The young North Ogden brothers have grown accustomed to the daily routine. Ten-year-old Jordan got his first lenses when he was 8. Cayden, now 7, got them at just six months, after surgery to remove his cataracts.

The boys' father, Cory Jones, was surprised to learn that contacts were an option.

"I had no idea. . . . It was a big learning experience right from the beginning," he said.

Jordan also has cataracts, which have not been removed because he can see well with contacts.

Although the boys' need for lenses was caused by their unusual cataracts, it is not uncommon for children their age with simple near- or far-sightedness to wear contacts.

Harald Olafsson, director of the contact lens department at the Moran Eye Center in Salt Lake City, says maturity is a major factor in deciding whether or not a young patient is ready.

"There are 8-year-olds and then there are 8-year-olds, and some are more mature than others," he said.

Olafsson also said it is important that the child as well as the parents want lenses instead of glasses. Kids should also be able to take care of the lenses. If the criteria are met, Olafsson said he is comfortable writing a prescription for kids starting around 8 years old.

An Ohio State University study, released in 2004, also supports the idea that 8- to 11-year-olds can handle daily disposable contacts.

It found a majority of the 10 children studied were comfortable wearing and caring for their lenses.

Another 2004 study by the university found children using soft lenses were slightly more likely to have their near-sightedness increase faster. The children were compared to kids using hard, or rigid gas permeable, lenses. But the difference was small, and researchers said it probably was not permanent.

Cory Jones says contacts are better than glasses in more ways than one. He says they are probably cheaper in the long run, don't limit the boys' physical activities and keep them from wearing "coke-bottle sized" glasses.

"The contacts just became a better way for them to adapt. Visually, they look better," he said. "We had a lot of challenges trying to get glasses to be perfect for them too, and the contacts were so much easier to change and adjust."

Jordan has wanted to learn how to insert and remove his own lenses, but he doesn't like to touch his eye, his father said. Cayden has grown up with the contacts, so he doesn't know life without them. But he's still occasionally squeamish - especially when his grandmother's long fingernails come near to help.

"When they take them out," Cayden said, "it bothers me."

tpeterson@sltrib.com