NaturalVue
Frequently asked questions about NaturalVue daily disposable soft contact lenses for myopia management in children
What is NaturalVue?
NaturalVue is a daily disposable contact lens originally designed for presbyopia (help with reading vision once you reach your 40s), however recently has been studied as a treatment option for young children and reducing their chance of myopia progression.
It it suitable for children?
- This contact lens was designed with children in mind. It is a soft hydrogel plastic material so children often find this very comfortable.
- Being a daily disposable modality means that there is very little concern about contamination and infection.
Is my child suitable?
- Children who are very active may find a huge benefit in using contact lenses to free them of their dependence on glasses.
- Teenagers who don’t sleep well may be better suited to daily disposable lenses that don’t require consistent sleep as with orthokeratology contact lenses.
- This type of contact lens corrects up to -12.25 dioptres of short-sightedness / myopia.
- Astigmatism cannot be corrected with MiSight contact lenses, however a small amount of astigmatism can be tolerated.
An assessment is required with your optometrist to determine whether your child is a suitable candidate, to check that their eyes are healthy, and the appropriate shape to increase the chances of successful contact lens wear. This appointment will be bulk-billed on Medicare, with no out of pocket cost – leave a note that you’d like to have a suitability for NaturalVue assessment.
Who is answering the FAQs on this page?
My name is Carina, and I’m the author of this website, Sydney Orthokeratology. I have been practising Orthokeratology since 2013, and have had experience with forms of myopia management options a few years prior to this. My practice Carina Eye Care is situated in Burwood, an inner west suburb of Sydney in NSW, Australia. I have built my practice around providing proactive and comprehensive care, supported by flexible and extended appointments, to provide patients with complete confidence in their ongoing eye care. If you are interested in meeting me for a FREE or bulk-billed consultation for you or your child, please feel free to get in touch via email, phone, or by booking an appointment online.
Are contact lenses safe for children?
Evidence shows that young children are actually much safer contact lens wearers when compared to adults in their 20s. The risk of infection in daily disposable contact lenses like NaturalVue is 1 in 5000, in other words if there are 5000 children wearing contact lenses for 1 year, 1 of those children will develop an eye infection. Or, if your child were to wear contact lenses for 5000 years, then they may develop one eye infection. For more information about the safety of contact lens wear in children, please watch this short video.
Why haven’t I heard about NaturalVue contact lenses?
NaturalVue is not available everywhere because it requires specific training and accreditation to prescribe the lens for your child.
What is the process to get my child fitted with NaturalVue?
There are a series of steps that begin with:
Step 1: Have a full comprehensive consultation (bulk-billed)
You will need to have had a full comprehensive initial consultation with us to have your prescription measured, and your eye health assessed.
Step 2: Book a contact lens fitting & teach appointment.
If your child is suitable for the NaturalVue contact lens, then an appointment will be scheduled to have your child fitted and taught how to insert and remove the lenses.
The cost of the consultation fee is $100 and you will not incur any further fees for follow up appointments and reviews for a 12 month period.
What if my child can’t work out how to use the lenses?
Most children aged 8-12 are able to learn how to insert and remove contact lenses easily, and on average take only 15-20 minutes longer than a teenager or adult would. Any extra practice sessions can be booked in without any additional cost.
Dr Carina Trinh (optometrist) is the only practitioner in the Burwood/Strathfield region who is accredited to prescribe NaturalVue contact lenses, and was one of the first to gain access to this contact lens in 2018 when it was launched in Australia.
Here’s an article on NaturalVue from an industry publication for further information.
Carina is also a member of Cornea and Contact Lens Society of Australia
and Senior Vice President of Optometry Australia NSW/ACT
Starting early with myopia management is the key to the best outcome possible for your child.
Find out your child’s risk factors for myopia progression here through an online tool at MyKidsVision.org.au.
