4 Ways To Help Your Child Take Care Of Their Artificial Eye
If your child has an artificial eye due to pediatric retinoblastoma, it is important that you teach your child how to properly take care of their prosthetic eye. If your child is really young, remember that it is also up to you to take care of your child's artificial eye and make sure that your child is comfortable at all times.
#1 Teach Them To Wash Their Hands Before Touching Their Eye
The most important thing you can teach your child is that they should always wash their hands before they touch their artificial eye. This includes before they rub their eye or wipe away anything in the vicinity of their eye. They need to learn at a young age that it is extremely important to keep dirt away from their artificial eye.
#2 Eye Doesn't Need Cleaned Everyday
Many things need cleaned every day for children. For example, children have to brush their teeth two times a day, take a bath daily, and wash their hands multiple times a day. Their artificial eye is the one thing that they don't need to clean every day. It is actually not advisable to take out one's artificial eye on a daily basis. If your child takes their artificial out out too often, it can lead to drainage, swelling and irritation. Teach your child that it is best to leave their artificial eye alone.
#3 Teach Your Child To Move Their Head
Your child doesn't have an eye to move when they are listening to people. If your child's artificial eye is looking off in a different direction than their natural eye, it can look strange to other people. It can also strain the eye muscles that are in place.
Teach your child to turn their head, neck and shoulders when they are talking or listening to someone. Having your child turn their entire head will make their artificial eye flow better with their natural eye, which should help your child feel more confident.
#4 Wear Goggles When Swimming
If your child loves swimming, they don't need to stop now that they have an artificial eye. Your child should keep their artificial eye in when they swim. However, they should wear goggles the entire time they are swimming. This will help keep water away from your child's eye and also prevent the artificial eye from going missing due to some unfortunate mishap.
If your child has an artificial eye, make sure they know they should only touch their eye with clean hands and that their eye doesn't need to be taken out on a daily basis. Teach your child to wear goggles and move their entire head when looking and engaging with someone.