Eye Care Tips

Ten Key Messages

10 Key Messages on Childhood Cataract

Good eye health practices and First Aid

How do we know a child has vision problem?

A parent's checklist

Ten Key Messages


	Clean eyes at birth, Apply antibiotic eye ointment.
	Give mother Vitamin A 200000 IU after delivery.
	Promote breast feeding and good nutrition
	Immunize children against measles at nine months and give vitamin A 100000 IU. Also encourage second measles immunization.
	Any child with measles or under-nutrition to be given vitamin A 100000 IU (under one year), 200000 IU (over one year)
	Keep children faces clean.
	Any child who cannot see well to be referred to an eye care worker as soon as possible.
	Any child with a white pupil or other obvious abnormality to be referred to an eye care worker as soon as possible.
	Any child with a serious eye injury or a red eye to be referred to an eye care worker immediately.
	Do not put traditional medicines in the eyes.
	Source: World Health Organization, 2002, A five year project for the prevention of childhood blindness, Report of a WHO consultation, Geneva, 18-20, June 2002, WHO/PBL/02.88

10 Key Messages on Childhood Cataract


	Cataract can occur in babies and children - it is not limited only to the elderly.
	A child may be born with cataracts (congenital cataract) or s/he may develop cataracts during the first few years of life (developmental cataract).
	Cataracts can run in families, and more than one child in the same family can be affected.
	Any parent or carer who notices a white spot in their child’s eye(s), or who thinks the child cannot see properly, should be taken seriously.
	All children with blindness and/or cataract should be referred to an eye doctor for detailed eye examination, diagnosis and treatment as soon as they are detected.
	Congenital blindness is treatable when it is due to cataract.
	Surgery is the only treatment for cataract in children.
	Treatment of cataract in children is a matter of urgency as early surgery increases the likelihood of better vision. The cataract does not need to ‘mature’. If treatment is delayed there is a risk of amblyopia and irreversible visual impairment or blindness.
	After cataract surgery children may need to wear spectacless. This also applies to babies.
	Long-term follow-up is essential (unlike cataract surgery in adults), to monitor the vision, to change the glasses, and to manage complications.
	Source: Mohammad Muhit and Clare Gilbert, International Centre for Eye Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT, UK

Good eye health practices and First Aid


Knowing what to do for an eye emergency can save valuable time and possibility, prevent vision less. Here are some instructions in case of the basic eye injuries
Take preventive steps
		Protect the eyes while performing all hazardous and sporting activities at home, while all hazardous and sporting activities at home, while traveling and on the job.
		Stock a first aid kit at your house and work place. Carry a travel kit with rigid eye shield and a commercial eye wash in case of eye injury
		Do NOT assume that any eye injury is harmless. If in doubt, see a doctor immediately
Chemical Burns In all cases of eye contact with chemicals
	Immediately flush the eye with water or any other drinkable liquid. Hold the eye under a faucet or shower or pour water in to the eye using a clean container. Keep the eye open and as wide as possible while flushing for at least 15 minutes
	Do NOT use eye cup
	If a contact lens is still in the eye, begin flushing over the lens immediately. This may dislodge the foreign body on the lens, Do not bandage the eye.
	Seek medical treatment immediately after flushing
Specks in the eye
	Do NOT rub the eye
	Try to let tears wash the foreign matter out of the eye or use an eye wash
	Lift the upper eyelid outward and down over the lower lid to try and remove the foreign body
	If the foreign matter does not wash out keep the eye closed, bandage and see a doctor immediately
Blow to the eye
	Apply a cold compress without putting pressure on the eye. Crushed ice in a plastic bag can be taped to the forehead to rest gently on the injured eye
	In case of pain, reduced vision, or discoloration (black eye), seek emergency medical care. Any of symptoms could mean internal eye damage
Cuts and Punctures of the eye or eyelid
	Do not wash out the eye with water or any other liquid
	Do NOT try to remove an object that stuck in the eye
	Cover the eye with a rigid shield without applying pressure. You can use the bottom half of a paper cup
	See a doctor at once
General
	Do NOT rub the eyes when any small particles like charcoal, wood, sand, etc. fall in the eye. Open the eye wide and wash with lots of clean, cold water
	In case of corneal trauma due to injury with sharp objects – such as a blade of grass, the corner or edge of a paper, a pencil , a knife – or other injuries due to burns, hot water, oil, vapor, hot ashes, fire crackers, caustic soda, lime, acid or any other chemicals. Wash the affected eye with clean, cold water thoroughly
	Medical advice should be taken immediately from a qualified eye doctor
	In case of blunt injury, advice the patient to rest in a vertical position. Bandage both eyes with a sterile pad; consult an eye doctor as soon as possible.
	Discourage children from playing hide and seek to prevent transmission of diseases by touching one another eyes
	Avoid using baking soda while cooking. Because it destroys vitamins
Good reading habits
	Hold the printed page about a foot a half away from the eyes and titled at an angle of 45 to 70 degrees
	Do not read in moving trains and buses. While lying down or flickering/dim light
	Do not read line print under insufficient light
	Rest your eyes frequently when reading or closing concentrated eye work by either closing the eyes or looking at a distant object for a minute.
	Keeps a distance of nine feet while watching television
Basic first aid
	Eye emergencies include cuts, scratches, and objects in the eye, burns, chemical exposure and injuries with blunt objects
	Since the eye easily damaged any of these conditions can lead to vision loss if left untreated
	It is important to get medical attentions for all significant eye injuries and problems. Many eye problems that are not due to injury (such as a painful red eye) still need urgent medical attention
	A chemical injury too the eye can occur due to the work related accident or by common household products, such as cleaning solutions, garden chemicals, solvents etc... Fumes and aerosols can also cause chemical burns
	In the case of acidic burns, the hazing of the cornea often clears and there is a good chance to recovery. However alkaline substances – such as lime, commercial drain cleaners and sodium hydroxide found in refrigeration equipment – can cause permanent damage may continue to occur despite prompt treatment.
	Dust, sand and other debris can enter the eye any time. Continuous pain and redness indicate that professional attention and treatment is required. A foreign body may threaten your vision if the object is likely to damage the cornea or lens. Foreign bodies propelled at high speed by matching, grinding or hammering metal on metal present on the highest risk
	A black eye is usually caused by direct trauma to the eye or face. Certain types of skull fractures can result in bruising around the eyes even in the absence of direct trauma to the eye. Often swelling of the eyelid and tissue around the eye way also occur
	Occasionally serious damage to the eye occurs from the pressure of swollen tissue. Blending inside the eye can reduce vision, lead to glaucoma or damage the cornea

