Christmas toys can sometimes cause eye injuries

Submitted by the Georgia Optometric Association

By Dr. Horace Deal

Quickly becoming a holiday classic is the film, “A Christmas Story.” Set in a small mid-western town in the 1940s, this heartwarming tale follows the plotting and scheming of an nine-year-old boy named Ralphie to obtain the one Christmas gift he desires above all others: an official Red Ryder, carbine action, two-hundred shot range model air rifle. His mother and his teacher—and even the department store Santa—all seem to be against him

obtaining the greatest of Christmas presents, because, as they all tell him, “You’ll shoot your eye out.”

Well, Christmas Day arrives, and wonder of wonders, Ralphie is surprised and delighted when he receives a Red Rider BB gun. And you guessed it — the very first BB he shoots from the gun ricochets off a sign and hits his glasses. He really did almost shoot his eye out!

Christmas is a wonderful time of the year, but it is also a time when parents need to be especially attentive to protect their children’s eyes and vision. Every year, nearly 7,000 children suffer eye injuries from toys, but most of these injuries can be prevented. Here are some guidelines to follow to protect your child’s vision:

* Avoid poorly constructed toys with exposed nails or made of a brittle material that can shatter, sending splinters or sharp pieces into a child’s eyes.

* Choose toy brooms, mops, sweepers and push toys with sticks that have rounded edges.

* Select toys appropriate to the child’s age. Children under two should not have toys with stick handles. Those younger than six should not play with darts, arrows, slingshots, other missile-throwing games or toys that eject missiles. Even those with suction cup tips can be unsafe in their hands.

* Teach older children the proper way to play with darts, arrows, slingshots and other missile-throwing toys and supervise their play.

* Require older children and teens to wear safety goggles that meet the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Z87.1 standards when playing or working with chemistry sets, some hobby kits, workshop tools, rifles, BB guns and sleds. These safety goggles can be purchased at hardware, hobby and department stores.

* Be certain children have and wear the proper goggles when using mini-bikes, skis and snowmobiles.”

If a child should suffer an eye injury, parents should administer emergency care immediately and then seek professional treatment promptly. For blows to the eyes, cold compresses should be applied for 15 minutes. For chemical splashes, the eye should be flooded non-stop with low-pressure water for 15 minutes to dilute and remove the chemical.

Never wash an eye that is cut or punctured. Bandage it lightly and seek professional care. If an object is stuck in the eye, leave it there and get professional help immediately.

After an eye injury has healed, an optometrist can evaluate the child’s vision to determine if a vision loss has occurred and, if needed, prescribe prescription lenses and other optical devices to help the child maximize his or her remaining vision.

Christmas is a time of great excitement for children, and as a result, they may not be as careful as they normally are. It is up to you to make sure they don’t “shoot their eyes out” or injure their eyes with other toys or activities.