Souring the eyes of a newborn baby is a very common problem. But parents do not always pay attention to disturbing symptoms and attribute them to the immaturity of the organs of vision. The cause of the pathology can be very serious diseases. Therefore, you cannot postpone a visit to the doctor. If the newborn sour eyes, you need to find out the cause of this phenomenon as soon as possible and start timely treatment.
What are the symptoms?
The fact that the eyes of a newborn child turn sour becomes visible after it wakes up in the morning. At night, the baby’s eyes are resting, they are closed, there is no blinking, but certain processes occur inside. Therefore, mom can observe the following picture:
- The corner of the baby’s eye is covered with a yellow, grayish or brown crust or mucus.
- The baby cannot open its eyes on its own, as its eyelids are glued together.
- The child feels discomfort, but cannot consciously rub his eyes and open them. Therefore, he is annoyed, restless, and begins to cry.
- Souring can be removed by rubbing the eye, but after an hour it will appear again.
All these symptoms can only speak about it - an infection has settled inside the newborn’s eye. Yellowish and brown crusts indicate the presence of pus, which appears due to bacterial infection. The reasons for souring eyes in a baby can be different.
Main reasons
So, why does the newborn sour eyes? Most often, there are three main reasons:
- bacterial or viral conjunctivitis;
- dacryocystitis;
- Staphylococcus aureus.
Each of these diseases needs to be considered in more detail.
Staphylococcus aureus
This pathology can develop even in the hospital. The source of infection for the baby is the mother or medical staff. Immunity in a newborn baby is practically not developed, so bacteria, getting on the mucous membrane of the eye, begin to multiply rapidly. The main symptoms of Staphylococcus aureus are as follows:
- copious discharge of purulent contents from the eyes;
- photophobia;
- the formation of crusts in the corner of the eye.
To confirm the diagnosis, you need to undergo a certain examination. According to its results, the doctor will prescribe adequate treatment and give the mother recommendations for the care of the baby’s eyes.
Conjunctivitis
One of the most common causes of a sour eye in a newborn is conjunctivitis. It can be viral, bacterial or allergic. It depends on the nature of the inflammation and on the type of pathogen that has got on the mucous membrane of the eye. The baby may be infected during childbirth. This happens if the mother had a vaginal infection at that time. Therefore, before childbirth, you need to be examined and, if a pathology is detected, undergo the necessary therapy. In newborns, conjunctivitis can also develop as a result of a viral infection (influenza, SARS). Bacteria can also penetrate the baby’s sensitive mucosa due to poor eye care, foreign matter or dirt. The main symptoms of the pathology will be:
- photophobia;
- redness of the eyes and profuse lacrimation;
- purulent secretion;
- the formation of yellowish crusts in the morning and during the day.
A characteristic sign of conjunctivitis is a large accumulation of pus in the corners of the eyes. In the mornings, the baby cannot open its eyes. The overall well-being of the child worsens: he becomes lethargic, capricious, tearful.
Dacryocystitis
If the newborn's eyes become very sour, then the cause may be a serious disease of dacryocystitis. The main cause of the pathology is the non-opening of the lacrimal canal in the infant after birth. This is due to the fact that the newborn in the lacrimal canal has left embryonic tissue. As a result, tears cannot pass along the natural path and stagnate. This favors the growth of bacteria and the development of dacryocystitis. The most striking sign of the disease will be a strong redness of the lower eyelid of the child. A week after birth, pus begins to stand out from the baby’s eye. The remaining symptoms are similar to signs of conjunctivitis. An accurate diagnosis can only be made by a doctor after a full examination of the baby. If the root cause of dacryocystitis is not eliminated, the disease will progress.
Treatment
So, if the eyes of a newborn are soured, what should mom do? How to help your baby get rid of an unpleasant illness? First of all, you need to make an appointment with an ophthalmologist. He will prescribe the necessary tests and examinations, according to the results of which he will diagnose and prescribe the appropriate treatment.
