Newborn baby eye discharge: causes and remedies
Newborn eye discharge
The secretion of newborn eyes is very common, especially during the first months of life, but the causes may be different, so the treatments and remedies will be different from case to case.
Stenosis of the lacrimal duct: newborn eye discharge
Often at birth and during the first months of life, the newborn can present yellowish eye secretions. In most cases, this secretion is not caused by bacteria or eye infections; it is simply due to total or partial obstruction of the naso-lacrimal duct through which the tears should flow towards the nasal passages, but in the case of obstruction of the duct they cannot follow their natural path. In that case, the eye of the newborn will begin to tear and the stagnation may cause the proliferation of bacteria. After sleeping, in the morning, the newborn will have a sticky eye with yellowish secretion in the inner corner and in most cases he will find it difficult to open it.
Remedies for tear duct stenosis
Usually this issue tends to resolve itself with time, but to facilitate healing, some measures can be applied to help open the duct and avoid bacterial infections.
- Perform simple massages, several times a day. Use your index finger to apply gentle pressure between the inner corner of the eye and the top of the nose and make a rolling motion from top to bottom. This simple massage should be done at least twice a day to maximize its effectiveness.
- Always keep the eye well cleaned. It is important to avoid bacterial infection, so use sterile gauze soaked in warm water or physiological saline and gently remove the secretions that are created at the corner of the eye.
- Take the baby to the sea if possible. Breathing the sea air and iodine will allow him to disconstruct the tear duct in less time. If it is not possible to take him to the sea apply isotonic water with sea water or thermal water.
Lacrimal duct stenosis surgery
Usually before thinking about surgery for stenosis of the lacrimal duct one waits at least one year of life, because usually within that period the situation resolves without the need for any intervention, but if the eye is always sticky and full of secretions, it is possible to think about surgical treatment even before the completion of the year. The intervention, which often does not even require hospitalization, is carried out under general anesthesia. The intervention consists in entering with a very small probe through the tear duct and following the anatomical path, thus allowing the complete opening. Then a washing with physiological solution coloured with methylene blue is performed: if it comes out from the nose, it means that the obstruction is no more there.
Conjunctivitis: newborn eye discharge
Hygiene of the eye is very important, so it is necessary to take care of the cleaning of the eyes of the newborn baby and to avoid the newborn baby bringing his dirty hands to his eyes.
Despite these precautions, it is possible to suffer from conjunctivitis, which can be bacterial, viral or allergic in nature.
Bacterial conjunctivitis is generally characterised by a yellowish secretion, viral conjunctivitis and allergic conjunctivitis, however, the secretion is whitish.
If your child complains of discomfort and itching in the eye it could be bacterial conjunctivitis, in fact in the case of bacterial conjunctivitis the yellowish secretion that comes out of the child's eyes is usually accompanied by a strong irritation accompanied by difficulty in opening the eyes properly, and complains of strong itching.
The first factor to consider is not to transfer the infection from one eye to another, so it will be necessary to use disposable gauze, one for each eye. These soothing gauze pads are usually sold in single-dose packages in pharmacies and are used to soothe and disinfect the area. In the case of bacterial conjunctivitis, an antibiotic eye drop is usually recommended under a paediatric prescription in order to eradicate the infection.
After birth how to treat the umbilical cord
Normally the umbilical cord detaches within 7/15 days of the birth of the newborn. In the meantime, however, it should be kept as dry as possible to facilitate the fall. In fact, according to the American Academy..
Read
Newborn sweating:how it occurs, causes and remedies.
With the arrival of summer and rising temperatures we all suffer more from the heat, even babies. Even newborns sweat, and if the temperatures are too high you may notice some red bubbles on the baby's body; don't worry, it's..
Read