Important message for parents: How to avoid eye injuries By S. Moshe Roth In 2006,New Jersey became the first state to require children who wear corrective eyeglasses to wear protective eyewear for all organized sports. In order to reduce the threat of sports-related eye injuries and possible permanent vision loss, all children participating in sports sponsored by school,community,or governmental agencies are mandated to wear protective eyewear.Howeveer,even children who do not wear eyeglasses normally should wear protective safety eyewear because they, too,are vulnerable to flying objects. According to theAmerican Public HealthAssociation,approximately 13,500 of the nearly 600,000 documented sportsrelated injuries that are reported annually in the United States result in permanent loss of sight.Even noncontact sports such as tennis,golf,and fishing pose a moderate to high risk of eye injury because of flying objects, such as balls, racquets and hooks. Wearing protective eyewear is the best way to"prevent injuries to the eyes while playing sports,"according to theAmerican OptometricAssociation (AOA). Thousands of children and adults suffer sports-related eye injuries each year.Every 13 minutes,an emergency room in the United States treats a sports-related eye injury. Using the proper protective eyewear could prevent nearly all of those injuries. Most conventional frames and lenses are not made to meet minimal impact requirements for sports.Special safety sports goggles and swim goggles are made specifically for that and can be made with your or your child's prescription. It is also important to protect your child's eyes from the UV rays of the sun. Store-bought sunglasses often have plastic rather than special optical lenses.This can distort vision. In order to provide your child with optimum protection,obtain sunwear from a qualified eye-care professional. Summer activities can also provide helpful information for those children who struggle with reading and learning.Examples of this are: if a child has problems in catching or hitting a ball,misjudging where the ball is going,difficulty shooting baskets, or clumsiness with physical activities. Avoiding reading or having trouble seeing 3-D movies are also clues that your child may have a vision problem. A vision problem may at be at the root of your child's difficulties. If treated during the summer,your child could start the new school year ready to succeed. Consider scheduling for a developmental vision evaluation. For more information about the critical link between vision and learning and for a more in-depth symptom checklist,visit www.njeyesite.com. Dr. S. Moshe Roth, optometric physician, practices at Family Eye Care, Old Bridge. His license number is 4635 and his Therapeutic Certificate is TO 413. For more information, call 732-679-2020.