DO YOU OFFER Precious Protection?
Find out which lens features you need to meet the new demands of today’s children + get our roundup of 12 lenses that are spot-on for kids
BY SUSAN TARRANT
Protection, Delivered:
On Giada: Crizal Kids UV No-Glare lenses from Essilor.
Photo by Chowen Photography.
Fitting optician: Tracy Henderson, Eye.D.
Bottom photos courtesy of PPG Industries
By the time they are 17, U.S. teens will have spent the equivalent of one-third of their lives staring at digital screens, according to a recent study conducted by VSP Global. That’s more than a whopping five-and-a-half years.
With today’s children relying so heavily on digital screens for their entertainment—and even their education—young eyes are being challenged like never before.
As such, your young patients have a common set of new visual needs that now go beyond lens safety to include eye strain relief, glare control, and blue light protection.
Here, EB asks ECPs who work with children to weigh in on these new needs, including the elements that make up a complete lens package for children today.
DIGITAL DEMANDS
Thomas Gosling, O.D., sees a lot of children in his Optical Matters practice in Littleton, CO. He also sees the effects of what he calls the “new demands” on young eyes: accommodative strain due to handheld digital devices (held just inches from the face) and increased blue light exposure.
“Most blue light damage occurs before the age of 30,” he notes. Children are especially vulnerable because their pupils are larger and their crystalline lenses are more pristine than in older eyes.
What’s more, he believes that, due to the near-constant use of computers and digital devices by children, “digital eye strain is even more important than blue light.”
The unfortunate fact of the matter, however, is that neither kids nor their parents probably know the risks involved with digital eye strain or harmful blue light. The VSP Global study found that more than half of parents (58%) are either only slightly or not at all aware of blue light and its potentially harmful impacts on vision and overall health.
“The vast majority of parents are not aware of the issues surrounding blue light,” says Robert Chu, O.D., managing director of Eyeworks Group in Fort Worth, TX. “It is the job of the eyecare community to educate our patients on potential dangers to their eyes and vision.”
Adds Danielle Crull, ABOM, owner of A Child’s Eyes in Mechanicsburg, PA: “To me, the most important thing is for parents to know that we are considering all things when it comes to their child’s vision and, if blocking the blue light may have a potential benefit and no harm, then we have a duty to talk about it.”
MEET THE DEMAND: with lenses that offer blue light filtering and some kind of eye fatigue relief in the design (such as a slight Add in the reading area).
GLARE CONTROL
Kids can’t learn properly if they cannot see clearly. And nothing provides clearer vision than a high-quality AR treatment. Because AR also controls the glare that is associated with the computer screens and whiteboards that populate American classrooms, it’s a perfect partner in a kids’ lens package.
“Kids in school are having a harder time seeing with SmartBoards, and I have found that AR coatings can be a huge benefit,” says Crull.
MEET THE DEMAND: with anti-reflective coatings, specifically high-quality AR that is more resistant to smudging and easier for kids to clean when it gets dirty.
EYE PROTECTION
Children also lead active lifestyles, replete with climbing, jumping, and sports that feature flying balls. So, when it comes to lens materials, the go-to choice for everyday wear is an impact-resistant lens, such as polycarbonate or Trivex material.
In addition, sports protective eyewear should be recommended for every pint-sized patient who plays a sport.
“I believe eye protection for sports, whether it’s contact or non-contact, is severely overlooked,” says Crull. “When we have kiddos who need glasses, we need to think about their needs in regard to providing a good ‘seeing’ environment at all times. When we keep this perspective we realize that things like swim goggles, sportswear, 3D clip-ons, and sunglasses are not add-ons—they are necessary to their overall vision and development.”
MEET THE DEMAND: with impact-resistant lens materials and youth sports protective eyewear (also, consider photochromic lenses for outdoor sportswear).
Find out the surprising statistics about children’s digital device usage, and hear more from ECPs on the need for blue light, digital eye strain, and UV protection for kids. Visit eyecarebusiness.com/WebExclusives.
12 GO-TO Options
Here, we present a selection of major lens products—including UV- and blue-light-blocking coatings—that are excellent choices for young patients.
![]({"src":"/media/ulthctps/62016.jpg","focalPoint":null,"crops":[{"alias":"thumbnail","width":1110,"height":700,"coordinates":null}]})