Advertisement

Eye injuries

What should I do if my child gets something in his eye?

If your child seems to have something in his eye, keep him from rubbing it, to prevent him from scratching his cornea, the surface of the eye. If a few seconds of blinking doesn't dislodge it, wash your hands and see whether you can locate it by pulling his lower lid slightly downward and his upper lid slightly upward. Then:

  • If the object looks like it's embedded in the eye, don't try to remove it – head for the emergency room.
  • If you can see the object floating around, gently remove it by touching it with a cotton swab or the edge of a clean cloth.
  • If that doesn't work, try to flush it out with lukewarm water. The easiest way to flush it out is to hold your child over a sink or tub and gently pour warm (not hot) water from a glass or pitcher into the corner of his eye. If he's small, it can be helpful to keep him from flailing around by wrapping him in a towel first.
Advertisement | page continues below

What if I can't get it out?

Head for the doctor's office, an ophthalmologist's office, or the emergency room if you can't get an object out or you've removed it but your child seems to be in pain. Pain could be a sign that the eye has been injured.

In the meantime, try to keep your child from touching her eye. One way to do that is to tape a small paper cup over it. (If you make a few slits at the rim of the cup and fold the sections back, you may be able to improve the fit.)

Don't put a bandage over the eye, because any pressure could cause further damage.

What should I do if my child's eye has been poked, hit, or scratched?

Take your child to the doctor, an ophthalmologist, or the emergency room if any of the following occur after an eye injury:

  • visible swelling or bruising of the eyelid
  • your child seems to be in pain or seems bothered by light
  • the eyelid is torn
  • the eye is red, inflamed, watering excessively, or draining mucus
  • the eye is not moving as well as the other eye
  • one eye sticks out more than the other
  • the pupil in one eye is not round or is a different size than the one in the other eye

It's extremely important that no one touch the injured eye until you get your child to the doctor. If any part of the eye is torn, rubbing can cause vitreous fluid – the colorless jelly that fills the eyeball – to leak out, which can result in permanent damage.

The doctor will check for damage and give you directions for care. For example, if your child has a scratched cornea, antibiotic eyedrops may be prescribed to prevent infection. If the area is bruised, you may be advised to keep it elevated and put a cold compress on it off and on for 24 hours to reduce swelling, followed by warm compresses until the swelling goes down.

Advertisement | page continues below

In the rare instance that your child has serious eye damage, surgery may be required.

If your child got hit but you don't see any damage and he looks and acts just fine, there's no need to head for help. Watch for any of the above signs for a couple of days, though. And call the doctor if you're at all uncertain about the injury.

Don't ever patch one of your child's eyes unless his doctor advises you to. Depriving one eye of vision for a long period of time can damage the developing visual center in your child's brain.

What if my child gets something poisonous in his eye?

If any kind of chemical splashes in your child's eye (a household cleanser, plant pesticide, or paint, for example), it's a medical emergency.

Take her to the shower or sink and pour clean, warm (not hot) water into her eye. Don't put anything other than water in the eye. It won't be fun, but it's crucial to rinse out the chemicals as thoroughly and quickly as possible to prevent permanent vision loss or even the loss of the eye.

Advertisement | page continues below

If another adult is in the house, one of you can hold your child's eye open while the other pours the water from a pitcher. Wrapping your child in a towel – so she can't flail – might also be helpful. It's easiest to aim for the inner corner of the eye and let the water wash across the eye.

Do this for a full 15 minutes. Then call the national poison control center at (800) 222-1222. If possible, have the container of whatever got in your child's eye nearby. You may be directed to go to the emergency department or the doctor's office.

How can I protect my child from eye injuries?

Ninety percent of eye injuries are preventable. The most common reasons that children receive eye injuries include misusing toys, falling from stairs or beds or against furniture, pokes with tools and other objects like pencils and forks, contact with harmful chemicals like paints and cleansers, and automobile accidents.

To guard against eye injuries, take steps to childproof your home, removing hazards and keeping dangerous items out of reach.

Once your child starts toddling around, make sure he doesn't carry a stick or other sharp object in his hand. And always buckle him up properly in the car.

Advertisement | page continues below
Track your pregnancy on our free #1 pregnancy & baby app
phone with BabyCenter app

BabyCenter's editorial team is committed to providing the most helpful and trustworthy pregnancy and parenting information in the world. When creating and updating content, we rely on credible sources: respected health organizations, professional groups of doctors and other experts, and published studies in peer-reviewed journals. We believe you should always know the source of the information you're seeing. Learn more about our editorial and medical review policies.

AAP. 2011. Eye injury. American Academy of Pediatrics.

Boston Children's Hospital. Undated. Eye injuries. http://www.childrenshospital.org/az/Site862/mainpageS862P1.htmlOpens a new window

MedlinePlus. Undated. Eye injuries. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/eyeinjuries.htmlOpens a new window

Nemours Foundation. Undated. Eye injuries. http://kidshealth.org/parent/firstaid_safe/emergencies/eye_injury.htmlOpens a new window

Karen Miles
Karen Miles is a writer and an expert on pregnancy and parenting who has contributed to BabyCenter for more than 20 years. She's passionate about bringing up-to-date, useful information to parents so they can make good decisions for their families. Her favorite gig of all is being "Mama Karen" to four grown children and "Nana" to nine grandkids.
Advertisement