Contact lenses can be fitted on children to correct vision problems from birth defects like congenital cataracts. They are also used for therapeutic purposes like patching an eye during vision therapy. The main indications for contact lenses in children are to treat congenital cataracts, aphakia following cataract surgery, trauma, and refractive errors. They provide an alternative to glasses for activities like sports. Proper fitting is important and may require use of anesthetics to reduce stress for children.

1. Contact lenses for children

2.  A study shows that kids look smarter
with glasses
 Nowadays kids don’t care who to
play with, whether the kid with or
without glasses
Contact lenses

3.  Who would you fit with contact lenses:
◦ Referral kids
◦ Unique child
◦ Lifetimes wearer
 Physically, a child's eyes can tolerate
contact lenses at a very young age. Even
some infants are fitted with contact
lenses due to congenital cataracts or
other eye conditions present at birth.
Contact lenses

4.  Congenital cataract are responsible for
nearly 10% of all vision loss in children
world wide.
 Congenital cataract are one of the most
common treatable causes of visual
impairment and blindness during infancy,
with an estimated prevalence of 1 to 6 cases
per 10,000 live births.
Aphakia

5.  Spectacle acceptable in case of bilateral cataract
 The consultant may recommend using a contact
lens for a young child or baby rather than an
implant. Because contact lenses are not implanted
into the eye they are much easier to change or
remove if this becomes necessary. Glasses and
contact lenses will also often be worn by children
who do not require or have surgery.

6.  An infant or toddler is typically fitted with
contact lenses because he or she had cataracts
(clouding of the lens inside the eye) removed just
after birth or because of an eye injury.
 Older children are typically fitted with contact
lenses because they are nearsighted (difficulty
seeing far away) or farsighted (difficulty seeing
up close).
 Children may also wear contact lenses to mask
disfigured ‫مشوهة‬ eyes, to patch an eye during
vision therapy, or to change the color of the eyes.
What are the primary
indications for contact lens
wear in children?

7.  Common in children
 Usually require RGP correction
 Using trial to fit lenses
 Custom made to match
 Decrease glare or photophopia
Trauma

8.  Contact lenses can be used for cosmetic purposes.
 Patients who have a lack of iris tissue (aniridia) or
inadequate pigment in the eye (albinism) may use
tinted contact lenses to create a synthetic iris,
which improves the appearance of the eye and
reduces the excessive amount of light entering the
eye.
 Another reason to use cosmetic lenses is to
improve the disfigured appearance of the anterior
portion of an eye with corneal scarring, white
deposits, or scar tissue within the eye.
Cosmatic

9.  This can occur after trauma or it may occur
in some forms of severe intraocular disease.
 Cosmetic contact lenses are not
recommended in the pediatric population
for vanity purposes of changing the eye
color because these lenses allow less
transmission of oxygen due to the pigment
on the lenses.
Cosmetics

10.  Other uses for contact lenses include the
correction of low refractive errors, both
nearsightedness and farsightedness, as well
as small degrees of astigmatism as an
alternative to glasses.
 For example, older children often find
contact lenses preferable to spectacles for
athletic activities. Contact lenses are only
medically necessary in a few ocular
diseases.
Refractive error

11.  This use is purely cosmetic in all other
cases. The recommendation for cosmetic
use of contact lenses to correct low
refractive errors will depend on the
patient's interest, maturity, dexterity ‫مهارة‬ ,
level of parental supervision, and financial
resources.
Refractive errors

12.  Occasionally soft contact lenses are
used to "bandage" the cornea to
promote healing of its surface. These
lenses are usually prescribed under
close medical supervision for a
limited period of time.
Therapeutic

13.  The child who fails patching ----try
occluder contact lenses
 33% successful and 33% not
 Prescribe high plus power contact lens
to decrease tearing
 Low to moderate amblyopia – with 2-
6 hours contact lenses with detailed
tasks
Vision therapy

14.  USE ANESTHETICS
◦ Help stress of a child
◦ Helps view fluorescen
 Do it fast
Fitting CL