Canadians urged to remember eye safety this holiday season
Posted December 7, 2022 3:49 pm.
Last Updated December 7, 2022 4:10 pm.
With the holidays fast approaching, one Canadian medical group is urging parents to consider the safety risks posed by some toys.
According to the Canadian Ophthalmological Society (COS), many children every year are brought to emergency rooms with eye injuries over the holidays.
The society conducted a survey, which found only 16 per cent of Canadians consider eye safety when shopping for toys and other gifts.
Many children end up in the emergency room with toy-related #eye injuries each year.
December is Safe Toys & Gifts Awareness Month, and it’s a reminder for Canadians to take precaution when considering which #toys to give to children.
Press Release: https://t.co/hzc93HoIuL pic.twitter.com/8BDLINiWmh
— Can Ophthal Society (@CANeyeMDs) December 7, 2022
COS President Dr. Phil Hooper says eye care professionals suggest avoiding lasers, sprays, sharp toys and projectiles when it comes to gifts.
“With all the excitement during the holidays it’s easy to forget about basic safety, however eye injuries among children are one of the major causes of visual impairment,” he said.
The COS notes injury risks posed by misused toys include bleeding or bruising of the eye, permanent vision loss, or even the loss of an eye.
It isn’t just projectiles and pocket knives that parents should worry about, the medical group says. It’s recommended people should keep an eye on their children’s screen use, with the survey showing that increased screen time had negative effects on eye health.
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Since the pandemic began, the survey found children are spending an average of 4.4 hours in front of screens per day, an increase of 1.2 hours pre-COVID.
The study saw over 2000 Canadians 18 years or older surveyed over a period of time in June of this year.
