Children are prone to injuries, whether it’s a scraped knee or bruised elbow. Eye injuries, in particular, are extremely dangerous and very avoidable. When children participate in sports, recreation, crafts or home projects it is important for them to know eye safety practices and use the appropriate protective glasses. Here are some tips to keep your child away from eye-related injuries.

Children’s Eye Injuries

• Children should wear sport eye protectors, made with polycarbonated lens when playing.
  
• All chemicals and sprays should be kept out of reach of small children.
• Be a role model for your child and use approved eyewear during potentially dangerous yard work and household repairs and projects.
• Avoid projectile toys such as darts, bow and arrows and missile firing toys.
• Look for toys that are marked “ASTM”, which means the products meets the national safety standards set by the American Society for Testing and Materials.
• Do not allow your children near fireworks, especially bottle rockets. An adult should always handle fireworks.
• Make sure children are properly secured in baby carriers or safety seats while on the road. Children under the age of 12 should never ride in the passenger seat. Store all loose items, as any loose object can become a dangerous projectile in the case of a crash.