Parade Magazine Story Quotes Me!!

Ranit Mishori, MD the health writer for Parade Magazine (and several other news sources) was kind enough to interview me for a article in the Sunday October 18th, 2009 magazine. Please click on the title to read the complete article....DM

......“When necessary, children at any age can wear contact lenses,” says Dr. Dominick Maino, a professor of pediatric optometry at the Illinois College of Optometry in Chicago. Contact lenses require some work on the part of the patient—keeping them clean, storing them correctly, inserting them gently. So chronological age is less important in making this decision than motivation and maturity.

Girls may be ready at a younger age than boys. Says Dr. Maino: “I usually tell parents that when boys start to notice girls, and when girls can keep their rooms clean, they may be ready for contact lenses.” Some kids are able to use them properly with parental supervision and help.

But Dr. Maino also cautions, “Parents should not push their child to wear contact lenses. It must be the child’s idea. They must be motivated to wear them.”

Contact lenses are not without risks, of course. Kids should not wear them while swimming or in dusty, dirty environments. They should not share them with their friends. For sports and similar activities, they may need to wear protective goggles over their contacts......