As your little darling enters your world, there are a whole lot of issues that may make you apprehensive during those first few days. You start worrying for even the minutest problem and run to your doctor to make sure everything is fine and normal as far as your baby is concerned. One of the most common issue that most newborns face is sticky eyes. It manifests itself in the form of yellow or white discharge which is seen in the innermost corner of your baby’s eyes . It may appear quite flaky or crusty when the little one is sleeping. it is quite a normal phenomenon for newborns and as mother you need not panic if you discover that your little one has developed sticky eyes. Keep on reading to know more on this.

Causes Of Sticky Eyes In Babies

Sticky eyes are very common in babies. This normally occurs when the tear ducts of the eyes get blocked with skin cells of amniotic fluids. The discharge is quite sticky and results in the eyelids getting stuck together. Usually this is not a very serious issue and can actually be cured with home remedies. It normally emerges within a day from birth. Normally this is caused due to a bacterial infection but some of the main culprits of a blocked tear duct include:

• Nose polyps: Suppose your baby’s nose has sustained any kind of injury, the tear duct can get blocked by scar tissue
• Congenital conditions : Your baby may have a blocked tear duct during birth itself
• Severe infection in the nose: Your little one may have a case of severe sinusitis that results in scar formation thereby blocking the tear duct
• Conjunctivitis: An infection of the conjunctiva can trigger an inflammation and at times lead to the blockage of the tear duct

Signs You Should Look For

If you find that your newborn baby has developed sticky eyes, you should be on the lookout of the following symptoms:

• If there is some kind of inflammation or mild infection which results in redness of the eyeball
• You baby has developed conjunctivitis and is constantly rubbing his eyes
• You should speak to your doctor who would prescribe antibiotic eye drops
• Make sure you wash your hands before putting the drops into your baby’s eyes to prevent the infection for spreading any further

Simple Home Remedies To Treat Sticky Eyes In Babies

Here are some of the most common and simple remedies that normally help to clear this sticky eyes in babies as soon as possible:

• Wipe your little one’s eyes with a damp cotton ball to get rid of the sticky formation that gathers in the corner of the baby’s eyes. Ensure you use cool and sterile water for the same
• Ensure you use a different cotton pad for each eye so that cross contamination can be averted
• Remember to turn the little one’s head to one side while wiping so that the excess water does not trickle to the other eye
• Bathing the eye with saline water is also recommended in order to keep the eye clean
• Ask your doctor whether it would be a good idea to massage the little one’s tear duct few times on a daily basis
• Use slight pressure on the nose while massaging that will aid to clear the block and even help in development of the duct

Choose care at home only if:

• Your little baby has sticky eyes
• The eyeballs of your baby are white and healthy
• Your little one is mostly not troubled by their sticky eyes

When To Visit The Doctor?

In most cases, home remedies can cure this issue but sometimes the problem gets quite severe and then you may need to visit the doctor for the same. Some of the reasons to consult your doctor immediately are:

• If you discover the discharge getting worse with no improvement
• Suppose the discharge begins turning yellow or green in color
• You discover irritation or redness in your baby’s eyes
• Any kind of swelling develops in the eye
• When you discover that your baby does not seem to like opening his eyes
• It seems like the light is hurting the little one’s eyes
• If the baby seems to be rubbing the eyes and is in discomfort
• The eye or eyelid structure does not seem right

The above mentioned signs indicate an infection of some kind in which case you need to rush your new born to the doctor as they can prescribe antibiotic ointments to cure the same. These drops mostly take care of the problem within a couple of days.

How To Prevent Sticky Eyes In Infants

If your baby is born with blocked tear ducts, there isn’t much you can do to prevent sticky eyes. In most cases, the ducts start opening and begin to normally drain after few months of your baby’s birth. In worst case if the eye ducts don’t open on their own, your doctor may recommend you speaking to an eye specialist. The specialist may do a procedure where a fine probe is inserted into the tear duct to open it up. This procedure is done once your baby has turned a year old.
So go ahead and try out the tested remedies before taking the little one to the doctor as in most cases, the sticky eye problem in babies disappears within a few weeks or even in a few days. But please remember that anything you do to ease your baby from sticky eyes , make sure to consult your doctor to know what is right and what is not.
If any of you mommies have experienced this problem with your babies, don’t forget to share how you dealt with it in the comments section below.