With supply chain disruption, everyone is shopping for holiday gifts early this year. But while worrying about video game availability and the latest Marvel toys and Star Wars FunkoPops, who’s thinking about eye health?
When shopping for the kids in the family, it’s important to make sure the toys you’re buying will keep your loved ones (and their eyes) safe.
Toy Injury Statistics
According to the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission’s report, there were about 149,000 toy-related injuries were seen in emergency rooms in 2020. This number has decreased from about a quarter-million injuries in 2017. With increased awareness about toy safety, toy-related injuries can continue to decrease.
Several studies have shown that some popular types of toys are frequently associated with childhood eye injuries; these include air guns and other projectile-firing toys, high-powered lasers, and certain sports equipment.
Eye Injury Types
Common eye injuries caused by toys include corneal abrasions, blows to the eye leading to internal bleeding (known as hyphema), and in severe cases, retinal detachments and ruptured eyeballs that can lead to vision loss.
In the interest of avoiding unnecessary toy injuries to children’s eyes this holiday season, the American Academy of Ophthalmology is encouraging parents to refer to the following eye safety tips when selecting toys for children.
Toy-Related Eye Injury Prevention
1) Avoid BB gun injuries (and other projectiles)
“You’ll shoot your eye out!” Ralphie Parker ignored this advice and proceeded to shoot himself in the eye with his coveted Red Ryder BB Gun. But we can learn from his example and protect our children’s eyes from BBs, Nerf darts, and paintballs.
Ophthalmologists see thousands of devastating eye injuries every year from projectile types of toys. Avoid buying Airsoft guns, toy guns, BB guns (any type of gun really), as well as other devices that can propel objects through the air. Some toy crossbows can fire bolts nearly 150 feet! These projectiles can easily end up in someone’s eye.
While sharp points are an obvious cause for concern, even dull projectiles can cause serious eye damage. Blunt trauma to the eyes can cause bruising, bleeding, and traumatic cataracts.
If you do want to let your kid play cops and robbers or go paintballing, make sure they wear protective eye goggles!
2) Laser pointers aren’t for kids
Several recent reports in the United States and internationally have described kids sustaining serious eye injuries from high-powered lasers (between 1500 and 6000 milliwatts). These lasers are strong enough to cause severe retinal damage with even a few seconds of laser exposure to the eye. The FDA warns the public to never aim a laser pointer at anyone and to not buy laser pointers for children.
Let’s be honest, the chances of a child shining a laser pointer right into another child’s eye are pretty high. And the eye damage is not worth the risk.
3) Get the point? Better not to
Way too many children’s toys are weapons. Even if your little one loves playing Jedi or knight or wizard, make sure to be cautious with pointed toys. A sturdy plastic wand is great for imaginary spellcasting, but could also cause major eye problems if someone gets poked in the eye. Swords, lightsabers, ninja stars, and other pointed objects present the same risk.
4) Read the age recommendation before buying a toy
Make sure the toy you’re getting is appropriate for the child’s age. That said, you know your kid and you need to decide if the child has the maturity to play safely with the toy, no matter what the age-appropriate guidelines say on the box.
Also, you should make sure that small children don’t have access to toys belonging to older siblings or cousins. It’s also best to follow the manufacturer’s instructions as to the proper assembly and use of the toy. Kids will come up with all kinds of crazy ways to use a toy and some of them may not be safe. Best to instruct them on the safe way to play with their toy.
5) Be present!
While it’s fun to be the favorite relative who gives the coolest toys, you don’t want to give your loved one a potentially hazardous toy without supervising to make sure that they use that toy in a safe way. Kids at play can get hurt in seconds. After a devastating eye injury occurs, you’ll have nothing but regret.
And be responsible. If you’re giving a child sports equipment, make sure to also give them the appropriate protective eyewear, preferably with poly-carbonate lenses. Check with your local eye doctor to see what eye protection is recommended for that sport.
Know eye injury first aid
If your child experiences an eye injury from a toy, get them to the nearest ophthalmologist. Panicking isn’t helpful in an emergency, so here are some handy tips to make sure you’re ready in case of an accident:
- Call ahead to the emergency room to make sure that they have an ophthalmologist on call or, if not, whether they recommend that you go directly to an eye doctor’s office for treatment.
- Meanwhile, do not touch, rub, apply pressure to, or attempt to remove any foreign object that’s stuck in the injured eye.
- Do not rinse with water or apply over-the-counter eye drops, ointment, or prescription medications to the eye – these can be counter-productive.
- Protect the eye with a homemade shield using the bottom of a paper cup, but don’t press the shield against the eye.
- Once you’ve protected the eye, get immediate medical attention.
Educate your kids
By teaching your children about proper safety you empower them to take a role in their own eye care. Kids get up to all sorts of trouble when parents aren’t looking; by teaching your child the importance of eye safety and proper protective wear, you’re ensuring they’ll be safe even away from your supervision.
And please never lose sight of the joy
One of the most enjoyable aspects of the holidays is watching the looks on children’s faces when they open their presents and discover a brand-new toy. By just following a few common-sense tips and making sure we buy safe toys, we can guarantee that our children enjoy healthy vision for many holidays to come.
Get your eye care from Assil Eye Instiute
The eye care professional team of ophthalmologists and optometrists at AGEI offer world-class eye care and vision correction, specializing in LASIK vision correction and treating cataract, glaucoma, and a wide variety of cornea and retinal conditions, to name a few.
At AGEI, you will experience a state-of-the-art health care facility that brings together revolutionary technologies with experienced vision care professionals. Our goal is to help you achieve your personal best vision.
Please call 866-945-2745 or visit us here to make an appointment online.
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