07-14T07:33:16","slug":"contact-lenses-safety-for-children","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/childrens-vision\/guide-to-childrens-eye-exams\/can-kids-wear-contact-lenses\/contact-lenses-safety-for-children\/","title":{"rendered":"Contact Lenses Safety for Children"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><b>Eye doctors report that over 4 in 10 of their contact lens patients are school aged children.<\/b><\/h2>\n<p>According to the American Optometric Association (AOA), 14.5 percent of all children under 17 years wear contact lenses.<\/p>\n<p>Parents may have concerns about eye health and safety when it comes to contact lenses and their children. But there is no need to worry; contact lenses are just as safe for children as they are for adults.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/practice-search\/\"><b>Schedule an appointment<\/b><\/a> with an eye doctor near you to get your child fitted for the right kind of contact lenses.<\/p>\n<p><strong>SEE RELATED:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/childrens-vision\/guide-to-childrens-eye-exams\/can-kids-wear-contact-lenses\/multifocal-contact-lenses-for-children\/\">Multifocal Contact Lenses for Children\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n\n\t<div class=\"practice-search-widget\">\n\t\t<h3>Find an eye doctor for children near you<\/h3>\n\t\t\n\t<form class=\"practice-search-form practice-search-form-widget\" action=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/practice-search\/results\/\" method=\"get\">\n\n\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"distance\" value=\"100\" class=\"practice-search-distance\">\n\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"page\" class=\"practice-search-page\">\n\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"address_latitude\"><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"address_longitude\">\n\n\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"address\" class=\"practice-search-address\" placeholder=\"City, Surburb or Address\" value=\"\">\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"distance\" value=\"100\" class=\"practice-search-distance\">\n\n\t\t\n\n\t\t<button type=\"submit\" class=\"practice-search-button\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 19 19\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M10.6796 0.130005C9.15708 0.130059 7.66615 0.5646 6.38198 1.38258C5.09781 2.20057 4.07373 3.36803 3.43004 4.74783C2.78634 6.12763 2.54976 7.66246 2.74808 9.17205C2.9464 10.6816 3.57139 12.1033 4.54964 13.27L0.729639 17.08C0.6364 17.1732 0.562439 17.2839 0.511979 17.4058C0.461519 17.5276 0.435547 17.6581 0.435547 17.79C0.435547 17.9219 0.461519 18.0524 0.511979 18.1743C0.562439 18.2961 0.6364 18.4068 0.729639 18.5C0.917942 18.6883 1.17334 18.7941 1.43964 18.7941C1.5715 18.7941 1.70207 18.7681 1.82389 18.7177C1.94571 18.6672 2.0564 18.5932 2.14964 18.5L5.99964 14.62C7.35406 15.6038 8.98566 16.1324 10.6596 16.13C12.7814 16.13 14.8162 15.2871 16.3165 13.7869C17.8168 12.2866 18.6596 10.2517 18.6596 8.13C18.6596 6.00827 17.8168 3.97344 16.3165 2.47315C14.8162 0.97286 12.7814 0.130005 10.6596 0.130005H10.6796ZM10.6796 14.13C9.49295 14.13 8.33291 13.7781 7.34622 13.1188C6.35952 12.4595 5.59049 11.5225 5.13636 10.4261C4.68224 9.32975 4.56342 8.12335 4.79493 6.95946C5.02644 5.79558 5.59788 4.72648 6.437 3.88736C7.27611 3.04825 8.34521 2.4768 9.5091 2.24529C10.673 2.01378 11.8794 2.1326 12.9757 2.58673C14.0721 3.04085 15.0092 3.80989 15.6685 4.79658C16.3277 5.78328 16.6796 6.94332 16.6796 8.13C16.6796 9.7213 16.0475 11.2474 14.9223 12.3726C13.7971 13.4979 12.2709 14.13 10.6796 14.13Z\" fill=\"#fff\"\/><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/button>\n\n\t\t<button type=\"button\" class=\"practice-search-use-my-location\">\n\t\t\tSearch near me\n\t\t<\/button>\n\n\n\t<\/form>\n\n\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n<p>Children under 12 years old are most frequently prescribed daily disposable soft contact lenses. For children aged 12 and older, reusable contact lenses are also an option \u2014 these can be replaced every two weeks or monthly, depending on the type.<\/p>\n<p>Single use and daily disposable contact lenses are prescribed mostly to prevent contamination issues that can occur from insufficient disinfection of lenses that are worn more than once.<\/p>\n<h2><b>Types of contact lenses<\/b><\/h2>\n<p>There are many different types of contact lenses for children to correct a variety of vision conditions:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">\n<h3><b>Soft Contacts<\/b><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>These lenses are most frequently prescribed for children, as they are known to be comfortable and easy to adapt to.\u00a0 These lenses are available as daily, biweekly (every two weeks), and monthly disposables. Extended wear options are also available.