Ortho-K contact lenses for 7YO DD

[EssCee]

I'm really worried about DD's change in vision over the past 6 months. So, just trying to investigate all the options available - including Ortho-K lenses.

In November 2018, it was a surprise to find out that she needed glasses (prescription: -0.5, -1.5) for the whiteboard/TV, etc. But, she was happy enough to wear them.

6 months later, her prescription has changed to -2.5 in both eyes.

She has her new glasses, but she's not happy with wearing them all the time, and they do make her look a little different. I'm worried that it'll affect her confidence - this morning, she didn't want to get out of bed for school and she looked sad when looking in the mirror. Both very out of character and really so sad for me to see.

Both DH and I are both quite badly short-sighted, so there's a big genetic component.

Does anyone know much about ortho-K lenses as a way to slow down the progression of myopia? And how effective they are in replacing glasses? Have you tried them for your own DC?

Thank you in advance.

Posting here for traffic, I hope that's ok.

Isn't she quite young for this? Better to work on making her happy about wearing glasses, surely, than allowing a 7 year old to be so concerned about her appearance? I say this as someone who started wearing glasses at age 8.

Can't advise for a child, but I have been using Ortho K for years (8?) and my prescription hasn't changed in all that time. Beforehand, every 6m my daily contact prescription was increasing by -0.25 a time. I do a lot of computer work and fully believe it's the Ortho K that have kept my vision steady. My optician says she recommends for children for exactly the reason you want.

My main concern would be they are quite hard to get used to using so not sure how a child would adapt to using them. It is fab not wearing anything in the day though, especially when doing sports

Hi PetrichorRain, it does seem young doesn’t it. These lenses are designed to slow down the rate of myopia, though. It’s not just about the appearance side of things. I want her to be happy, that's all, so investigating options right now. I'm obviously positive and upbeat about the glasses in front of her.

That sounds great TurtleTree, thanks for letting me know your experience. Do you think your prescription would have changed a lot without them?

I started wearing glasses at 8 like the PP. I have wore both glasses and contact lenses for over 20 years. I actually tend to wear my glasses more in summer.

My mum found some research when I was about 12 on wearing hard/gas permeable contact lenses to slow down myopia but it wasn't recognised in the UK.

About 2 years ago I saw some research in Singapore and Australia that stated the best way of slowing down myopia is to get your kid outside playing in the fresh air for a minimum of an hour a day. Most parents ignored this.

Also 8 is too young to wear contact lenses. I'm of the generation where most girls started wearing contact lenses between 16-18 and loads of girls were self-conscious about wearing glasses. As a result lots of girls suffered with repeated eye infections due to incorrect handling and over wearing. (I've never suffered mainly because I have gone through phrases where I'm happy to wear glasses.) Now thanks to newsreaders and other women in the media loads of teenage girls and those in their early 20s, which includes my nieces, are comfortable wearing glasses.

DH and I are short sighted, me more than him. I started wearing glasses at age 9. All our children started wearing glasses early, between age 4 and 6 years and started with rapid changes to prescription every 6 months. I was assured this is normal and now each child's prescription has slowed down and the changes aren't so huge. The opticians say that this is normal as their eyes change a lot until they're around 10. Have you discussed the rapid changes with her optician?

My youngest DD is 6 and I wouldn't consider contact lenses for her. I agree it's probably a better option for the time being to help her feel confident and comfortable in her glasses.

My DC are both very short-sighted. DC (8) is currently -13 and has been wearing hard contacts for nearly a year. Prescription has remained stable. Before that, DC wore soft lenses for the purpose seeing everything larger and I must say that these soft lenses were much easier all around. The hard lenses cause my DC frequent discomfort (dust behind the lens) and because they are worn at school, DC is unable to do much about it as removal of hard lenses is difficult for him. Plus, hard lenses are hideously expensive, especially if the script changes.

Our other DC is 6 und has -9. DC 6 is still wearing soft contacts and script is stable and, given the difficulty with the hard lenses for DC 8, we are undecided as to whether to swap to hard lenses.

Hi TheRealMrsSmith, yes, I have spoken with the optician who did her eye test on the phone, but he didn’t really say too much. He said her eye health is fine but her short-sightedness will worsen in time, usually happens with growth spurts, etc. I asked him about the likely rate of progression and he said he couldn’t say.

For previous posters, contact lenses can be worn from birth, so no, 6 is not too young. Modern rigid gas permeable lenses are considered healthy for the eye to wear. Eye specialists for children with myopia recommend hard lenses to slow the progression of myopia, and decrease the risk of retinal detachment associated with high myopia.

@ScreamScreamIceCream, I agree that it does seem young, but I hear these particular lenses are designed to be worn early for the purpose of slowing down the progression of myopia.

She does spend time outdoors - definitely more than an hour a day (as we walk to/from school) - but obviously I’m now wracked with guilt that she’s not doing more 😥

Hi @Poing thanks for the comments. Did it take long for your DC to learn how to use contact lenses properly? Have you considered Ortho-K lenses for your children? (e.g. as they're worn at night, they're unlikely to get dusty etc.?).

I have experience of wearing soft and hard lenses (gas permeables). I definitely found soft lenses much easier, but I think modern hard lenses are probably quite different.

