Eye Safety for Young Children

Thousands of children under the age of five years old have eye accidents yearly. Eye accidents can be prevented by raising awareness of some eye safety issues for children. The eye is an important organ and parents should be aware of some of the causes of eye accidents in children.

The four most common causes of eye injuries in children are:

1. Falls against furniture, from beds, on stairs, and playing with toys
2. Misuse of toys
3. Misuse of common everyday objects and contact with harmful household products
4. Automobile accidentsThe good thing is that there are precautions that can be taken to avoid these eye injuries in children.

1. Playtime is supposed to be fun time for children. Be sure that the play area is safe to avoid eye injuries (as well as other injuries). Here are some suggestions to make sure the play area is also an eye safe area. Many toys have sharp edges or points. Check all of your child's toys to make sure they are still in good condition. Also make sure they are really age appropriate. Parents with children of varying ages have a challenge because many toys for older children have points or parts that shoot or fly out of them. These toys need to be removed from the play area. We have a special bin of "big boy toys" for my oldest son to use with our supervision so his younger brothers do not hurt themselves with them. Don't let your child play with balloons near their face. Balloons are very dangerous if they pop. It could damage a child's eye as well as pose a choking hazard to small children.

2. Around the house there are many daily objects that could cause serious damage to the eye. It is imperative that you cushion or pad sharp edges and corners of furniture and countertops if you have a toddler. Babies and toddlers who are just learning to walk are an accident waiting to happen. We've all seen a toddler with a big bump on their forehead from crashing into something in their endeavor to master the art of walking. Do these little ones a favor and protect them from the obvious hazardous areas. Children are curious. They love to open and close everything they can get their little hands on so put child safe locks on cupboards and drawers that you want them to be kept out of. Pens, pencils, knives, forks, garden tools, cleaning tools - this is just a few of the things that could seriously damage a child's eye of they got hold of them. Also be sure to supervise children who are using these utensils and teach them how to carry these objects safely. Be sure to keep cleaning products, detergents, paints, pesticides, glues, nail polish remover and other chemicals out of reach and locked up.

3. Eye injuries from automobile accidents can be minimized by making sure children are properly secured in the appropriate type of car seat and restraint (seat belts). Children twelve years old and under should never ride in the front seat. Be sure to have loose objects secured in the trunk or on the floor of the vehicle. Loose items can be dangerous in an automobile accident.

4. Outdoors there are a myriad of possible eye hazards for children. Be aware of your child's surroundings. Keep children away when the lawn is being mowed and trimmed because there is always the possibility of flying debris. Always evaluate playground equipment to make sure there are no hazards before your kids get into trouble. Have a no throwing rule. Throwing objects (besides balls) are often the cause of eye injuries in children outdoors, as much as it's fun to play with sticks, my children are not allowed to because the day I allow them to play with them will surely be the day they get poked in the eye.

Prevention is the key to eye safety for young children. Be aware of your child's surroundings and be sure to look at your child's world from their eye level. You'll be surprised at how different the world looks from the height of a three year old!