Eye Injury Prevention

Children at play usually are not concerned with protecting their eyes. However, childhood eye injuries incurred during sports activities alone number more than 100,000 each year. As a caregiver, it is your job to reduce the hazards associated with eye injuries and know how to treat injuries if they occur. The eye health organization Prevent Blindness America estimates that up to 90 percent of eye injuries that occur each year are preventable.

Safety Tips

Here are several ways you can protect children from eye injuries:

• Do not let children run or walk while carrying household objects. Even common household objects such as pencils, crayons, or toothbrushes can cause serious injury if a child falls or trips.
• Avoid toys with sharp or rigid points, spikes, rods, or dangerous edges. Do not allow toys that fly or that fire projectiles of any type to be used.
• Choose toys that are sturdily constructed. Check toys frequently and repair or discard any with sharp, broken edges. Put toys away when not in use, and keep them away from areas where children walk or run.
• Say "No" to fireworks. An estimated 2,000 eye injuries from fireworks occur in the U.S.every year. Do not allow them in or near your facility.
• Protect young eyes from the sun. Keep children less than six months old out of direct sunlight, and teach all children never to stare or look directly at the sun. Require parents to provide sunglasses that block 100 percent of ultraviolet rays and hats for their children to wear outdoors.
• Teach children about eye safety and incorporate lessons about eye safety into your curriculum.
• Require protective eye wear when participating in activities such as splatter painting. Keep a supply of goggles to use during activities.
• Keep chemicals and other dangerous substances out of the reach of children. Never use these substances when children are present. Avoid use of aerosol products when children are present, or within 30 minutes of children's arrival.
• Do not allow children into a yard or area where a lawnmower or power tools are being used. Debris can be propelled for long distances and at great speed.

Sports

Sports are a great way to encourage the children in your care to exercise. However, sports such as baseball, softball, football, racquetball, street hockey, and lacrosse also have relatively high rates of eye injuries. Encourage parents to provide appropriate protective eye wear for children who play sports, especially those who wear corrective lenses. Regular glasses or sunglasses will not protect a child's eyes adequately during sports. Parents should ensure their sports-playing children wear special sports goggles that have impact-resistant polycarbonate lenses. Goggles also should be padded and fitted specially for the user. Have parents discuss their child's goggle needs with an optometrist or ophthalmologist who specializes in providing sports eye wear to children.

Injuries

Although the eyes are usually well protected by the bones of the face and the eyelids, eye irritations and injuries may occur. Many eye injuries are minor, but acting quickly and seeking immediate medical care for an eye injury is always a good idea. Remain calm while treating an eye injury; overreacting may further upset the injured child. Thoroughly wash your hands with soap and running water, and put on gloves before caring for an eye injury. If you need to cover a child's eye while treating an injury, it's best to cover both eyes. Otherwise, the child will be looking around with the uncovered eye, which causes the injured eye to move as well.

When children get sand, dust, or other particles in their eyes, they may feel pain, a sensitivity to light, and the sensation that something is in their eyes. Do not let them rub the eyes. Instead, bathe the eyes with clean, cool water or a pharmacist-recommended eye solution that does not contain preservatives to wash out the irritant; or, allow the child's tears to wash out the speck or particle. Try flushing the eye for up to 15 minutes. Wait five minutes and then flush again; if the irritant cannot be removed, bandage both eyes lightly and seek immediate medical treatment. Afterward, dispose of bottles containing eye solution after even one use to prevent contamination.

Another eye injury that may occur includes cuts or lacerations to the eyelid. If this happens to a child in your care, clean the cut with cool, clean water and cover it with a gauze pad. The child should receive immediate medical care because scar tissue could develop and interfere with the operation of the eyelid.

If a child has been hit in the eye with a ball or other object, place a cold compress on the eye for 15 minutes to reduce swelling. Be sure to wrap ice or the cold compress in a cloth or towel. Seek immediate medical care as soon as possible, especially if symptoms such as eye pain, drainage from the eye, or other abnormalities occur.

If a foreign object like a pencil point becomes lodged in the eyeball, a child may experience blurred vision. Do not try to remove the foreign object or use water to wash out the eye. Cover it with a clean cloth or a paper cup taped in place. Cover the uninjured eye as well. Seek emergency medical treatment immediately.

Finally, if a child's eye comes in contact with a chemical such as a cleaning fluid, the child may feel pain and want to keep the eye closed, which holds the chemical against the eye and can be dangerous. You should wash the eye with clean, cool water for at least 15 minutes. If both of the child's eyes are affected, you may be able to use the shower to wash the eyes. Because it is difficult to wash out the eyes, have the fully clothed child stand in a cool shower with the water running gently. Direct the child to look up toward the water and blink his or her eyes. Have the child do this for at least 15 minutes or until medical help arrives. Call your local poison control center right away and seek immediate medical attention.

Amy Sutton
Editor of the Eye Care Sourcebook and the Dental and Oral Health Sourcebook

American Academy of Ophthalmology, PO Box 7424, San Francisco, CA 94120-7424; 415-561-8500; www.aao.org

National Institutes of Health National Eye Institute, 2020 Vision Pl., Bethesda, MD 20892-3655; 301-496-5248; www.nei.nih.gov

Prevent Blindness America, 500 East Remington Rd., Schaumburg, Illinois 60173; 800-331-2020; www.preventblindness.org