Contact Lenses For Kids: A Go or No-Go?
There will come a time where your kids will ask if they can get contact lenses.
When that happens, many questions may pop through your head: Can kids wear contact lenses? Is it safe for them? Are contact lenses good for kids?
Don’t worry, read on and put your worries to rest!
Firstly, can my kids even wear contact lenses?
Yes, they can!
More than half of optometrists feel that it is appropriate to introduce children aged 10 to 12 years old to soft contact lenses, and one in ten doctors feel that it is okay to introduce contact lenses to kids below 8 years old.
Even if they can, should I allow them to?
Whether you would want to let your kids wear contact lenses, it is up to you to decide. But, continue reading to find out some benefits that wearing contact lenses will bring.
#1: Increase Self Esteem
Wearing contact lenses affects how children feel about themselves.
In a 3 year long study, over 400 children aged 8 to 11 years old were randomly assigned to wear eyeglasses or contact lenses. At the end of the 3 years, the children who wore contact lenses had high self-perception of their physical appearance, athletic competence, and social acceptance.
#2: Increased Safety for Kids
Kids are generally more active when they are still young, but are also more clueless on how harmful their seemingly harmless act can be.
Even if your kid owns a pair of spectacles for sports, the frame may still break due to impact and cause an eye injury. Also, the weather and other external factors may cause fogging of the lenses – which may affect the vision of the child, putting his or her safety and performance at risk.
As for contact lenses, they will stay on your kids’ eyes when they are running around – allowing more accurate and stable vision.
#3: Slow Down Progression of Nearsightedness
One more benefit that wearing contact lenses will bring is that it will slow down the progression of nearsightedness in children. This is because contact lenses focus light in front of the peripheral retina, which is the right place where light should be focused on to provide people with clear vision.
On the topic of slowing down nearsightedness, good eye care habits will also help to reduce myopia levels! Things such as keeping devices or books at least 30cm away from your eyes and taking sufficient breaks are good habits that should be practiced. If you can’t always be there to remind your children, try phone applications like plano (iOS and Android) to help your kids stay in check!
Sounds good, but it will only be a good choice if…
Contact lenses definitely brings many benefits to the table, but this is only if you know your kids’ maturity and ability!
Here are some questions you can ask yourself before you decide if you kids are ready for contact lens!
1. Are they mature and responsible?
Observe your kids and how they handle their responsibilities. Is he able to keep up good personal grooming habits such as keeping his room clean? Does he complete his tasks like schoolwork and household chores on time?
If they are able to do so without frequent reminders, they are highly likely able to take care of themselves with contact lenses!
2. Do they pass the test?
Give your child a pair of disposable contact lens to try!
Look at how they clean the lenses, put it on, take it off and keep it – do they look ready to handle it? If you notice your kids are able to practice good contact lens wearing habits such as using contact lens solution to wash the lenses, you can be more at ease if you decide to allow them to wear contact lenses!
So, Contact Lenses – A Go or No Go For Kids?
The most important question you need to ask yourself should be: Do you think your kids are ready?
Parents, like yourselves, play an important role in ensuring the safety and health of children. So ultimately, it is up to you, the parents, to decide if your kids are ready for contact lenses!
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