What About Eye Diseases in Children!

It behooves the mother to think of the soundness of her child's eyes before he is born. Early care can uncover in the mother diseases that may affect the child's health and his eyes — venereal diseases, for example. Early care in these cases sometimes saves the child from blindness.

When the child is born, it is among the mother's duties to make certain that the doctor or the midwife has put into the child's eyes a disinfectant that protects them from inflammation, such as a solution of silver nitrate.

At the sides of the eyes there are glands that secrete tears, and tears are a disinfecting fluid that washes the eye and then passes along a channel of its own until it reaches the nose. If the tears run down the child's cheeks, it means that this channel is blocked; and when she notices this, the mother should consult the doctor.

It is natural for the mother to find that a little yellow matter has come out of the child's eyes, especially in the morning — this is a natural thing... The mother should wipe this secreted matter from the corner of the eye with a piece of clean cotton after dipping it in water with a little salt in it. But if the eye secretes this matter in excessive quantity, or if the two lids are stuck together in the morning to the point that the child cannot open them, then the mother should tell the doctor before hastening to do anything herself.

Among the conditions of a child's health is that the whites of his eyes be of a pure white color; if they are red, there may be an inflammation on which the doctor ought to give his opinion.

In the case of a squint — that is, if the child's gaze at things is not straight — the mother must tell her doctor of it, or else she exposes the child to the loss of one of his eyes. Do not gamble with his eyes, for most cases arise from the mother's belief that the child is too young to be treated.

Do not let the child look at the sun or at any strong electric light, for this may harm him; and when you expose his body to sun baths, take care to cover his face lest his eyes be affected by the glare of the light.

Do not allow your child to play with things that have sharp points, such as scissors, sticks, and the like; and if something should happen, cover the child's injured eye with a piece of clean cloth and take him to the doctor quickly. And if you notice that the child is always rubbing his eyes, or frowns when he fixes his gaze on something, or if he opens and shuts his eyes a great deal, or bends his head to see things, or if he seems agitated or unnatural while looking at things near him, or if he stumbles over small objects, or holds his book close to his face when reading, or screws up his eyes in the light — then the mother should consult the doctor.

The mother is the first who must observe and discover the eye diseases of her child, because she is closer to him and knows him better than anyone else. She must not neglect him or overlook the slight symptoms, for the child's eyes are the most precious thing he has.