This article was originally published in a sponsored newsletter.

When I was 12, I was an advancing myope with glasses, braces, and acne, so being fit in contact lenses changed my life. Now that it’s back-to-school time, how is your office handling the rush of kids coming in? Are you open to fitting them in contact lenses? I suggest developing a strategy to offer contact lenses to any of the kids who need a spectacle correction and see how their lives can change too.
 
Let’s consider a specific example. Perhaps you see a young patient whose spectacle prescription has jumped from a –1.00D sphere OU when she was 8 to –2.00D at 9. She wants to get contact lenses and her parents support the decision. In my office, we like to capture these children’s excitement by offering daily disposables, finding the right fit, and teaching them how to safely and successfully wear contact lenses all on the same day.
 
I also like to take the conversation a step further. Studies have shown that we can expect this patient’s myopia to reach –4.50D by the age of 17 without intervention.¹ In cases like this, I would discuss this child’s myopia and the associated medical concerns with her parents to set the stage for a myopia control option. Studies have revealed various treatments that will slow refractive changes if they are initiated at a young age.
 
This area of myopia control has untapped potential and most likely will be a foundation of treatment in the future. As eyecare professionals, it is imperative that we stay up-to-date on the newest treatment options and make recommendations based on current research.

REFERENCES

1. Brien Holden Vision Institute. Global Myopia Centre. https://bhvi.org/myopia-calculator-resources/. Accessed August 17, 2023.