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Safety Glasses for Children Who Wear Glasses

Parents consult pediatricians and pediatric ophthalmologists for diagnosis and treatment for a variety of eye disorders in their children. When infants and children are prescribed corrective lenses, special attention to the safety of their eyewear is imperative, both with eyeglasses they wear every day and special protective eyewear for sports.

  1. Children Needing Glasses

    • According to the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology, the first six years of of a child's life are a crucial time in the development of vision. The most common pediatric eye problems for which glasses might be prescribed are strabismus, which is a crossing of or misaligned eyes, and amblyopia, also known as a weak or lazy eye. As children grow older and start school, other sight problems, such as far-sightedness, near-sightedness or astigmatism, may be diagnosed, requiring prescription lenses.

    Injury Risks with Glasses

    • While adults often have the option of wearing contact lenses to correct their vision, children do not---not until they're at least 11 years old. But a young child with glasses can be a dangerous combination. A 2005 study by the Columbus Children's Research Institute (CCRI) into eyeglass injuries states that in one year nationally, more than 5,000 children ages 2 to 17 were treated in emergency rooms for eyeglass injuries; the leading cause of the injury for 2- to 9-year-olds was falling.

    Safer Daily Eyewear

    • Many injuries that eyewear cause are avoidable. The American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommend polycarbonate lenses for all children who wear glasses. This material, initially developed for use in flight helmets for the U.S. military, is strong and impact-resistant, and has been used for general consumer eyewear since the 1990s. The polycarbonate lenses cost more than glass lenses and, while shatter-resistant, do scratch more easily. Typically, eye-glass providers offer a variety of replacement plans for the lenses, which can help parents manage costs.

    Extra Protection Required for Sports

    • Daily eyeware should not be worn during sports. Non-polycarbonate lenses can shatter upon impact. Even with polycarbonate lenses, glasses can inflict injury. The frames can break, knocking free the lenses and pushing them into an eye or the face. Additionally, the nose pads---the plastic pieces that may be attached directly to the frame or to pad arms---could be pushed into the eye. According to a CCRI report, among children ages 10 to 17, nearly 40 percent of eyeglass injuries resulted from sports activities.

      Prevent Blindness America, the nation's leading volunteer eye-health and safety organization, reports that 45 percent of children and adolescents who use corrective eyewear have played sports without prescription safety eyewear, and that 90 percent of all sports-related eye injuries can be avoided by using protective eyewear.

    Proper Sports Wear Glasses

    • The AAP, AAO and the American Optometric Association (AOA) recommend the use of protective eyewear with polycarbonate lenses during any sports activity that might pose a risk for eye injury. Eye protectors---both the frames and the lenses---should meet the standards established by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) and American National Standards Institute (ANSI).

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