Sticky Eyes

My baby’s eyes are really gooey and I am wondering how much I should be worried.

Eye infections transmitted to the baby during the birth process used to be a major cause of blindness. For this reason, most babies are routinely given eye ointment at birth, and this has all but eradicated this problem. However, it will leave the baby’s eyes smeary for a day or two.

If the eyes continue to be sticky after the first few days, the baby may have blocked tear ducts. This is a common problem usually accompanied by a pale discharge especially noticeable when the baby has just woken. You should clean the eyes regularly with cotton wool and water which has been boiled and cooled. Use each piece of cotton wool once only, and wipe the eye from the inside corner towards the outside. Use a fresh piece of cotton wool for each wipe. It is not uncommon for the stickiness to appear only in one eye. Some doctors also recommend using a drop of breast milk on the cotton wool instead of water.

Gently massaging the nose right next to the eye can help to solve the problem. This should generally clear up on its own over time but do keep a close eye on the problem, and if the discharge seems to be increasing or become discoloured rather than pale yellow, you should not hesitate to see the doctor.