Weekly News from the Nurse

August is Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month. According to Prevent Blindness, “healthy vision contributes to children’s school readiness, ability to learn, overall healthy development and ability to reach motor developmental milestones and that vision screening and eye care are essential components of a Strong Vision Health System of Care.”

Did you know that the most common causes of eye injuries to children are:

·       Misuse of toys

·       Falls from beds, against furniture, on stairs, and when playing with toys

·       Misuse of everyday tools and objects (work and garden tools, knives and forks, pens and pencils)

·       Contact with harmful household products (detergents, paints, glues, etc.)

·       Automobile accidents.

Here are some ways in which you can help protect your student from injury (this list is not all inclusive)

·       Use safety gates at the top and bottom of stairs.

·       Provide lights and handrails to improve safety on stairs.

·       Pad or cushion sharp corners and edges of furnishing and home fixtures.

·       Install cabinet and drawer locks in kitchens and bathrooms.

·       Store personal-use items (cosmetics, toiletry products), kitchen utensils, and desk supplies where they are out of reach for children.

·       Keep paints, pesticides, fertilizers, and similar products properly stored in a secure area.

To learn more about eye care and safety visit https://preventblindness.org/

For information on health resources please visit the following https://sites.google.com/student.dodea.edu/wtsampsonhealthspot/home

elena.gully@dodea.edu or (757) 458-3716 or (757) 458-3500.