EYE PROBLEMS

Newborn:

There are three minor problems with the eyes of newborn babies that parents should be aware of. The first is mildly swollen or irritated eyes appearing in the first few days of life which may be a reaction to antibiotic drops which are placed in the baby’s eyes at birth. Usually, the swelling and irritation will resolve without treatment in a day or two. 

Secondly, infants may experience a blocked tear duct, which drains tears from the eye, causing excessive tearing. This condition is also known as nasolacrimal duct obstruction. Treatment involves gently massaging the tear duct by pressing the inside bridge of the nose between your thumb and index finger at the inner corner of the eye. This gentle but firm pressure can help open the blocked duct. You should discuss this issue during a routine office visit.

If tearing persists for several months, we may refer the child to an ophthalmologist for tear duct probing, typically after 12 months of age. In cases of chronic obstruction, the duct might become infected, with pus discharging from the eye. If this occurs, please inform us, as we may need to begin treatment with an eye drop or refer the child to an ophthalmologist sooner.

Lastly, many young infants can have intermittent crossing of the eyes. This usually resolves spontaneously by six months of age. If it continues past this time, we refer the child to an ophthalmologist.

Pink Eye: 

Pink eye or conjunctivitis is a mild inflammation of the outer lining of the eye manifested by redness and discharge from the eye. It is most often due to a bacterial infection although there are other causes including, viral infection and irritation from dust and allergy. Sometimes, conjunctivitis can be associated with infections in other parts of the body, especially ear infections. Because pink eye has so many causes and is many times associated with other infections, it is difficult to evaluate this by telephone. If your child develops pink eye, you should make an appointment during regular office hours to have your child evaluated.

Eye Trauma:

Trauma to the eye that results in significant pain that does not go away in a few minutes should be evaluated on an emergency basis.

Eye Pain:

Any severe eye pain, even if it is not associated with trauma, should be evaluated on an emergency basis.