# Eye ointment - how to apply? Its a nightmare!



## AP

God knows why the doc prescribed us this rather than eye drops.

Alex has got conjunctivitus again.

Anyone got any tips for a now wiggly little person!


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## lyre

does this help? x

Eye Ointment 

Most eye ointments don&#8217;t sting much, which is why many doctors prefer them for smaller children. To apply an eye ointment with a minimum of fuss:

Place the fingers of your non-dominant hand (left hand if you are right-handed, right if you are left-handed) along your child&#8217;s forehead 
Place the thumb of that hand gently on the child&#8217;s cheek just below the lower eyelid 
Gently pull down on the cheek skin with your thumb. 
This will cause the lower lid to curl outward &#8211; you should see the thin pink "shelf" of the lining of the lower lid. 
Using your other hand, gently apply the ointment along that thin pink "shelf." Start at the inner corner of the eye and smoothly move across to the outer corner. 
Try to avoid touching the actual surface of either the lid or the eye itself &#8211; they are both very sensitive.


Quick Tips for Eye Ointment

1) Tip child&#8217;s head back or lay infant on lap or bed

2) Pull lower lid down and out with thumb

3) Apply ointment along thin pink "shelf" of lower lid lining

4) Release lid

https://www.pediatricplanet.com - quite a good site.


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## beancounter

the ointment is much stronger than the drops, you will probably see a huge improvement overnight, though it gets stuck onto the tube so its a 2 person operation getting it in, I'd squeeze the tube till it was almost coming out, get OH to hold Finn, squeeze half and inch out and get the end of it stuck on the inner eyelid (if that makes sense) so it gets pulled off the tube. It's tricky even when I put it into my eye and I wasnt wiggling!


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## soup

this is the way that i have done it before

sit down with your legs stretched out, and lay baby between your legs with his headclosest to you, this means you can hold his body still using your legs and use both your hands to open eye and put drops in.

i know it sounds a bit harsh but i have found it too be much quicker so therefore less stressful for everyone in the end


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## blahblahblah

I've just had to deal with the exact same situation! I found doing it alone easiest - extra people meant extra stress and more wriggling.

I squeezed the ointment out so I had the right amount hanging out of the tube, then with him on the floor I held the tube in my left hand (I'm left handed), and with my right hand put my fingers on his forehead and thumb under eye, pulling the lid down. Then I dangled the ointment into the space and let go of the lid so it gets pulled off and in.


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