With the advent of beautiful, cheap, off the shelf, contact lenses, it has become quite fashionable to wear contact lenses purely for cosmetic reasons and not for defective vision. Most of the time, these are not custom fitted and therefore may be ill-fitting and even downright unsafe. They should not be used by anyone, especially children.

Why should non-prescription contact lenses be avoided?

• Potentially toxic to the eye – may leach chemicals that can then damage the eye
• Not custom fitted – may cause bad infections and even total vision loss
• Poor fitting lenses may damage the cornea with scarring and potential for blindness

Rules regarding use of contact lenses in children

• Use contact lenses only to correct patient’s vision and never for cosmetic purposes
• Get a professional – an ophthalmologist or an optician or an optometrist to prescribe contact lenses that are suitable for your child – they may advise against the use of cotnact lenses itself.
• The professional must train both the parent and the child in the use and the care of contact lens
• NEVER let your child wear lenses overnight
• Any redness or discharge associated with the use of contact lenses must be brought to the notice of a qualified ophthalmologist immediately.