baby w/pink eye

[4daughters]

Just wondering after the baby turned 2 weeks she has what looks like conjuctivitis in one of her eyes. (sticky gooy yellow stuff) Could she have gotten it from being born in the tub? I've been cleaning it with distilled water and breast milk. Any other recommendations? I don't want to do the antibiotic oinment if I don't have to.

[MarineMommy]

Hi!!
First let me say congrats. I saw your birth pics and they were spectacular!!!!

I don't think baby has pink eye. I think she may have a clogged tear duct.

My best friends babies all had the same thing when they were newborns. The docs never gave her the antibiotic ointment for it. I would keep up with cleaning it and the breastmilk and wait it out. Some babies have it for a long time!!!

Take care!!

Katie

[4daughters]

Thanks Katie!

[RedHen4]

My 4th baby had a clogged tear duct, too. Hers lasted for several months, but did eventually clear up on its own as well. My doctor said the majority clear by themselves within 1 year; if not, then it may require a quick procedure to open it up. Just wanted to let you know that it's not really something to worry about, but it probably will not clear up quickly.

[bryonyvaughn]

Originally Posted by 4daughters

Just wondering after the baby turned 2 weeks she has what looks like conjuctivitis in one of her eyes. (sticky gooy yellow stuff) Could she have gotten it from being born in the tub? I've been cleaning it with distilled water and breast milk. Any other recommendations? I don't want to do the antibiotic oinment if I don't have to.

I wouldn't recommend putting distilled water in the eye. It dilutes balanced saline concentration of the tears.

Except for one, all the cases of newborn eye infection I've seen have cleared up with simply a squirt of BM in the eye before and after every feeding. The only one that needed something more cleared up right away with the indicated homeopathic remedy. In that case it was Kali bichromicum. Kali-bi is noted for it's ropy secretions. If you try to remove the eye goop and it stretches out a bit like pizza cheese, Kali-bi is the remedy for you. Pulsatilla also has thick, gooey, yellow or green secretions. With a gentle touch those normally wipe away easily. If the BM doesn't clear it up and neither of those remedies seem to fit, post back a detailed description of the baby's mood/temperament and the discharge, how they change throughout the day and I can post about the most likely relevant remedies.

Enjoy your fresh little babe.

~BV

[aran]

nak

ds2 had this... it was a clogged duct. ped suggested a very gentle massage using my pinky finger in the duct area every day. cleared up by maybe 5 weeks for ds2.

[woodstar]

i have heard that washing the eyes with johnson's baby shampoo will help...i dont know though. my babe definitely had pink eye at about 1 week old (i had it while i was in labor)....and it cleared up on its on. we did use some saline solution drops, like the kind you use when you wear contacts, and wash with baby shampoo. ditto on the massaging to clear up clogged duct.

[cheeseRjedi]

My DD had a clogged tear duct too. I freaked out when we woke up one day when she was maybe a week or two old and her eye was crusted shut!! It cleared up after some breastmilk squirts in her eye (very gently of course, no shooting streams or anything ) and some gentle massaging of the area with my pinky finger.

Good luck and congrats!

[anudi01]

had this too...

We had this too, with my DD. I did the breast milk and gentle massage, but I tell you, I actually was massaging too soft. I got a little confident or annoyed one day, and applied a little more pressure, and sure enough that popped it and it was cleared totally by the next day. I can't describe how hard, I just know that when/after I did it, I thought about it like applying firm pressure to a pimple (except of course not squeezing, just pressing).

HTH.

[StacyL]

My newborn had this too, and I just squirted breastmilk in his eyes, but I never touched them. Cleared right up.

[starbarrett]

yup, breastmilk. Magic stuff, that.