Introducing contact lenses to kids

Despite the obvious benefits of contact lenses, as well as the advancement in materials and designs, a survey by the College of Optometrists showed that only 0.4% of practitioners recommend contact lenses as a primary method of vision correction for those under eight years old, 1.4 % for eight to nine-year olds, 7.1% for 10–12 year olds and 24.1% for 13–14 year olds.

For successful introduction of contact lenses to paediatric patients, it is important to lead the conversation with specific benefits for the individual using examples of where contact lenses can be better than spectacles – for example, playing sports. Other key insights from research can be shared, which show that youngsters feel their physical appearance, sporting prowess and social acceptance improve with contact lens wear. It is also a sad reality that spectacle wearing children are 35% more likely to be bullied than those who don’t wear them.

Daily disposables will usually be the first choice for children as this minimises the risk of serious complications, especially as it removes potential problems of poor case hygiene

Parents and children will have many misconceptions about being fitted with contact lenses at a young age, so it is important to allay their fears. Research published in 2017 showed that the risk of serious infection in paediatric contact lens wearers is no higher than in adults. In fact, in the younger age group of eight to 11 year olds, it is significantly less, which is probably due to better compliance and parental supervision. It is worth bearing in mind that many parents may have been fitted with contact lenses themselves in their mid to late teens or early adulthood due to the limited availability of contact lens prescriptions, materials or designs. Therefore, they may not be aware of product advancements that make contact lenses suitable for children.

Virtually all kids believe that anything applied to the eye hurts. As with all dealings with younger patients, use language which is appropriate for their level of maturity, keeping things easy for them to understand using simple analogies. If they’ve not held a lens before then give them a trial lens to feel – you could make it a game by asking them if they think it will be hard or soft, wet or dry, slippery or sticky; this can instantly take away initial fears that the lenses might be uncomfortable. It can be useful to say that the lens has so much water in it that it will feel like a drop of rain that will just float on the eye. If the parents are lens wearers and are willing to show the child how they pop their lenses in and out this will also help.

If there is any hesitancy to proceed, ask them to go home and think of 10 things that would be better to do in contact lenses than in spectacles. They could get the whole family involved in this project and go through the list with them at the next appointment.

Parents and children will have many misconceptions about being fitted with contact lenses at a young age, so it is important to allay their fears

Daily disposables will usually be the first choice for children as this minimises the risk of serious complications, especially as it removes potential problems of poor case hygiene. The cost of daily disposables can be presented as ‘price per wear calculation,’ which allows parents to consider part-time options for wear, perhaps for particular activities.

In clinical practice, the authors have had great success in the ‘all day comfort trial.’ The child is able to trial contact lenses for a half or whole day, while remaining within the locality of their practice. This enables the patient to experience what life would be like wearing contact lenses for sport, a day out and as an alternative method of vision correction.

The first mention of contact lenses can be just to sow the seed, but do remember to follow up at the next appointment or with a phone call a little while later. Both authors have seen life-changing differences that contact lenses can bring about for youngsters, benefitting the wearer, the parents and the practice.

About the authors

Keith Tempany is a multiple award-winning contact lens practitioner and former president of the BCLA

Indie Grewal is a qualified dispensing optician and optometrist and current president of the BCLA