Can Children Wear Contact Lenses?

At Coldwater Vision Center in Coldwater, MS, we treat patients of all ages, including children. We offer eye exams for children and we carry a wide variety of eyeglasses that your child will be proud to wear. However, one of the questions that we get asked is if children can wear contact lenses.

Some Contact Lenses Are Therapeutic

There has been an exciting new development in contact lenses. There are now lenses that are actually recommended for some children in order to prevent myopia or nearsightedness. These are Ortho-K lenses. Since myopia is partially caused by misshapen eyes, Ortho-K contact lenses can help to prevent this “mis-growth” from occurring. Talk to your vision care professional to see if this is an option for your child.

The Child Must be Mature Enough

Contact lenses require a certain amount of maturity to wear and take care of them. If your child doesn’t properly care for their lenses, eye infection and damage can occur. For instance, most lenses must be cleaned and disinfected daily. As a parent, you have to ask yourself if your child is likely to do this. If you still need to nag your child about washing their face and brushing their teeth nightly, it’s unlikely they’ll have what it takes to ensure their contact lenses are properly disinfected before putting them in each day.

Furthermore, is your child likely to lose their lenses? Contacts have to be placed in their case when not worn, not inside a clump of tissue inside a backpack. Of course, you can always opt for daily wear lenses, which can be thrown away after each use. This is a decision that needs to be discussed with you, your child and your Coldwater Vision Center eyecare professional.

The short answer is that yes, children can and do wear contact lenses. However, depending on the circumstances, it may be easier to have your younger child wear eyeglasses until they exhibit a level of maturity that shows they’re ready for contact lenses.

For more information about corrective eyewear for your children, please contact Coldwater Vision Center in Coldwater, MS today. We’re here to help with all of your family’s vision needs.