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Page 1 of 2 Eye Safety for Children
Accidents resulting in eye injuries can happen to anyone. But the fact is, over half of the victims are under the age of 25. Many of these injuries, over 100,000 annually, occur during sports or recreational activities. Perhaps the most startling statistic of all is that 90% of all eye injuries could have been prevented. Parents are advised to acquaint themselves with potentially dangerous situations at home and in school and to insist that their children use protective eyewear when participating in sports or any hazardous activities.
Children and Sports
Increasing numbers of children are participating in sports at an early age. It is the responsibility of the parents and coaches to provide protective eyewear and enforce its use. Some sports in which children should be made to use protective eyewear are:
- Baseball.
- Basketball.
- Racquetball.
- Tennis.
- Soccer.
- Hockey.
Contact lenses are not a form of eyewear protection and contact lens wearers require additional protection when participating in sports. In baseball, hockey, and lacrosse, a helmet with a polycarbonate face mask or wire shield should always be worn. It is important that hockey face masks be approved by the Hockey Equipment Certification Council (HECC) or Sports goggles with polycarbonate lenses and side shields should be worn when participating in basketball, racquetball, tennis and soccer.
While skiing, protective glasses or goggles that filter out U.V. (Ultra Violet) and excessive sunlight exposure can be useful in shielding the eyes from sunburn. Boxing poses an extremely high risk of serious and even blinding eye injury. No adequate protection is available although thumbless gloves may reduce the number of eye injuries. Parents of a child with permanently reduced vision in one eye should carefully consider the risks of contact sports and injury to the good eye before allowing their child to participate.
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