My son likes to rub the side of his face for self-comfort, but when he does it he often pokes his finger in his eye, sometimes jabbing straight into it! Could this cause him vision damage, and if so, what can I do to help him stop? I try to occupy his hands but he probably does it in his crib at night when I can't help... is it just something he will outgrow?

My daughter use to do the same thing I would just put those pjs on her the ones with little mittens it helped a lot. She stopped doing at around six months.
Robyn

If he is to old for PJ's with mittens attached you can always put socks on his hands at night and see if he will leave them on. Sock are more free that mittens would be and roomier especially if you use a sock that is a size or two larger than he currently wears. As for eye damage unless his nails are long enough to poke his eye I don't see a problem because if it hurts I am sure he will learn not to do that.

As suggested, mittens or socks on his hand may help, also make sure his finger nails are clean and short.

There is always a possibility of corneal abrasion if he scratches his eyes. If you see any red area in his eyes, or watery eyes, it may be wise to have them checked. Sue

My 3 month old daughter is doing just about the same thing right now...mostly when she tries sucking her thumb.
At night, I tuck a blanket in all around her bassinet matress below her armpits and tuck her arms underneath it so she cant get to her face. She hates having her hands covered,and moves her arms ALL the time, but this helps, if your baby cant or wont wear mittens (or socks as suggested) over her hands.
Good Luck! http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/smile.gif