Studies show that around 80% of what children learn in school is presented to them visually. That makes identifying any eye health challenges early is crucial not only to a child’s health and wellbeing, but to their education, mental health and happiness.
Glasses are often a first choice for parents. When our family found out my then two-year-old granddaughter Jada needed a -6.00 prescription, her first pair of glasses allowed her to finally see the world clearly for the very first time.
But are contact lenses an option? For active, rambunctious children, glasses can be a nuisance, and can so easily get dirty, broken or lost.
There are several fictions out there around whether it’s safe or appropriate for children to wear contact lenses. In reality, a contact lens prescription can be adjusted as kids age, research shows that children as young as eight can handle them, and contact lenses may be no more expensive than glasses in the long-term.
While they won’t replace glasses for all activities, raising the idea of contact lenses as an option can present a whole new eyewear sales opportunity for your practice, and a new eyewear option that may better suit the lifestyle of some of your youngest patients.
Read more about the facts and fictions around contact lenses for kids in this post from the Canadian Association of Optometry.