Protecting Your Baby’s Vision

How Can I Make My House Safe for My Baby’s Eyes?

When there’s a baby in your house, scissors, paper clips, thumbtacks, coat hangers, pens and pencils, and all kinds of other sharp objects, large and small, become potential hazards for your crawling child. Equally treacherous are aerosol sprays, perfumes, and chemicals.

It’s not easy to keep your baby’s eyes out of harm’s way. Here are some tips and ideas to make your home, your car, and even the playground as safe as possible for your baby’s developing eyesight:

• Avoid toys with sharp points – and keep toys for older children away from infants.
• Examine all the items in playgrounds.
• Keep chemicals securely out of harm’s reach, up high.
• Use safety gates at the top and bottom of stairs.
• Place pads over sharp corners on furniture.

Can I Treat an Eye Injury Myself?

Despite every precaution, accidents happen. If your baby's eye is injured, you should always get immediate, professional medical attention. It’s the best way to safeguard your baby's vision.

Here are some tips in the event of an eye injury (these tips are not meant to replace professional medical attention).

• Trauma to the Eye: If your baby is hit in the eye, rest a protective shield—such as a Styrofoam cup—on the bone around the eye. Make sure there is no pressure on the eye itself. Get immediate, professional medical attention.
• Foreign Body: If an object has entered the eye, do not try to remove it; you may tear delicate tissue or force the object in deeper. Rest a protective shield—such as a Styrofoam cup—on the bone around the eye, making sure there is no pressure on the eye itself. Get immediate, professional medical attention.
• Black Eye: If your baby is hit in the eye area, place an ice pack or cold cloth over the eye. Get immediate, professional medical attention.
• Chemical Burn: If your baby's eye has sustained a chemical burn, rinse it with fresh water for at least 20 - 30 minutes. Hold their head under the tap or use a clean container to pour water into their eye. As you rinse, use your fingers to hold their eye open as wide as possible to ensure the greatest possible coverage. Get immediate, professional medical attention.

How Can I Protect My Baby’s Eyes in the Sun?

The sun’s rays can be tough on a baby's eyes. Take simple precautions to keep your baby's eyes safe outdoors:

• Sunglasses with UV protection will help to protect your baby’s eyes. Choose sunglasses with both UVA and UVB protection, to block both forms of ultraviolet rays.
• A hat with a brim will help block indirect sun, which can come into the eyes around the edges of sunglasses.