Eye Drops and Kids: Navigating the Challenge with Expert Tips

Here are some practical pointers I've learned as an eye doctor to smoothly administer eye drops to children without any fuss or kicking.

1️⃣ I never lie - I don’t say that they won’t sting. Because they do. Instead I tell them it stings like opening their eyes underwater in a pool for just 15 seconds. And then we count together.

2️⃣ Much of the fear is apprehension and anxiety. So, before a new pediatric patient is even in our clinic, we send out an email with a link to a blog I wrote with photos of other kids going through all the different parts of the eye exam.

3️⃣ I use a mix, which I buy from the manufacturer. So it has 3 drop in one bottle, decreasing the number of drops.

4️⃣ I have a spray bottle. I put the drops in an sterilizable glass spray bottle (made for eye drops) and then we can just spray the eyelashes of the child when their eyes are closed. It seeps into their eyes when they open.

5️⃣ Move fast - my now office manager, former tech, just moves fast. We don’t give kids time to react. Because sometimes the more you try to explain to a kid, the more worked up and anxious they get. So, sometimes the trick is to be quick and get the spray or drops in before they can react.

If you’re interested in the blog post that I wrote about what it’s like for a kid to have an eye exam (so you can read along with your child), it is linked HERE.