What does bilateral mean and what is the most likely cause of bilateral corneal abrasions in both eyes of an 18 month old child?

Bilateral=both sides: If both sides are affected it would suggest some injury (dust, sand, other debris) got into babies eyes & baby rubbed it, producing the injury.It is the equivalent of skinning both knees on the ground, just hurts more.

= on both sides: Bilateral corneal abrasions means the child has abrasions in both eyes. Corneal abrasions occur when the epithelium (outer layer of 'skin') of the cornea has been scraped or sloughed off. They can be very painful and cause blurry vision. Causes include trauma (e.g., self-induced rubbing) or an inherited corneal dystrophy (e.g., basement membrane/lattice dystrophy). An eye md can help.