Study backs CL wear for children under 12

Children as young as 8 and teenagers can benefit greatly from wearing contact lenses instead of spectacles and can enjoy an improved quality of life shortly after making the switch, according to new research.

The finding are contained in the Contact Lens in Paediatrics (CLIP) Study, conducted in the US and sponsored by Vistakon - a division of Johnson & Johnson Vision Care. The company claims it is the first clinical study to compare children and teenagers using hydrogel contact lenses.

According to researchers, the findings contradict past research which has shown that the main reason why eye care professionals do not recommend contact lenses for children younger than 12 is that they think children are not yet responsible enough to care for their lenses. In addition, they believe that younger children will take longer to fit and therefore cost the practice valuable chair time.