Consider Eye Safety When Purchasing Toys This Holiday Season

While toy safety may not be top of mind when selecting the coolest toys of the season, it’s an important consideration as you help children write their holiday wish lists.

According to the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission, there were 198,000 toy-related injuries treated in emergency departments across the U.S. in 2020 alone. Michele Schlagheck, OD, ProMedica Physicians Vision Associates – Toledo, shares that eye injuries as a result of toys are more common than you may think.

“There are several things that parents and gift-givers can do to promote eye safety this holiday season,” Dr. Schlagheck shares. “Be conscious of if the toys you are thinking about purchasing could cause an eye injury and know what to do in case of an eye injury.”

Here are three categories of toys to avoid gifting children this holiday season:

1. Toy guns or other projectiles. The adults in A Christmas Story had the right idea in telling Ralphie, “You’ll shoot your eye out!” Toys that shoot, whether it’s BBs or foam darts, are major culprits for eye injuries. Additionally, any toys that have moving parts that sling or fly with force may cause unwanted injuries.
2. Sharp or pointy toys. Any toy that comes to a point or has sharp or rigid edges is an eye hazard. This includes toy wands, sabers and swords. Encourage kids to use their imagination when playing pretend rather than using a less safe option.
3. Laser pointers or flashlights. While it may be fun to make shadows on the walls or drive the cat crazy, bright lights that are shone into the eyes may cause permanent retinal damage, possibly resulting in vision loss.

Dr. Schlagheck offers a few more tips to consider when purchasing toys this season: “Gift toys that are age-appropriate for the child and keep the toys for older kids away from the younger kids. Also, don’t skip out on reading the instructions and warning labels on the packages.”

Even if you follow all of the pointers above, accidents may still happen. If an eye injury does occur, it’s important to see an eye doctor right away. “It’s important that you do not touch, rub, put pressure or attempt to remove an object lodged in the eye,” Dr. Schlagheck stresses. “This could cause additional damage to the eye, resulting in more pain and severity of the injury.”