This Holiday Season, the American Academy of Ophthalmology Urges Caution When Choosing Gifts for a Child.
Though we LOVE the themes of courage, strength, and adventure in many popular films for younger viewers, be aware of your child's desire to appropriate featured weaponry, and avoid buying toys that launch projectiles, such as crossbows and BB guns.
Projectile-shooting toys can cause serious eye injury and vision loss in children. Roughly 1 in 10 children's eye injuries that end up in the ER are caused by toys, according to a 2014 study. Overall, there were an estimated 256,700 toy-related injuries treated in emergency rooms nationwide in 2013, a report by the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission found.
Though we LOVE the themes of courage, strength, and adventure in many popular films for younger viewers, be aware of your child's desire to appropriate featured weaponry, and avoid buying toys that launch projectiles, such as crossbows and BB guns. Projectile-shooting toys can cause serious eye injury and vision loss in children. Roughly 1 in 10 children's eye injuries that end up in the ER are caused by toys, according to a 2014 study. Overall, there were an estimated 256,700 toy-related injuries treated in emergency rooms nationwide in 2013, a report by the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission found.
One toy crossbow that shoots darts more than 100 feet away landed on a list of most dangerous toys of 2014 for its potential to cause eye injury. Plastic darts and arrows can scratch the eye, causing corneal abrasions, or in the case of pointed tips can puncture the eye and permanently damage a child’s vision. Injuries from airsoft, BB and paintball guns are quite common and include retinal detachment that can cause vision loss; pooling of blood in the front of the eye (ocular hyphema) that can block vision and increase the risk of glaucoma; and traumatic cataracts, which may require surgery to restore sight.
“People may view toy versions of bows and arrows or guns as harmless, but even foam or plastic projectiles can potentially cause serious damage to a child’s eye if used at close range,” said Jane Edmond, M.D., a clinical spokesperson for the American Academy of Ophthalmology. “With so many other options for gift giving, physicians recommend that parents consider safer alternatives. Nobody wants to end up in the emergency room over the holidays, especially due to an injury caused by a gift.”
Toy safety tips:
1. Avoid purchasing toys with sharp, protruding or projectile parts such as airsoft guns, BB guns and paintball guns, which can propel foreign objects into the sensitive tissue of the eye.
2. For laser toys, look for labels that include a compliance statement with 21 CFR Subchapter J to ensure the product meets the Code of Federal Regulations requirements for laser products, including power limitations.
3. When giving sports equipment,, provide children with the appropriate protective eyewear with polycarbonate lenses, which are shatterproof.
4. Check labels for age recommendations to be sure to select gifts that are appropriate for a child's age and maturity. Also, keep toys that are made for older children away from younger children.
5. Make sure children have appropriate adult supervision when playing with potentially hazardous toys or games that could cause an eye injury.
References:
References:
https://www.rimed.org/rimedicaljournal/2014/01/2014-01-44-contribution-chen.pdf http://www.cpsc.gov/Global/Research-and-Statistics/Injury-Statistics/Toys/ToyReport2013.pdf http://toysafety.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/10-Worst-Toys-2014.pdf
This Article was Made Available by EyeSmart, Working with the American Academy of Ophthalmology to Educate the Public in Eye Health
This Article was Made Available by EyeSmart, Working with the American Academy of Ophthalmology to Educate the Public in Eye Health
