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Pediatric Vision: How to Choose Glasses for Your Children

September 5, 2013

Make sure your child has the best back to school frames this school year.

Now that school is back in session for the fall, it is important that our children are stocked with all of the tools and accessories that they need in order to ensure that they have a successful school year. For some kids, this may mean a brand new calculator to help with those difficult math equations or even a sturdy new backpack to fill up with books and supplies. However, for children who have vision problems and need corrective lenses, there is no accessory that is more important than a good pair of eyeglasses.

If your child has been wearing prescription eyeglasses for several years now, then you probably understand how difficult it can be to walk into an optical store and immediately find the perfect pair of frames. Do you focus more on style or comfort? What optical add-ons should you purchase to protect your child’s eyes? What is the safest style to choose for young children?

To help ensure that your child’s eyeglasses are a helpful accessory this school year, rather than an uncomfortable nuisance for them, here are a few tips for choosing the best frames for your child:

1. Choose The Best Frame Type

When it comes to choosing pediatric eyeglasses, you may find that most children’s frames are made of either plastic or metal wire. While plastic frames are a safe choice because of how light and durable they are, many manufacturers have now made metal frames that duplicate these same features. Therefore, it may come down to which frame feels most comfortable for your child.

2. Fit The Bridge Of The Glasses

One reason why children are constantly pushing up their glasses from sliding down their nose is because they have not properly fitted their glasses’ bridge. This is a difficult task because many children’s noses are not fully developed, so they don’t have a fully developed bridge. If this is the case, make sure that your child’s eyeglass frames have adjustable nose pads included so they snuggly fit the bridge of the nose and do not slide down your child’s face.

3. Decide If You Need Wraparound Temples

If your child is still an infant or a toddler, you may find that their glasses slip off whether or not you have nose pads, simply due to their lack of coordination and care. Therefore, you may find that you need some more assistance ensuring that their glasses stay put on their nose. Wraparound temples, also often called “cable temples” are a great way to keep glasses in place for toddlers and infants as they have curved arms that fit gently around the back of the ear to keep them in place.

4. Choose The Right Lens Material

As we noted above, there are several different add-ons to lenses that you can choose to enhance their performance and improve their quality. One lens material that you should always opt for when buying children’s glasses is polycarbonate lenses. This lightweight material is very impact-resistant and is one of the safest materials available for children who are constantly on the move and participating in heavy play. Polycarbonate lenses are also often a cost-efficient investment due to the UV and scratch-resistant coating that is built into the material

If you want to ensure that your child is going into the new school year with clear vision and the best lenses possible, be sure to contact OCLI today to schedule a pediatric vision consultation with our Board Certified Pediatric Ophthalmologise, Dr. Lauren Rispoli.  She, and our helpful vision team will get your child’s vision back to school ready and will ensure that they are prepared for the year of learning ahead.

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