People reflexively blink when they feel dry eyes, itchy eyes or emotional tension. Blinking protects the eyes from foreign objects, light, and other stimuli, as well as evenly distributes tears and protects the surface of the eye. Newborns blink 2 times per minute, and as they grow older they usually blink about 15 times per minute. It is not normal to blink much more often than this. Ophthalmology clinics often encounter children with frequent eye squeezing, and many of them have long-standing or recurring episodes that make moms and dads very anxious. Here are some common causes of frequent eye squeezing and countermeasures for moms and dads. 1. Congenital eyelid entropion and impingement Congenital eyelid entropion is most often seen in infants and young children. Most of them are caused by an inner canthus, overdevelopment of the orbicularis muscle at the lid margin, or underdevelopment of the lid plate. In some infants, the lower lid may also become entropion due to fatness and underdevelopment of the nasal root. The eyelashes are inverted on the surface of the eyeball. In infants, the eyelashes are fine and soft, so the eyelid can be gently turned out to its normal position and fixed by traction with adhesive tape on the local skin. As the nasal bridge develops with age, congenital lid entropion and inverted eyelashes can often disappear on their own and there is no need to rush surgery. If it is already 5 to 6 years old and the eyelashes are obviously irritating the cornea, surgical correction can be considered. 2. Allergic conjunctivitis In addition to squeezing the eyes, the child may feel obvious eye itchiness, sticky filmy white discharge in the eyes, and some children may also have allergic rhinitis manifestations such as sneezing and runny nose. This may be due to the child’s allergy to pollen, dust, mites, etc. In this case, antibiotic eye drops are less effective and the ophthalmologist needs to prescribe anti-allergy eye drops, which can be combined with cold compresses for the eyes. 3. eye infections Some children have poor hygiene habits, do not wash their hands regularly, and often rub their eyes with dirty hands, leading to mydriasis, bacterial or viral conjunctivitis, keratitis, etc. The child’s eyes become red, itchy, have increased secretions, tearing, and frequent squeezing. Antibiotics or antiviral eye drops need to be used under the guidance of a doctor. 4, dry eye With the use of cell phones, ipads, computers, game consoles, etc. becoming more and more frequent, the incidence of dry eye in children is rising. Screen image stimulation, screen flickering, and rapid conversion not only cause children’s nerves to become overexcited, but also make children blink less often, leading to dry eyes. Mothers and fathers should accompany their children to do more outdoor sports, reduce their dependence on electronic products, and use suitable artificial tears to relieve dry eyes under the guidance of doctors. 5, refractive error Refractive error, including farsightedness, myopia, astigmatism, if not corrected, will cause eye fatigue caused by reflexive squeezing eyes, by squeezing eyes to adjust the curvature of the eye, so that tears are evenly distributed on the surface of the eye, so that visual clarity. You should first correct the refractive error and avoid prolonged eye use. 6, habitual blinking Some children have a history of frequent eye squeezing due to one of the above reasons, and through treatment, they still retain the habit of frequent eye squeezing after the cause disappears. Other children like to imitate others around them by squeezing their eyes frequently. Mothers and fathers should help their children to control themselves in an appropriate way. 7, related to psychological and mental factors This situation is related to stimulation, stress, mood, etc. If you change the environment or help your child to relieve stress and tension, your child will no longer squeeze his or her eyes frequently. If a child squeezes his eyes frequently for a long time, accompanied by facial twitching, squeezing eyes, shrugging shoulders, wrinkling nose, crooked mouth, making strange sounds, and even uttering obscene words, abnormal behavior, etc., this condition is called children’s tic and obscene language syndrome, which seriously affects the normal life, learning and mental health of children. You should consult a pediatrician or psychiatrist in a timely manner and cooperate with the doctor for treatment, do not reprimand or scold your child. As you can see, there are more reasons that lead to frequent eye squeezing in children and different treatments. Once parents find that their child is blinking frequently, they should visit the ophthalmology department as early as possible for a comprehensive examination of vision, cornea, conjunctiva, eyelids, refractive status, fundus, and intraocular pressure to avoid misdiagnosis. Those without ophthalmic problems should be referred to neurology and pediatrics for timely treatment.