YOU DON'T HAVE TO WAIT UNTILL YOU ARE OLDER TO TRY LENSES.

CONTACT LENSES FOR CHILDREN:  FROM 8 TO 9 YEARS ON

1) CAN CHILDREN CARE FOR CONTACTLENSES ?
In a recent  study is shown that children from 8 to 9 years  can maintain contact lenses as well as adults (both manipulation of the lenses as  the proper use of the products). Children take even more time because they are less hurried. The importance of THE maintenance should  be well explained of course! These findings correspond with dental care: the earlier the child start with caring  themselves, the more likely that good hygiene will be applied for life !

  2) DOES MYOPIA INCREASE BY WEARING CONTACT LESES,
Wearing glasses or contact lenses has no effect on  the average evolution of myopia:  -0.25 a -0.5 a year, during the growth phase. The  growth of the eye itself is the only real cause of increasing myopia !
  
3) DO CHILDREN GIVE UP MORE QUICKLY  ?
Children are more motivated than adults, because they sport more  and because they are teased more than in the adult world, when wearing  glasses. The slightest irritation will not stop them . On the contrary, they endure infections more because they want  absoluterely to go on with  lenses. Therefore: the parents should keep an eye on their children:  a red eye means you have to leave out the lenses a few days. If the problem remains: Consult your eye doctor!

 4) HOW CAN CONTACTS BE USEFULL FOR CHILDREN ?
Until recently we only gave lenses to  children with high refractive problems  because it's clear that they are  visually better off in these cases. However it's remarkable  that children with low correction also appreciate lenses, because they are more accepted in the social group . A child experiences glasses still as a disability, how fashionable the frame is. It's especially  so when the glasses should be worn always (from -2.5) ! Anyway: the higher the diopter power of the glasses, the more you benefit from contact lenses. Indeed: Contact lenses reduce the image  less than  spectacles and give so a better vision. It's also  clear that children who do a lot of sports  are better off  with lenses than with glasses  (especially when there are frequent contacts  like in volleyball, basketball and soccer).  Glasses can even be dangerous for the wearer and for  the opponent.  5) ARE LENSES FASTER  LOST OR TORN  IN CHILDHOOD ?
Because of wilder contacts in sports and games, a child  can loose quicker a lens , but that 's no big problem. Therefore we always recommend soft lenses in stead of rigid lenses. In soft lenses, we recommend months lenses: your child has spare lenses  in case of  loss. These lens can be worn some days longer to compensate for the loss; So: with 6 lenses for the right eye and 6 lenses for the left eye children can wear lenses during 6 months without problems. If children loose a lot of lenses, it's cheaper to work with daily lenses.  The cleaning  of lenses is than also no problem anymore !
 
6) DO YOU HAVE TO WAIT UNTILL  YOUR CHILD ASKS CONTACTS ? 
Many children do not know that contact lenses exist, unless their parents are wearing lenses or 1 of their friends  begins with it. They themselves are not asking for something that they do not know. However they can reach  the following results:  more self-respect, more responsibility, better vision  (eg wider field of view), better  performance and aesthetic benefits.  If you explain the children the advantages of lenses, most of them are quick enthusiastic. Luckily because they  will need this motivation. indeed, children need a little bit more time than adult to learn all the manipulation of the lenses