Articles about Eye Health and Disease from 2000 and earlier:
 

Air Bag Associated Eye Trauma in Children

(From Luder GT, MD. Air bag associated ocular trauma in children. Ophthalmology. 8/2000;107:1472-1475.)

In the study cited above, seven cases of ocular injury related to air bag deployment during motor vehicle accidents were reviewed. The ages of the children ranged from 1 to 11. All were sitting in the front passenger seat at the time of the accident. Only one of the seven was not properly restrained with either a seat belt or a forward facing car seat.

Serious ocular injuries were found in this small series of patients. All of the patients had contusions around the eyes. Minor injuries included corneal abrasions (5 of 7), eyelid laceration (1), traumatic iritis (2). More serious injuries included swelling of the cornea (1), and hyphema (blood in the front part of the eye) with secondary cataract and glaucoma requiring surgery.

Fortunately, all of the patients recovered normal visual acuity with medical therapy, or with surgery in the one case above. The patient requiring surgery was a 7 year old child properly restrained in the passenger seat in only a 20 MPH collision.

Due to the risk of injury, the authors recommend that children ride in the rear seat of vehicles. Photographs included in the journal article show severe facial swelling, scraped and scabbed skin, and redness in three patients.

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