CHICAGO—Prevent Blindness has declared December as Safe Toys and Gifts Awareness Month. According to a report issued last year from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), emergency rooms in the U.S. treated 251,800 toy-related injuries and 44 percent of the injuries were to the head and face area.

“When giving the gift of sports equipment, Prevent Blindness strongly urges also providing sports eye protection,” said Hugh R. Parry, president and CEO of Prevent Blindness. “An eyecare professional can provide guidance for the best protection for each sport and athlete.”

In addition, a new study published in JAMA Ophthalmology, “Epidemiology of Sports Related Eye Injuries in the United States,” found that basketball, baseball and air guns were the most common causes of injury, accounting for almost half of all primary sports related eye injuries.