With children being fit with contact lenses at younger ages than ever before, some parents have voiced concerns. Fortunately, with the development of daily disposable soft contact lenses, children as young as 7 years old can wear contact lenses safely, provided they receive routine eye exams.

The Research on Kids and Contacts

To find out what kinds of problems children experience when wearing soft contact lenses, researchers tested 294 children aged 7-11 with myopia. Each child was prescribed a different type of daily-wear contact lens and came in for an eye exam every 6 months over a period of 3 years.

Risks of Contact Lenses

Although the majority of children did experience at least one issue during the 3-year trial, most of these issues happened in the first year as the children were getting used to wearing their contacts. After this point, problems related to contact lens wear sharply declined.

Researchers found that most issues didn't require the child to seek medical treatment or cause them to stop wearing contacts. In most cases the problems were related to the lens solution or allergic reactions, both of which can be easily addressed by your eye doctor.

So, Are Lenses Safe for Children?

The study concluded that contact lens wear is just as safe for children as for adults, provided there is proper supervision. Contact lenses are a safe option for children who want to say goodbye to their glasses or want to wear contacts as a way to slow down their myopia.

Want to learn more? Come visit our eye care team at Dayton Optometric Center in Kettering, Ohio today. Call (937) 228-2020.