The following medications can be prescribed for the treatment of sour eyes in a child:
- Antiseptics ("Furatsilin", "Miramistin") are used for antimicrobial treatment of the eye.
- Antiviral drops (for viral conjunctivitis). Most often, "Aktipol" is prescribed.
- Antiviral ointments ("Acyclovir").
- Drops and ointments with antibiotic effect (Phloxal, Tobrex, Albutsid, Levomycetin).
In no case should you self-medicate. The mucous membrane of the eye of a newborn baby is very sensitive. Not knowing the exact dosage and duration of the course of treatment, you can only harm the child and provoke various complications of the disease.
Wipe and instill medicine
If the newborn sour eyes, it must be treated with an antiseptic or other solution. The procedure must be carried out in the following sequence:
- Wash hands thoroughly and treat them with an antiseptic.
- Put the baby on his back in front of him (it is better to swaddle him).
- To process the eyes with a solution from the outer eye to the inner. Wipe your eyes with a clean swab. It can be used only once. Each eye has its own cotton swab or disk.
- Then you need to quietly push the lower eyelid and squeeze out a little medicine (drip drops).
- Give the baby time to blink a little, so that the medicine is distributed inside the eye.
- The remnants of the drug must be carefully removed with a napkin or a clean cotton pad.
If the medicine is stored in the refrigerator, then before use it should be held briefly in your hand to warm it. All mother's actions should be neat and calm. How to wipe the eyes of the newborn, if they turn sour, which drug and for how long to use, tell the children's doctor.
Homeopathy
This category of medicines is considered safe, because in their production using natural components. But not always homeopathy can help get rid of the pathology. So, diseases of the eyes of a newborn caused by a bacterial infection should be treated only with antibiotics. Homeopathic remedies in this case are prescribed in order to strengthen the immune forces of the baby's body.
In case of viral eye diseases, homeopathic drops of Okulokheel are prescribed. They have anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects. In case of allergic conjunctivitis, the use of the drug "Euphrasia" is possible. You can also wipe the eyes with solutions based on medicinal herbs: strings, calendula, chamomile. The rationality of use, the method of preparation and dosage will be determined by the attending physician. Do not treat homeopathy as a panacea. Sometimes it is better to completely cure the disease with an antibiotic than to muffle it with a homeopathic remedy.
Massage
Dacryocystitis disease requires a special treatment approach. If the eyes are sour in newborns, what should I do? Feedback from experienced specialists suggests that the most important method of therapy is massage. To do this, at the appointment, the ophthalmologist will show her mother simple movements that she can independently perform at home. The index finger should be placed in the corner of the eye near the nose and apply pressure. It should not be strong, but noticeable enough to pierce the gelatin plug that fills the channel. Then the finger must be jerked along the nose. The procedure is repeated several times. Mom should carefully monitor her efforts so as not to damage the septum of the baby’s nose. The main condition for performing massage for the newborn is short-cropped nails and clean hands of the mother. Before the procedure, the eyes need to be wiped with an antiseptic solution, and after that - drip the drops that the doctor prescribed.
Surgery for dacryocystitis
When with a dacryocystitis a newborn's eyes turn sour, how to treat a baby if massage does not help? In this case, the baby will be done bougieurage. This is an surgical intervention, which involves breaking the lacrimal canal mechanically with a probe. This is a simple operation, although it is considered surgical. Before the operation, the baby will be anesthetized with local anesthesia. For this, special drops are instilled into his nose. One probe is used to expand the lacrimal canal, and the other to pierce it. After the procedure is completed, the canal is washed with a disinfectant solution and the problem is forgotten forever.
So, there may be several reasons for the sour eyes in a newborn. This pathology can not be ignored. But before starting treatment, it is necessary to undergo an examination and establish an accurate diagnosis. This will help the pediatrician and children's ophthalmologist.