![ClearView Logo](/_next/image?url=%2F_next%2Fstatic%2Fmedia%2Fclearview-header-logo.301327da.png&w=640&q=75)
The famous catchphrase from the classic holiday film, A Christmas Story - "You'll shoot your eye out, kid!" - was a department store Santa's response to a young boy's request for a Red Ryder BB gun. But Santa's reply is actually sage advice for anyone looking to buy safe holiday toys for children.
"Thousands of children end up in the emergency room every year with eye injuries from a new toy," says Sandy T. Feldman MD, a San Diego-based physician and one of the nation's top ophthalmologists. "That's not a fun way for any child or parent to spend a holiday."
Children are born with an underdeveloped vision system that develops over time. Young children are very visually stimulated, and nothing stimulates a child's vision more than a brightly colored new toy.
"Kids spend a lot of time with their toys, so it's very important to make sure they are safe enough to play with," says Dr. Feldman. "When eye injuries occur, it's usually because a toy wasn't age-appropriate for the child."
Dr. Feldman offers 12 simple tips for selecting safe toys for children this holiday season:
"There are a lot of wonderful toys out there. Just be diligent about what you buy, and be sure to inspect any gifts from other people before a child plays with it," said Dr. Feldman. "By preventing unnecessary eye injuries, you'll ensure that everyone has a happy and healthy holiday season."
Sandy T. Feldman, MD is the Medical Director of Clearview Eye & Laser Medical Center - voted best LASIK center in San Diego by CityBeat Magazine in 2013 - and has successfully performed more than 20,000 refractive procedures. Her numerous awards include "Top Doc San Diego" and the Goldline Award, an honor granted to only 10 laser eye care providers in the U.S. each year, and she has been profiled in Forbes, Newsweek, and other respected publications. Dr. Feldman is a fellow of the prestigious American College of Ophthalmic Surgeons, as well as a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery. For more information, please visit clearvieweyes.com.
Call Us: (858) 452-3937
8:30AM - 7:00 PM - Monday through Saturday (Saturday until 11:30AM)