New Contact Lens Update Examines the Benefits of Prescribing Contact Lenses for Children
Friday, April 24 2026 | 09 h 03 min | News
The Centre for Ocular Research & Education (CORE) has published Issue 89 of Contact Lens Update, which focuses on contact lenses for a rapidly growing demographic of eye care practice: the pediatric population. The bi-monthly publication is available at no charge by visiting ContactLensUpdate.com.
“Contact lenses are being increasingly prescribed to younger patients. They can positively impact the lives of many children who require vision correction by boosting their self-esteem, improving academic performance, and increasing engagement in extracurricular activities. The latest issue of Contact Lens Update helps practitioners more effectively discuss contact lens wear with children and their parents,” said Jill Woods, Head of Clinical Research at CORE.
Sheila Morrison, an optometrist in private practice at Mission Eye Care Center for Dry Eye and Corneal Disease in Alberta, Canada, shares her clinical expertise in the issue’s opening editorial. She examines important reasons for fitting children with contact lenses, their impact on quality of life and self-perception, and how lenses can benefit their sports-related performance. The overview also reminds practitioners of the importance of communication, optimizing compliance, and how to deal with potential ocular emergencies.
Isabelle Jalbert is an optometrist and associate dean of Education Quality at the University of New South Wales in Australia. Her feature article centers on an investigation of the safety of pediatric contact lens use. The review includes data from 11,679 children (ages 6-18) across the world who were prescribed orthokeratology, soft contact lenses, or rigid gas-permeable lenses then followed for a maximum of 12 years.
Debbie Jones, clinical professor and lead clinical scientist at CORE, School of Optometry & Vision Science at the University of Waterloo, authors the clinical insight that describes a young, active, hyperopic child’s journey to successful contact lens wear. The case report covers her ocular history, from presenting at two years old with an intermittent esotropia, to her initial contact lens fit at six years old, and subsequent aftercare visits.
The conference highlight is contributed by Hiu Yan Lam, a PhD candidate at Aston University in the United Kingdom. Her work investigated young adults who began wearing myopia control lenses between the ages of 8 to 12 years old, averaging 11 years of use. Optical coherence tomography measured the overall corneal thickness and epithelial thickness, with results compared to an age-matched group of adults who had never worn contact lenses.
In addition to a complete archive of back issues, ContactLensUpdate.com offers a resource library that provides no-cost professional tools, patient resources, images and video. It also houses complimentary technical training videos produced by International Association of Contact Lens Educators, plus an industry glossary. Industry professionals can access the latest issue directly from ContactLensUpdate.com or quickly sign up for email receipt of future issues.
Click HERE for the press release.
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