Long-Term Success of Contact Lens Wear Not Dependent on Age of Initial Fit

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., May 5, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- After ten years of contact lens wear, patients are equally successful wearing contact lenses whether they were first fitted as children or as teenagers, new research shows.  The study found that whether first fit as a child or as a teen, current wearers were similarly comfortable and compliant, and reported similar frequency of prior adverse events while wearing contact lenses.  The findings were presented today at The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) meeting.

"A growing body of research has already established the many benefits and safety of pediatric contact lens wear," says co-author Jeffrey Walline, O.D., Ph.D., Ohio State University College of Optometry.  "This study further demonstrates that fitting children at younger ages has no harmful long-term effects."

About the Study

A total of 175 soft contact lens wearers ages 17 to 30 years who wore lenses for the past ten years participated in this online survey, which compared the self-reported comfort, adverse events, and compliance of patients who were fitted in contact lenses as a child (ages 12 years and younger) to that of patients fitted as teenagers (ages 13 to 19 years).  Of those surveyed, 49 percent were fitted as a child and 51 percent were fitted as a teenager.

Nearly 25 percent of both child fits and teen fits were able to wear contact lenses for as many hours as they wanted.  In addition both child fits and teen fits wore their lenses for more than 14 hours per day (14.8 vs. 14.7), of which more than 13 hours were comfortable.

Approximately 32 percent of child fits reported currently rubbing their lenses and 42 percent reported rinsing their lenses when cleaning them compared to 35 percent who reported rubbing and 45 percent who reported rinsing their lenses among the teen fits.  The proportion of child fits and teen fits who replace their case every six months or more often was 53 percent in each group.  

"The numbers on rubbing and rinsing of lenses are heartening because although we'd like to see higher percentages, they are higher than those reported in other contact lens compliance studies," explains Dr. Walline.  "Rubbing and rinsing of the lens surface can help maximize lens performance and minimize any adverse events."  

The study was supported by funding from Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc.

Source: Walline, J, Emch, A, Laul, A, Reuter, K, Nichols, J, "Comparison of Success in Contact Lens Wearers Fitted as Children vs. Teenagers."

SOURCE VISTAKON(R), Division of Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc.

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