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AAO, pediatric physicians issue policy statement on children’s eyewear
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The American Academy of Ophthalmology and the American Academy of Pediatrics “strongly recommend protective eyewear for all participants in sports in which there is risk of eye injury,” the groups announced in a joint policy statement.
Of the 42,000 sports and recreation-related eye injuries reported in 2000, 43% occurred in people younger than 15 years of age, and 8% occurred in children under 5 years of age. Baseball and basketball are associated with the most eye injuries in athletes 5 to 24 years old, the two groups noted.
Other sports considered high-risk for eye injuries are paintball, cricket, lacrosse, hockey, squash, racquetball, fencing, boxing, full-contact martial arts and use of air rifles and BB guns. Sports considered to carry moderate risks include tennis, badminton, soccer, volleyball, water polo, football, fishing and golf. Sports with a low risk of eye injuries include swimming, diving, skiing, noncontact martial arts, wrestling and bicycling. Track and field and gymnastics are both considered “eye safe” sports, according to the groups’ statement.
The two groups are urging children who participate in sports to wear appropriate eye gear.