Empirical fitting of hard contact lenses in infants and young children

A method of empirically fitting hard contact lenses in infants and young children is described. It can be performed without the benefit of "K" readings and does not require the patient to be anesthetized. Lens fit is judged by fluorescein pattern, degree of finger tightness on the cornea, and indirect determination of steepness by comparing baseline refraction with final over-refraction using a contact lens of known power. This simplified technique has been found to be reliable and practical with good lens fit obtained in most patients. The visual results achieved in unilateral aphakic patients using this method are comparable to those found elsewhere in the literature.