As the holidays approach, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission advises shoppers to be cautious when shopping for toys for children. As December is Safe Toys and Gifts Month, consumers should avoid purchasing toys that can pierce the eye, as they’re especially dangerous and can cause permanent damage. Below is what you should know about preventing eye trauma and avoiding emergency trips to the eye doctor in the coming months. 

Avoid Toys With These Features

If you want to protect your children’s vision, keep projectile toys such as dart guns off the holiday shopping list. Such toys are responsible for a significant number of play-related eye injuries. Toys with sharp edges or points also pose a threat to your children’s eyes. Examples include swords, wands, and kiddie tool sets that contain items like plastic screwdrivers. Finally, eye doctors advise parents not to gift laser pointers—or items with laser components—to young children and toddlers. Since lasers are essentially a concentrated beam of light, they can damage the retina after just a few seconds of exposure. 

Some Accidents Are Inevitable

Even if you avoid buying toys that are likely to cause eye injuries, accidents can still happen. If someone in your household hurts their eye this holiday season, it’s important to act fast. If there is no blood and the eye does not seem to be protruding, call the eye doctor or their emergency line for advice. If the injury seems severe or you can see a foreign object stuck in the eye, head straight to the emergency room. Prompt treatment could ultimately save your child’s vision and will prevent potential complications. 

If someone in your family sustains an eye injury this holiday season, the eye doctors at Jamison Eye Care in Monroe County, NY, can help. Dr. Michele Jamison, M.D. specializes in medical-surgical eye care and offers routine exams and services such as contact lens fittings. To learn more about this board-certified ophthalmologist, visit her practice online. To make an eye doctor appointment, call (585) 225-5883.