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A significant majority of U.S. optometrists say soft contact lenses are an appropriate form of vision correction for children ages 12 and under, according to a new study.
Earlier this year, the American Optometric Association (AOA) and Johnson & Johnson Vision Care sent a survey to 4,004 AOA-member optometrists to determine their contact lens prescribing habits and when they fit children with contacts.
A total of 576 surveys (14.4 percent) were returned and included in the study.
When asked the appropriate age to introduce soft contact lenses to children:
- 11.9 percent said under age 8
- 12.4 percent said at ages 8-9
- 51.2 percent said ages 10-12
- 22.6 percent said ages 13-14
- 2.9 percent said ages 15-17
Other findings of the survey included:
- Children age 17 and younger account for 41 percent of the respondents’ total contact lens patient population.
- Though most respondents said the child’s gender did not influence their contact lens fitting decision, 26 percent said they were more likely to fit girls than boys with contacts at younger ages.
- Children younger than 8 years old account for less than 1 percent of total contact lens fittings.
Among respondents who said they are “more likely to fit” children with contacts this year compared to previous years, the top reasons were: availability of disposable contact lenses; improved lens materials (including silicone hydrogel materials); requests from the child and/or parent; and the child’s participation in sports and other activities.
Christine Sindt, OD, clinical associate professor of ophthalmology and director of the contact lens service at the University of Iowa Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, reported the results of the study in this month’s issue of Contact Lens Spectrum.
