The baby’s health is very vulnerable in the early days of life, especially the eyes. In this period
sebaceous glands cannot work at full strength. Sometimes mom begins to notice that the
eye in the newborn is festering. What's wrong? What causes the baby's eyes to fester and watery? The answer is quite simple: the
structure of the baby’s
eye is identical to the
structure of the eyes of an adult, but the eye functions are not yet perfect enough, especially those related to protective reactions. The eyelids of the baby can be glued together with a yellow crust, and in this regard, the child can not open them, it is this process that is called suppuration.
What causes purulent processes?
At each blink, a tear washes the eyeball and helps to cope with bacteria and viruses. The remnants of tears from the inner corner fall into the nasal
a cavity, from where they come out, but in a newborn a yellow substance clogs the
lacrimal canal, then it breaks through and goes outside, which provokes rotting of the eye. And if the baby has begun this phase of “purification”, then there may be two reasons for concern:
- Conjunctivitis. Inflammatory disease with damage to the mucous membrane of the eyeball. Has an infectious or viral nature of occurrence. Often accompanied by diseases such as influenza, acute respiratory viral infections and acute respiratory infections. There is also allergic conjunctivitis that goes away after eliminating the irritating allergen.
- Dacryocystitis. This is a disease that occurs due to obstruction of the lacrimal canal, which provokes suppuration.
Festering eye in a newborn: treatment
Regardless of what is the cause of the aforementioned problem, it is recommended to visit a doctor. Contact an ophthalmologist, explain all the symptoms, say that the eye is red and festering, a little dryness occurs. After examination, the specialist will prescribe a course of treatment using all kinds of ointments and drops. It is also likely that the doctor may prescribe a more gentle treatment, such as rinsing with a solution of furatsilina, tea or chamomile. These simple procedures contribute to the opening of the lacrimal ducts. They are performed approximately five to seven times a day.
Washing is done like this:
- take a cotton swab;
- soak it in solution;
- massage the liquid in the swab with massage movements, starting from the inner corner, which is located at the bottom of the eyelid, and advance to the tip of the spout.
What to do if the eye of a newborn is festering, and the treatment is started at the wrong time?
If for some reason you missed the time for the correct treatment of the disease, then a specialist can prescribe a sounding of the tubule. This procedure consists in cleaning the canals with medical instruments. Spend it under anesthesia (local) using a special probe. There are no traces of interference or any side effects. After such procedures, a course with the use of antibacterial drugs is prescribed. If the eye of a newborn is festering, then you should only contact a pediatric ophthalmologist who will make an examination and prescribe treatment.