Set Your Sights on Eye Safety: Tips to Help Children See into the Future

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Texas Children's Hospital

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HOUSTON, July 1, 1998 -- The eyes have it. Whether they are darting glances or in wide-eyed wonderment, eyes are constantly soaking up visual stimuli. From infancy, children use their eyes to learn about the world around them, so their care should be "eye-deal."

According to Dr. Evelyn Paysse, a physician with the ophthalmology service at Texas Children's Hospital and an assistant professor of ophthalmology at Baylor College of Medicine, most pediatric eye injuries are sports-related -- commonly occurring when children are hit in the eye by a ball.

"Eye injuries from sports range from scrapes on the eye and bruises on the eyelid to hyphema (blood inside the eye), cataracts and even rupture of the entire eye," said Paysse. "Parents, schools and teams should make it standard practice for everyone playing sports to wear safety goggles."

Children also sustain eye injuries from accidents in the home. "Children will often be around a parent who is working with a power tool or other motorized device in which a loose object can fly out causing eye trauma," added Paysse. "If kids must be around these tools, their eyes should be properly protected."

"Prevention" is the best advice parents can use to help ensure eye safety. But if an eye emergency does occur, it is important to remember what to do. Dr. Paysse offers these tips:

• For a chemical burn to the eye, rinse the area profusely with water. Call the emergency room to find out what else can be done, and then proceed to the hospital immediately.
  
  
• If a projectile, such as fireworks, has injured the eye, place a protective shield on the bone around the eye, such as a Styrofoam cup, and go to the emergency room immediately. It is important that no pressure is placed on the eye itself.
  
  

Any injury to the eye should receive immediate medical attention. To keep children's eyes healthy, Dr. Paysse suggests that parents take their children in for an eye exam when their children are between the ages of two and four. For more information on pediatric eye safety and eye injuries, contact your pediatrician or a pediatric ophthalmologist.

Texas Children's Hospital in Houston is a 456-licensed bed, non-profit pediatric hospital, the largest children's hospital in the United States. Founded in 1954, Texas Children's has trained nearly 80 percent of all Texas pediatricians as the primary pediatric teaching and research hospital for Baylor College of Medicine, one of the top 20 U.S. medical schools in research funding.

Within its spectrum of more than 40 pediatric specialties and subspecialties, Texas Children's is known worldwide for developing breakthrough treatments in all areas of children's health care, including childhood cancer, cardiology, neonatology, asthma, diabetes and gene therapy. More than 3300 physicians, medical and professional personnel care for patients and their families at Texas Children's Hospital, located in the heart of Houston's world-renowned Texas Medical Center.

CONTACT: Denise Barker of Texas Children's Hospital, 713-770-2193