Dr Adegbola Adeyemi, Registrar of the Department of Ophthalmology, University College Hospital,(UCH), Ibadan has advised mothers to shun use of breast milk and urine in treating babies’ eye infections.
Adeyemi told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ibadan on Wednesday that the practice could do more harm than good to the eyes of their babies.
According to him, use of breast milk and urine could result in total blindness.
The ophthalmologist urged mothers to use clean water to wash eyes pointing out that a lot of damage would have been done to the eyes before bringing the child to hospital.
He said that both adult and children contracted eye diseases such as conjunctivitis also known as Apollo caused by bacterial infection.
He disclosed that refractive error was also common in children and had symptoms of inability to focus distant and near objects.
The ophthalmologist also said that presbyopia, inability to read tiny objects was common in both adult and children.
Adeyemi advised mothers to give their children good diets including locust beans, vegetables, carrots, red palm oil and tomatoes which are necessary to promote good health of the eyes.
The ophthalmologist told NAN that both children and adult should go for regular checkups on their eyes adding that the practice would reduce the rate at which people lose their vision.
He said that most people show nonchalant attitude towards the care of their eyes, stressing that such attitude could prove dangerous to their sight.
“There must be regular checkup for both young and old. Everybody needs regular checkup to help adjust their sight,” he said. (NAN)