Newborn eye infection???

[samsam23]

My son is 6 days old and for the last 3 days he has been getting this yellowish gunk sort of thing on the outside of one of his eyes. And if if dries up it kind is seals his eye and he can't open it. I've been taking a warm washcloth to it and wiping it away, he seems fine after that until it returns a couple hours later.

Does anyone anything about this? Is it something I should be worried about, or is it common in newborns?

 

[chipsticks]

Very common..can't remember why..think it's something to do with tear ducts? If you are breastfeeding use some milk on the eye..

 

[_Meep_]

Yeah, I think their tear ducts are a bit crap to begin with.

This page explains it all and tells you what to do ... sounds like you already have the right sort of idea!

https://www.parenting.com/article/blocked-tear-duct-infants

 

[Loobs]

DS had this too. It can be caused by an infection so if it doesn't let up ask someone to take a swab! DS had antibiotic drops for it. It never cleared it completely, it was a blocked tear duct.

You can get rid of that by cleaning the eye regularly, use cooled boiled water on a cotton wool ball or pad. Wipe the eye from inside to outside then bin it, don't run it over the eye again. You can massage the inner part of the eye, beside the nose to help clear any blockage.

 

[minties]

Thomas had that as a newborn and for him it was bacterial conjunctivitis. The midwife took a swab, sent it off then prescribed some ointment for his eye and it improved very quickly.

 

[Palladium]

My baby had this too. It's a good idea to get it checked to make sure it doesn't need antibiotics, but in the meantime, give breastmilk a try. I cleaned my baby's eye with warm water first, then expressed some milk onto a clean cotton ball and wiped it over the eye. It worked great, cleared it up overnight.

 

[Sb86]

My baby had this also. Wiped some breast milk over her eyes a few times a day and they cleared up over night - I asked my doc about using beast milk and he said it was an old wives tale but I said "well, it's one that works!!"

 

[lam_76]

My little boy had this too, my hv told me to either use cooled boiled water or some breast milk so i used a combination of both and it soon cleared up.

 

[CormacksGirl]

Both my sons had this! As long as the whites of the eyes don't become red then they should be fine!