Well, the excitement associated with the discharge from the hospital is behind, and you and the baby are finally at home. Everything is new for a young mother. And, when she first encounters a problem, she starts to panic. One of such problems can become a sour eye in a newborn.
Causes of suppuration of the eyes of newborns
There are various causes that contribute to the disease of the eyes of newborns. The most common disease is conjunctivitis, which is divided into various types:
- bacterial;
- autoimmune;
- viral;
- allergic origin;
- caused by chlamydia.
The main signs of conjunctivitis are eye inflammation, watery eyes, redness, purulent discharge from the eyes of a newborn.
To the causes of this disease can be attributed to the entry into the body of bacteria streptococcus, staphylococcus, gonococcus, as well as influenza viruses, SARS, measles, herpes, adenovirus. The disease can be transmitted from a sick mother during childbirth, as well as when the medical staff does not comply with the rules of antiseptics.
Allergy to dust, odors, chemicals can also cause this disease and the signs here are similar to both viral and bacterial. Only the doctor can diagnose on the basis of laboratory tests.
Of all cases of eye diseases of newborns, 5% falls on a disease called dacryocystitis. What is behind this name? Dacryocystitis of newborns is the obstruction of the lacrimal canal, which occurs when at birth a film covering the tear duct is not torn with the first cry, as it should be normal. Because of the obstruction of the canal, the tear stagnates and an infection is attached to it.
Visually, it is possible to suspect dacryocystitis in a newborn if you observe that his eyes are constantly peeling, and with time the sourness of the eye begins. In most cases, only one eye is affected by this disease, whereas both are affected in infections.
In any case, it is necessary to show the baby to a child ophthalmologist who will prescribe to pass a bacterial culture of excretions from the eye of a newborn to an analysis to identify which bacteria are to blame for the disease and to which drugs they are sensitive.
Eye treatment in newborns
To medical measures, above all, is the proper care for the eyes of the newborn. Daily cleaning of the eyes of the newborn should be done only with clean hands. For each eye, you need to use a separate cotton swab. There are many preparations for treatment. This is furacilin, chamomile broth, boric acid solution and others. Your oculist will advise you, the better to wash the eyes of a newborn.
Treatment of dacryocystitis should be started as soon as possible. The more time passes, the more difficult the disease is to treat. At the initial stage, a tear duct massage is prescribed, which is carried out in the following way: first remove the pus from the eye with a cotton swab dipped in the furacilin solution from the outer edge of the eye to the inner one. Then, with a strong, jerky movement, use your index finger along the tear duct from the bottom up, as if squeezing its contents out to the corner of the eye. During the procedure, there may be a tear or even pus. After the massage, the antibacterial drops prescribed by the doctor are instilled. Drip for 10 to 14 days.
How to bury the eyes of a newborn?
It is convenient to instill a child's eyes with an assistant, but you can manage it yourself. For this, the baby needs to be wrapped, put on a flat surface. Fingers of one hand spread the eyelids, and in the formed pocket of the lower eyelid drop one drop of solution. Similarly, ointment is poured, with the help of a special tip of the tube.
Do not let the disease into its own right, do not engage in self-medication, because with the eyes of the joke are bad. Health to your kids!