Causes young children rubbing their eyes and how to prevent them

There are many reasons children rubbing their eyes that parents should learn and prevent in time because this habit is not good for the baby's eyes.

Rubbing eyes is one of the cutest things a child can do. However, if you just stare at the baby and do nothing, it will not be because through this action, he wants to tell us something. Let's join aFamilyToday Health to follow the below sharing to understand why the baby rubs his eyes.

What causes children to rub their eyes?

1. Sleepiness

If your baby rubs his eyes and yawns, this shows he is sleepy and tired. When the baby is tired, the baby's eyes cannot function as flexibly. Rubbing eyes is a way to massage the surrounding muscles, helping to reduce fatigue. This will reduce stress in the muscles around the eyes and in the eyelids.

How to prevent rubbing eyes: Watch for signs of drowsiness and fatigue. Rubbing eyes and yawning are common signs that your baby needs a nap. If you notice signs of drowsiness, put your baby down immediately.

Learn baby's sleeping habits:  When you have a certain sleep pattern, your baby will sleep even when you are not around. This will help your baby to be less tired and less likely to rub his eyes.

2. Dry eyes

Young children will rub their eyes when their eyes are too dry. Normally, the eye is protected by a tear film and it evaporates when exposed to the air for a long time. This causes dry, irritating eyes. Therefore, instinctively, the baby will rub his eyes to soothe. Rubbing your eyes will stimulate tears , helping to restore moisture.

3. Curiosity

In addition to sleepiness and fatigue, there are many causes of eye rubbing in children. You will find that as your baby begins to develop motor skills , his curiosity also increases. Your baby will try to touch each part of the body to find out how the body will react.

4. Children often rub their eyes out of surprise or excitement

When you see your baby shows no signs of fatigue but rubs his eyes, it is possible that by doing so, he will see astonishing visual stimuli. Young children sometimes love the feeling of closing, rubbing, and repeating to see those visual images. Adults also have the same sense that if you close or rub your eyes, you will see patterns and lights. This may be the reason why babies like to rub their eyes.

Prevention:  Distract your child's attention by showing them something more interesting. Due to the inability to pay attention, the baby will be easily distracted.

5. Something in the baby's eyes

Sometimes, children rubbing their eyes are caused by something irritating in their eyes, such as small dust particles. Foreign objects caught in the eyes will stimulate and cause young children to want to rub their eyes continuously. In this case, however, rubbing the eyes can be harmful as they will cause the child to scratch the inside of his or her eye.

If you see your baby rubbing and crying and his eyes turn red, the chances are dust has gotten into his or her eyes. Dip a cotton ball in cold water and wipe it off slowly to clean your eyes. If your baby still feels uncomfortable, take him to the doctor.

Note: Each eye should use a different cotton ball.

Prevention : Do not leave your baby in a dusty place. If there is no other way, try to protect your baby's eyes while in this environment.

How to prevent children from rubbing their eyes?

To minimize injuries and scratches, you need to prevent your baby from rubbing his eyes. You need to protect until your baby is mature enough to realize the negative effects of rubbing eyes.

If your child has a habit of rubbing his eyes, try to cover his hand. You should let your child wear long sleeves or gloves for your baby. This will prevent your baby from rubbing his eyes or scratching his face.

Parents can keep their hands away from their faces, if you think your baby intends to rub his eyes, distract him by giving him a toy to let him forget about this.

It is important not to panic or worry if you see your baby rubbing your eyes with your hand. If you suspect any of these problems, bring your baby to the doctor right away.