In honor of National Eye Care Month, we would like to provide some eye safety tips for kids. More than 600,000 eye injuries related to sports occur annually, and one-third of those injuries occurring in children, according to The Vision Council. However, only 15 percent of children say they wear eye protection “always” or “most of the time” when they participate in sports and hobbies.
Here are some eye safety tips for kids that parents should be reinforcing.
Prevention and Eye Safety
From choosing age-appropriate toys to keeping chemicals and sprays out of reach of children, here are some safety rule to follow to ensure healthy vision.
Contact Lens Wear
- Don’t sleep with contact lenses in.
- Change out your solution every night.
- Replace contact lens storage case on a monthly basis.
- Replace contacts as directed by your eye doctor (usually at least every two weeks).
- Take breaks from wearing contacts to ensure adequate oxygen to the cornea.
20-20-20 Rule
- For every 20 minutes spent on the computer, tell your child to look at an object at least 20 feet away for a total of 20 seconds. This gives the eyes a much-needed break.
General
- Choose age-appropriate toys for kids.
- Choose toys marked with “ASTM,” as this ensure the toy meets national safety standards created by the American Society for Testing and Materials.
- Store household products that contain dangerous chemicals out of reach of kids, in a locked cabinet.
- Tell your child to wear protective eyewear while participating in recreational or sports activities.
- Give them 100 percent UV protective sunglasses and hats with brims to wear outdoors.
- Instruct kids to wash their hands frequently, especially before touching their eyes.
- Take safety precautions when handling everyday items that could result in serious eye injury, such as pencils, paper clips, scissors, bungee cords, rubber bands, and wire coat hangers.
- Keep all chemicals or sprays out of reach of kids.
- Childproof your home: use safety gates at the top and bottom of stairs, place pads on sharp corners, and add locks on doors and cabinets that can be reached by a child.
- Keep children away from fireworks, i.e., bottle rockets, which can pose a serious eye injury risk.
- When on the road, properly secure babies in carriers and children in child-safety seats. Make sure the seat and shoulder belts fit properly. Store loose items in the trunk or secured on the floor. Loose objects can become projectiles in a crash.
First Aid
If your child suffers an eye injury, seek immediate medical attention, even if it seems minor at first. Sometimes, serious injuries don’t make themselves evident right away. Any delay in medical attention can cause worsening damage to the area, resulting in permanent vision loss or blindness.
Sun Protection
UV rays from the sun are harmful to the eyes over time. Keep in mind, sunlight is strongest midday through early afternoon; it’s also stronger at high altitudes as well as when reflected off snow, water, or ice. Your risk of eye diseases and other conditions goes up with too much exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light. Here are some simple precautions you can take to keep your kids’ eyes safe in the outdoors no matter the season:
- Select sunglasses with UV protection to protect your child’s eyes. Glasses with UVA and UVB protection are designed to block both forms of UV rays.
- Get a broad-brimmed hat for your child to wear in addition to sunglasses. This will block indirect sun that can seep in around the edges of the glasses.
- Don’t rely on clouds to block UV light, as the sun’s rays are able to pass through clouds and haze.
- Warn your child against looking directly at the sun, especially during an eclipse, which may damage the eyes and lead to a serious eye injury known as solar retinopathy.
Follow these tips for National Eye Care Month this January: your child’s eyes will thank you for it!
Schedule a Tour of Country Home Learning Center Today
We are all about education here at Country Home Learning Center. We want our kids to stay safe, and that includes their eye safety and vision health. Come see us and book a tour of our Austin or San Antonio facilities today!