How do we know a child has vision problem?


LHOW TO PREVENT CHILDHOOD BLINDNESS HOW DO WE KNOW A CHILD HAS A VISION PROBLEM? Vision chart with letters cannot be used to measure the vision of your children,. You can use different methods for age groups. Vision measurement will obviously not be very accurate in younger children, but at least you can find out if they have a vision problem. You can do these tests when both eyes are open, but it may be better to test one eye at a time.
Baby See if the baby has the following reflexes.
		Head turn to light, shine a light and see if the baby’s head turn to the light
		Blink reflex, quality bring your hand close to the baby’s eyes and see if they blink
		Looking at an object, hold a pen in front of the baby’s eyes and see if they look at the pen, the baby should keep looking at the pen when you remove your hand
		Following a moving object, move the pen to the side and see if the baby’s eyes follow. The baby should be able to keep looking at you (full eye movement) when their head is turn from side to side and little up and down.
Six months and above See if the child is able to pick up very small objects. Put 5 to 20 very small stones on the floor around the child and ask the child to pick then all up.
2-3 years See if the child can match a shape on a chart. Give the child three shapes and ask the child to show you the shape that is the same as the one that are pointing to.
4 years and older E chart. The child can use their hand or a cut out E shape to turn it in the direction of the E that you are pointing at.
WHAT SHOULD WE DO IF A CHILD HAS A VISION PROBLEM? You should refer a child that you suspect has a visual problem. You should explain to the parents how important it is that a child receives and examination and treatment as soon as possible. A delay can be life threatening if the child has a tumor (retinoblastoma) or vision threatening. If the child has a cataract, glaucoma or refractive error. Eye problems will not go away as the baby grows if they do not receive treatment soon, their vision may be lost forever. Even a very small baby with an eye problem can be helped. Trained personnel will use special instruments to look inside a child’s eyes to see what the problem is. A special instrument can be used to find out if they have a refractive error and what the power of their spectacles. Children who had treatment for vision problems need to be followed up regularly to check if their vision is still good.

A parent’s checklist


Look for this signs and symptoms
A	You observe the following symptoms in your child.
		One eye drift or aims in a different direction than the other (look carefully – this can subde). This significant even if it only occurs when the child is tried or stressed.
		A Turns or tilts head to see.
		Head is frequently titled to one side or one shoulder is noticeably higher.
		Squinting or closing of one eye.
		Excessive blinking or squinting
		Poor visual / motor skills
		Problems moving in space, frequently bumps into things or drops things
B	While reading and doing close work your child
		Holds the book or objects unusually close
		Closes one eye or covers eye with hand
		Twist and tilts head toward book or object so as to favor one eye
		Frequently loses place and fatigues easily
		Uses finger to read
		Rubs eyes during or after short periods of reading
C	Your child frequently complaints
		Only being able to read for short periods of time
		Headaches or eyestrain
		Nausea or dizziness
		Motion sickness
		DOUBLE VISION
		Say no more if your child reports seeing double, please take your child for a binocular vision evaluation immediately An education program should aim at imparting this knowledge and skills among parents and family members.

Home | Activities and Events | Childhood Blindness | Eye Care Tips | Location