Pediatric Toy-Related Ocular Injuries in the United States: A National Electronic Injury Surveillance System Study

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to evaluate the epidemiological trends, primary ocular diagnosis, and degree of injury severity in pediatric patients after a toy-related ocular trauma.MethodsA cross-sectional analysis was conducted using data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System Study (NEISS), encompassing patients who visited emergency departments over a 5-year period from January 1, 2017, to December 31, 2021, with toy-related ocular injuries. Descriptive statistics were employed using Microsoft Excel.ResultsAmong the 1439 toy-related ocular injuries identified, the mean age of injury was 6.67 +/- 4.36 years. The highest proportion of injuries occurred in the 2-5 years age group (27.2%). The NEISS database classified the severity of injury - the majority of which were minor anterior segment injuries. Toy guns with projectiles were identified as the most common type of toy associated with ocular eye injury. While most injuries were minor, a small percentage was severe.ConclusionAge-appropriate toy selection and adult supervision during playtime are recommended preventive measures to mitigate the incidence and severity of traumatic eye injuries in children. There is a risk of major ocular injury related to toys, especially toy guns/darts, in young children that requires intervention.However, the incidence of injuries related to toy guns has been stable for the last 40 years.Although most of these cases resulted in minor anterior segment injuries, patterns of serious injury can occur with toys.Physicians, educators, and parents should be made aware of the high risk of ocular toy-related injury when there is poor supervision, inadequate ocular protection, and a lack of understanding of toy-related risks to the eye.