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Common situations involving eye injuries and possible treatments include:

A speck of dirt
Have your child blink several times because this may help brush the dirt out of the eye. Pull the upper eyelid over the bottom lid. This forces the eye to tear, helping to wash out the dirt. Should the speck be on the white part of the eye, you can try to lift it out with the corner of a moistened handkerchief or a cotton swab. If the parent is unable to remove the dirt, lightly tape a gauze pad or cloth over the eye to keep the child from rubbing it (this could grind the matter farther into the eye and scratch the cornea), and call your pediatrician.

Hit by a ball
To reduce swelling and pain, parents and caregivers can gently apply a cold compress for 10 to 20 minutes. Wrap a bag of crushed ice (about the size of a golf ball) in a cloth and lay it on the child's brow bone so the ice pack rests lightly on top of the eyelid. If the child develops a black eye or complains of blurred vision, call your pediatrician right immediately because there could be bleeding within the eye.

What is the measuring point to
determine a fever?
Our body temperature changes during the course of the day and even during our development from infant to child and on to adolescence. It is not unusual for there to be a variance of the “normal” body temperature for children age six months to two years of about one degree (38 degrees).

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Each year, almost 30,000 children under the age of five are treated in hospital emergency rooms for eye injuries. This happens because children have a slower reaction time than adults. The eye is a very delicate organ--the cornea could be easily scratched by an edge of paper or a fingernail and unfortunately, a heavy blow to the eye could tear the retina. Even seemingly minor damage, if left untreated, can lead to irreversible vision problems later in life. So it's important to know how to handle accidents involving the human eye. Parents can prevent the majority of eye injuries by taking a few simple precautions. While some eye injuries can be treated at home, others need immediate medical attention. When parents are unsure, call your pediatrician for medical advice; he or she may advise you to go to the doctor’s office, see an ophthalmologist, or even visit the ER.