All the sunshine in the world will not cure myopia. Certainly, children who have developed myopia because of environmental conditions would benefit from sunshine, and in fact, administering atropine eye-drops has also been shown to be beneficial in slowing the progression of his form of myopia. However, there is really not a lot that can be done for inherited myopia, except for the rigid gas permeable lenses. And even then, these will not reverse the myopia but rather slows the progression. So, OP, bit of sunshine is nice but there is really not anything you should be at all guilty about, given the hereditary nature of your myopia.

@Poing I know, I know. It’s a bit irrational, I get that. Thanks for being the voice of reason, and that's really good that you've found eyedrops helpful.

I don't know, this has blindsided me somehow, I guess I'm just a bit frightened.

The eye specialist said, given the strength of the script, that the night lenses are not recommended. I can only imagine, though, that the benefit of night-wearing would be better than day wearing for your daughter. Less risk of dust, for example. I really think it is a great idea. Apart from the cost, of course.

With regards to lens care, we (DH and I) still do all care of the lenses ourselves. Care of lenses is quite easy, as is insertion and removal, but it will be nice when the DC can do it themselves.

Rgp menicon brand are good. I found my prescription stabilized with these. My eyes are extremely myopic at -13.

Sorry to keep posting so much! It isn't often I get to connect to other parents with this experience.

It is absolutely normal and ok to feel scared about this. It is not a regular occurrence, but your experience of lenses will help you a lot. Mine did. I remember feeling guilty, also, when the doctor asked if we had noticed how blind our DC were. We had no idea, but apparently babies and little kids compensate really well. Or we wear jus not observant enough.

It really is great that your DD can wear the night lenses. It is a fantastic idea, and I think you should a least give it a go.

@Poing A local optician has quoted £495 a year. No idea if that’s average or not, as haven’t spoken to anyone else yet.

Just wondering, do the hard lenses give your DC better vision (and that’s why you’ve not gone for the soft lenses)?

Hi OP, i’ve fitted these lenses in the past, although, i’ve never fitted to a child younger than 8 before, but would consider it depending on your daughter’s maturity level and what you both thought about the lenses. They slow myopia progression in around 3/4 of people who wear them.

Is your daughter keen to give them a try?

Being outside does provide a protective element is myopia progression, even when taking into account genetic pre-disposition. 40 minutes a day is the current recommended amount.

@Poing Honestly, please do post away, hearing your experience is invaluable.

My own emotions about this issue has really taken me aback. It sounds really overdramatic, but I really can’t stop worrying.

Hard lenses and soft lenses give my DC much better vision. The stronger the prescription, the smaller everythjng appears with regular glasses, which was the reason for the lenses. They make everything regular size, and thus easier to see.

Hard lenses were prescribed to slow the progression of the myopia.

Hi @underneaththeash

Thanks for your input. She’s a mature 7.5YO, who is pretty meticulous about hygiene and being responsible.

At the moment, our approach is ‘you look awesome in your glasses, and aren’t your new prescription swimming goggles really cool’). So, definitely not talked about contact lenses (although the optician did mention contact lenses for sport after he'd done the eye-test).

She only got the glasses on Friday, so I think she’s still processing things (she's clearly not too happy about it, but also doesn't want to tell me).

Regarding, the 1/4 of wearers that don't have their myopia progression slowed down, do they continue with these Ortho-K lenses?

Hi @Poing - Ah right, I understand. I hope your DC finds them easier in time. And thanks for your comments about your experience.

My DD,16, has worn these for 6 years. They have definitely stopped the progression of her myopia which was the point for us. The other benefits are having clear vision each day without having to wear day contacts or glasses.

The downsides are if she can’t wear them for any reason (ie has a cold) her vision goes back to myopic within a day or two so she has a couple of pairs of glasses and a selection of soft contacts in varying strengths to wear as she steps back down to her original script (it takes about three days to go back to that level so each day until,she is back to her baseline her vision is different)

Also tricky to manage school camps, overnight stays at friends etc.

If she drops one it’s a drama to find it as they are so expensive we definitely want to find them! She’s only lost one in six years- dropped a few but we’ve managed to find them.
She gets a new set every 12-18 months or so. Our monthly subscription includes replacement lenses as necessary (including lost ones) and all appointments and lens cleaning solutions.

Not cheap and a few hassles but totally worth it. We left it too late for our eldest child and her script was too high for it to work (and she’s a different child who wouldn’t tolerate hard lenses. DD16 is very chill so the hard lenses didn’t faze her) Get your DD started now before her script deteriorates further. She will thank you when she’s an adult and has a low enough script to make laser eye surgery a possibility.

My son has had ortho K for about 8 years - got them when he was 13. They have made such a difference. He was playing a lot of sport at school and glasses were just not practical. He tried soft lenses but just couldn't get on with them, then the optician recommended ortho K.
Since then his prescription has barely changed and the overnight wear means he is completely free of worry during the day and the chances of losing a lens are minimal. Frankly he has never looked back. am very short sighted and have worn hard lenses for 40 years. I wish they had had ortho K when I was younger,
Your daughter is a bit younger, but provided she can cope with putting lenses in and out she should be Ok, especially if you supervise her for hygiene.
I would add that our optician is excellent - an independent who has a string of qualifications and hospital experience. DS has a 6 monthly check which involves an eye scan etc and new lenses every 6 months, We pay about £40 monthly all in, including solutions/lenses and all examinations. I think that's about the going rate.So do find someone who knows what they are doing - not a chain - is my recommendation.
I definitely think ortho K s worth a try.