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">\n<h3><b>Rigid Gas Permeable Contacts (RGP)<\/b><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Also known as \u2018hard lenses,\u2019 these lenses provide clear vision for many complex vision conditions. Their high oxygen permeability decreases the risk of eye infections. However, when starting to wear these lenses there may be a longer adjustment period than with soft lenses.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">\n<h3><b>Toric Lenses<\/b><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>These lenses are used for people with astigmatism. They come in a standard design for most common optical powers or can be specially customized if required.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">\n<h3><b>Scleral Lenses<\/b><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>These contact lenses are used for children with an irregular corneal shape. Sclerals bridge over the cornea and rest on the white (sclera) of the eye.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">\n<h3><b>Ortho-k Lenses<\/b><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>These lenses are used for children with myopia. Worn overnight, they temporarily\u00a0 reshape the cornea so users can enjoy clear vision during the day, without the need for eyewear.<\/p>\n<p>These lenses have also been shown to reduce the progression of myopia.<\/p>\n<p><b>Schedule a contact lens fitting<\/b> with an eye doctor near you.<\/p>\n<h2><b>Is my child ready for contact lenses?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p>Before deciding if contact lenses are right for a child, a parent needs to consider whether their child is ready to wear them. During their eye doctor&#8217;s appointment, the optometrist may ask about the level of personal hygiene, maturity and responsibility.<\/p>\n<p>Older children are typically highly motivated to wear contacts and usually adapt to them very quickly.<\/p>\n<p>Other considerations are the child\u2019s optical prescription, level of self-esteem and participation in sports.<\/p>\n<h2><b>Eye infections and contact lenses<\/b><\/h2>\n<p>Children, like adults, have a chance of developing eye infections or other complications when using\u00a0 contact lenses. However, when cared for and worn according to your eye doctor\u2019s instructions, contact lenses are low-risk and perfectly safe for children and teenagers.<\/p>\n<p>Children who wear contact lenses must follow careful instructions to maintain optimal hygiene in order to prevent any eye infections.<\/p>\n<p>Here are some ways for them to prevent and minimize their risk of an eye infection:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Always wash hands before inserting or removing contact lenses<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Clean contact lenses and cases as directed by your eye doctor<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Keep fingernails short and clean<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Replace contact lenses as directed by your doctor<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Attend all appointments with your eye doctor<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>LEARN MORE:<\/strong>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/childrens-vision\/guide-to-childrens-eye-exams\/\">Guide to Children\u2019s Eye Exams<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/practice-search\/\"><b>Schedule an eye exam<\/b><\/a> with an eye doctor near you to find out which type of contact lens is the best fit and safest for your child&#8217;s eyes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Eye doctors report that over 4 in 10 of their contact lens patients are school aged children. According to the American Optometric Association (AOA), 14.5<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":11746,"parent":1311,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"template-article.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[95,228,274,404,406,124],"class_list":["post-11745","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-childrens-vision","tag-cornea","tag-dry-eye","tag-hard-contact-lenses","tag-soft-contact-lenses","tag-sports"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Contact Lenses Safety for Children - Optometrists.org<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/childrens-vision\/guide-to-childrens-eye-exams\/can-kids-wear-contact-lenses\/contact-lenses-safety-for-children\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Contact Lenses Safety for Children - Optometrists.org\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Eye doctors report that over 4 in 10 of their contact lens patients are school aged children. 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