Proper Eyeglass Fit

Tips for Proper Fitting Glasses From The Vision Center at Children's Hospital Los Angeles

If you have a child under 12, one of his friends or schoolmates probably wears glasses. While both adults and children wear glasses to correct nearsightedness and farsightedness, some children need glasses for more serious conditions such as strabismus (crossed eyes) and amblyopia (lazy eyes) that can lead to impairment in visual development.

Because a child’s visual system is still developing, it is very important that his glasses be made and fitted correctly. Below are three tips to get the correct fit for your child’s glasses from Dr. Mark Borchert, pediatric ophthalmologist and head of The Vision Center:

1. Buy children’s glasses from an optical shop experienced fitting children.

While teenagers and tweens can generally be fitted for glasses at the same optical shop as adults, children under eight years old have special concerns that need to be addressed. For example, children have smaller noses, which can lead to the glasses slipping down if they aren’t properly fitted. This is less of a problem if the frames are durable plastic, not wire, and made to fit the width of the face. When shopping for your young child, look for an optician who has experience working with children and can communicate effectively with him/her to insure they are seeing properly. In many cases, opticians specializing in fitting glasses for young children and have received special training in this area.

2. Right-size the frame to fit to the right-sized kid.

Children are generally more active than adults. As a result, the nose-pads should either be built into the frame, or wrap around the nose. The arms or temples of the frame should be shorter than an adult frame and sit comfortably over the ears. Many children’s frames have soft rubber earpieces that wrap around the back of the ear or use straps to secure the glasses.

3. Ensure proper fit and location of the lens.

When very young children are prescribed glasses to correct a developmental condition such as strabismus, it is very important that the lenses be properly aligned. While an improper prescription or poor fit of a pair of eyeglasses can result in discomfort for adults, it can impair a child’s visual development and lead to permanent visual loss. Also, more children are being prescribed bifocal lenses to treat esotropia (crossed eyes). Prescribing and fitting bifocal lenses for children is different than for adults; the glasses need to fit precisely and be designed to stay in place so the child can get the full therapeutic value of the lens.