Cosmetic contact lenses in the care of the child.

As their name implies, cosmetic contact lenses are used to hide or cover blemishes or disfigurements of the iris, cornea, or sclera. A wide variety of options are available to the optometrist in attempting to aid a child with an ocular disfigurement. The customized artist-painted scleral shell is ideal in many cases, but a surprising number of defects can be adequately camouflaged with corneal lenses presently available from laboratories. The future use of cosmetic soft lenses is promising, and since many conditions involving the need for optical correction are capable of provoking future visual disorders, infants today can look forward to better vision when a cosmetic contact lens is fitted early in life.