Childhood eye injuries in North Jordan

Aims: To provide epidemiological data on serious eye injuries among children that can be utilized in planning health education and safety strategies for preventing such injuries. Materials and Methods: Records were reviewed of 116 children who sustained serious eye injuries which required admission to Princess Basma Teaching Hospital between October 1995 and November 1998. The material was analyzed retrospectively with respect to various epidemiological features. Results: 71.5% of the injured children were male and 28.5% were female. There was a marked preponderance of injuries in the age group 6-10 years. The majority of injuries occurred during play and sport (74.1%). Stones and sharp objects were the most common causes accounting for 18.1% and 17.2% respectively. Most of the sharp objects were household instruments. Perforating injuries were more common than non-perforating injuries. 56% of injured eyes had a low vision with visual acuity between 6/24 and 3/60, and 13% had a blinding outcome with visual acuity less than 3/60. Conclusion: The major causes of serious eye injuries among these children were unnecessary risks during play, the use of dangerous objects and insufficient supervision by adults, especially at home. Health education should be directed towards prevention of such serious injuries.