Tips To Deal With Baby Eye Infection

Saturday, September 24, 2011, 11:05

How will you know if your baby has an eye infection? It might seem like a very silly question but it isn't. Babies cry most of the time and they tend to put their hands in their eyes. So, it gets difficult to understand whether they have just been crying or their eyes are watering due to an baby eye infection. It is possible for your baby to have eye infection but there are often reasons for causing similar symptoms like mucus in baby's eyes or reddening due to rubbing.

Here are a few tips for new parents to understand their baby's eye care needs better.

Tips To Detect Baby Eye Infection:

1. Baby Eye Mucus: You may have noticed that your babies eyes have large amounts of mucus. It often dries up forming crusts hurting the tender eyes and making them water some more. This usually happens because babies sleep for small hours throughout the day. When we wake up from sleep there is gunk in our eyes which we clean by splashing water. The baby's body clock is adjusted to sleep every few hours and the poor dears cannot clean their own eyes. So, the best thing to do is to wipe their eyes with a soft cloth every now and then when they wake up.

2. Excessive Watering of Eyes: Mucus in baby eyes and continuous watering can also mean a bacterial baby eye infection. If it is an infection and not just solidified mucus then the eyes will water even as your baby sleeps. Here you need to consult a pediatrician. If the infection is serious then antibiotics will be prescribes. Otherwise, hot compress is very comforting to the little eyes.

3. Red Streaks in the Eyes of a New Born: You may have noticed blood red lines in the eyes of your new born baby but that is not an baby eye infection. These are usually broken or haemorrhaged blood vessels of the eyes. This happens due to the stress and strain of fighting its way out. It will heal on its own in a month or so but if it doesn't then you have to see a doctor as there might be some permanent damage.

4. Clogged Tear Duct: Some new born babies have a thin membrane blocking the drainage of tears from the eyes. It could be solidified mucus or some impurity in the eyes as well. It makes the water from the eyes spill over in bouts. Clogged tear ducts get cleared on their own when the baby grows up. You have to maintain some hygiene for the eyes and that is about it.

5. Baby Conjunctivitis: Sometimes the baby can pick up conjunctivitis if someone in the house or another baby it has played with has the baby eye infection. There is nothing to fear but visit a doctor to find out the nature of the infection and have appropriate medicines prescribed.