Children's eye injuries related to pellet guns, paintball, and other non-powder guns increased by 169% since 1990, Tech Times reported.
The findings came from a study of 442,800 children 17 or younger who went to hospitals for treatment of eye injuries from 1990 to 2012. The overall rate of eye injuries in children decreased slightly during the study period. Sports led the way, accounting for 15.2% of the injuries. Use of non-powder guns accounted for about 11% of eye injuries but almost half of injuries that required medical treatment and increased by 168.8% during the 23-year study period, according to an article in Pediatrics.
Gary Smith, MD, of Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, and co-authors concluded that eye injuries related to sports and recreational activities are preventable and that the findings suggested a need for more emphasis on eye protection during the activities.0 comments