It sounds a bit Captain Obvious to say that babies like things that light up and make noise (the louder and more hideous it seems, the better) - this is probably a given! However, looking back at Aaron before his surgery, he definitely seemed to ignore some of his toys that were less whizz bang and we think it's because he had a limited field of vision due to the cloudy corneas from the congenital glaucoma (we will never know for sure, even after the December exam under anaesthesia (EUA), as we've been told that thankfully the optic nerve can repair itself to a degree in babies).
If other parents or carers have children in situations similar to Aaron's, we thought it might be helpful to share which toys he enjoyed pre surgery. (I know in general Adam and I are always looking for new ideas to keep our little guy entertained.)
Please note that this post hasn't been endorsed by any medical professionals, sensory workers, etc. (nor do I work for any of these companies) and that every child is unique. The toys below are what Aaron best responded to before the 360 degree trabeculotomy and what worked for him may not work for everyone.
Lamaze rainbow glow rattle
We received this as a gift right before Aaron's congenital glaucoma diagnosis and he loved it straight away. It lights up in different colours and rattles plus it was easy for him to grip and chew on at five months old. He still loves it now (given the lights it's also a go-to toy for those middle of the night wake ups when he wants to play).
Bright Starts beaming buggie
Aaron really started to enjoy this most around four months old, which we believe is around the time his corneas started to cloud. It lights up in different colours and also plays music and ocean noises. This one came in super handy on the transatlantic plane ride! As an added bonus the wings also appear to be nice and chewy...
Fisher Price rainforest jumperoo
All the babies in our NCT group love the jumperoo. However, the light-up part with the brightly-coloured parrot and monkey was especially interesting to Aaron pre-surgery as he could really look down and focus on it.
Happy playing! x
Hi there, my name is Hannah Bentley and I work for Moorfields Eye Charity. I've really been enjoying reading your blog, and wondered if you would share your and Aaron's story with me for use in our fundraising and marketing activities? Stories like yours are so powerful, and we would be very grateful if this is something you'd consider. If it is, please do drop me a line on hannah.bentley@moorfields.nhs.uk and I can tell you more about what it would entail and how we'd use your story. Thanks so much for reading this message! Best wishes, Hannah
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