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Tiffany is a sleep-deprived mom to a teen, a toddler, and a newborn. You can catch her blogging over a cup of coffee at Lattes And Life. You can also find her Twitter feed @give_me_a_latte.
Newborn Care: Blocked Tear Ducts
Shortly after my daughter was born, I noticed her left eye had a lot of sticky discharge. It looked like a buildup of “sleep” in the corner of her eye. I’d wipe it away only to have it reappear a few minutes later.
The pediatrician in the hospital told me it appeared to be a blocked tear duct, and is very common in newborns (some sources report that 6 out of 100 babies are born with this condition).
Tear ducts begin in the corner of the eye and drain into the nose. In many newborns, there is a thin tissue at the end of the tear duct that doesn’t allow drainage. Since the tears can’t drain, they build up in the eye and it will appear as if the baby is crying. What I thought was “sleep” is a buildup of mucous, which is commonly seen with blocked tear ducts. It will collect in the corner of the eye and can even cause the eyelids to stick together.
A blocked tear duct will usually clear up on its own within baby’s first year. To help it along, we were instructed to wipe away the excess mucous and tears with a warm washcloth as needed. Then, massage the duct in a downward motion, starting at the corner of the eye and pressing down along the side of the nose. The combination of heat and gentle pressure can help move the fluid down the duct, and can aid in opening the blockage. I generally do this at each feeding, if I notice the eye needs attention.
If a blocked tear duct hasn’t resolved itself on its own within a year, most doctors will refer the child to a pediatric ophthalmologist. A simple procedure is performed with a tiny probe to open the duct. This treatment is successful in about 90% of cases. Very few children require additional surgery.
If your baby is born with a blocked tear duct, follow your pediatrician’s advice and treatment plan. Having a blocked tear duct can increase the chance of eye infections, so be sure to practice good hand washing and always use a clean washcloth each time you wipe baby’s eye. Soon enough those beautiful baby blues (or browns, or greens!) that you’re lovingly tending to will be focusing on you!
Stay tuned for Life with a Newborn next Thursday to learn about setting up a routine for yourself once you’re sleep-deprived from your newborn! Get more tips to make life easier at Works for Me Wednesday.
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My son had this when he was a baby and ended up having to get the surgery. Thankfully, it is outpatient surgery! :D
Please try this with your baby. It can’t hurt them. Both my daughter’s clogged tear ducts cleared up when I took them swimming in a chlorine pool. We went on vacation with my one year old last two years ago, and went home with clear eyes. My second daughter was born two years ago with a clogged tear duct, and it’s stayed clogged until two months ago. We did not get her eyes wet last year, she hated water on her face. This year, we went on vacation, she’s two now, and went home with clear eyes. She loved the water, and got her eyes good and wet over the course of a week. Her eyes have been unclogged and tear free ever since. It sounds crazy, but I believe it’s the chlorine pool water. It has to be! I was about to have surgery done on my youngest, and luckily we exposed her to chlorine water, and it cleared up. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that both my children’s eye problems cleared up when they were exposed to chlorine water. Try it! What could it hurt?