All young mothers should be aware that a newborn child should not have tears in the norm. As a rule, tears begin to develop in children only by the third month of life. Therefore, increased lachrymation of the eyes in a child should cause anxiety in parents and encourage prompt treatment of a pediatrician or a children's ophthalmologist.
Why are the eyes watering the newborn?
One of the most common causes of this manifestation in children in the first weeks of life is the impassability of lacrimal canals . At the time of life in the womb of the mother, the outlet of the tear duct is closed with a thin gelatinous film, which at the time of birth must burst. However, if this does not happen and the film remains, the patency of the tear ducts is broken and tears begin to accumulate.
Another cause of tearing eyes in a newborn baby may be conjunctivitis. This disease in infants is rare, but if it occurs, it is most likely that the infection occurred during childbirth, while passing through the birth canal. With bacterial conjunctivitis, baby's eyes begin to turn sour and after sleep, from sticky discharge, it becomes impossible to open them. In addition to bacteria, the cause of this disease can also become viruses or allergies. With viral conjunctivitis, in addition to strong lacrimal discharge, the child usually has swelling of the eyelids. Also, a sore eye can cause a burning sensation in the child. The baby becomes sensitive to light, whimsical and whiny. As for conjunctivitis of an allergic nature, its obvious manifestations are swelling, increased tearing of the eyes, and also a feeling of itching. This disease can be caused by the hair of domestic animals or household chemicals.
Of course, tearing of the eyes, as one of the symptoms of manifestation, can occur with a common cold. It is easy to distinguish from other diseases, as it often begins with a sore throat, sneezing, runny nose and stuffy nose.
In addition, the appearance of tears in a baby can be caused by a foreign object falling into the eye or trauma, which the child could inflict on his own.
How to treat tearing of the eyes?
If you notice that the newborn is watered by one or both eyes, urgent consultation of the children's ophthalmologist is necessary. Only a qualified specialist will be able to determine the true cause of this manifestation and prescribe appropriate treatment. Perhaps this will be the usual rinsing of the eye or massage, and perhaps more radical measures will be needed - probing the lacrimal nasal canal .