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Eye injuries in the young in Ile-Ife, Nigeria
1Surgery Department, College of Health Sciences, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria.
Insights
Pediatric eye injuries are common, often caused by play or trauma. Many children suffer blindness or visual impairment, highlighting the need for prevention and prompt treatment.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Pediatric Medicine
- Public Health
Background:
- Eye injuries represent a significant cause of visual impairment and blindness in children.
- Understanding the specific causes and outcomes of pediatric eye injuries is crucial for developing effective prevention strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the causes, patterns, and visual outcomes of eye injuries in children treated at a Nigerian teaching hospital.
- To identify risk factors and propose preventive measures for pediatric ocular trauma.
Main Methods:
- A retrospective study of 117 children (aged 0-17 years) treated for eye injuries.
- Data collected included patient demographics, injury mechanisms, causative agents, and visual prognosis.
Main Results:
- The majority of injuries occurred in children over 4 years old, primarily during play (50.4%).
- Sticks, twigs, and missiles were common causative agents.
- Contusion injuries had the best visual prognosis (48.3%), while perforating injuries had the worst (30.5%).
- One-third of patients experienced blindness, and 17.5% had significant visual impairment.
Conclusions:
- Pediatric eye injuries in this Nigerian cohort exhibit distinct etiologies and visual outcomes.
- Prevention strategies should focus on health education, improved child supervision, modified corporal punishment methods, and protective gear for adolescents.
- Early diagnosis and prompt management are essential for improving visual prognosis in pediatric eye injuries.
Abstract:
One hundred and seventeen children aged 0-17 years treated for eye injuries at the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital Ile-Ife, Nigeria were studied. Seventy-five were males and 42 were females with a mean age of 10 years 4 months. Injuries occurred with increasing frequency after the age of 4 years and were commonly sustained by children at play (50.4%); during corporal punishment (10.3%); assault (9.4%) and street hawking (9.4%). Causative agents were mostly sticks and twigs, followed by missiles and fall. Visual prognosis was best in patients with contusion injuries (48.3%) and worst in those with perforating eye injuries (30.5%). Blindness of the injured eye occurred in one-third of the patients and another 17.5% had significant visual impairment. This study shows a variation in the aetiology and visual outcome of eye injuries in the young. Strategies for the prevention of eye injuries are mainly health education, improved supervision of children at play, change in the method of corporal punishment and provision of protective devices for adolescents at work. Early diagnosis and prompt management will improve visual prognosis.