Written by Laura – resident Baby Nurse at Choice pharmacy
Quite often mums tell me that their babies eyes are constantly watery or they have a discharge when baby wakes. This is commonly known as a blocked tear duct and often occurs when the baby is a few weeks old.
WHY DOES MY BABY HAVE A BLOCKED TEAR DUCT?
- Tear ducts are small tubes that flow from the eye to the nose
- These tear ducts can become blocked after birth and cause watery eyes that can become sticky
- Blocked tear ducts is common
WHAT DOES A BLOCKED TEAR DUCT LOOK LIKE?
- Baby’s eye will be constantly watery
- They may have ‘sticky’ eyes with a discharge on waking
- Sometimes the eye might become infected and this will need medical treatment. This means the discharge becomes thick/green and the area around the eye might become red/inflamed
DO I NEED TO SEE A DOCTOR FOR TREATMENT?
- If you are concerned about your baby, seek medical advice
- If your baby’s eyes become red/inflamed
- A red lump has appeared in the corner of your baby’s eye
- If the eyelid has become swollen or changed colour
- The discharge has become green and very sticky
- The tear duct still hasn’t unblocked around one year of age
HOW DO I TREAT A BLOCKED TEAR DUCT?
- Keep the eye clean with a saline solution(salt water)- wipe one way and discard
- Massage the tear duct with clean hands a few times a day
- Using the tip of your index finger, apply medium pressure to the part of your baby’s eye closest to the nose and massage downward by moving your index finger downwards 3 to 5 times, toward the nose next to the affected eye
- During the massage, you might see some fluid come out of your baby’s nose or you may see nothing at all
- Repeat these steps 3 times a day, morning, noon, and night
- Seek medical advice if there’s no improvement or infection is evidentantibiotics and eye drops might be needed
- A blocked tear duct will normally improve over time
If you are ever concerned, please seek medical advice. Please ensure you take a break whenever you are feeling stressed/tired. Ask for help, too.
You can book our Baby Nurse for in-store consultation online.