Sour eyes in newborns: possible causes and treatments

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Sour eye in a newborn baby is a very common problem. But parents do not always pay attention to alarming symptoms and attribute them to the immaturity of the organs of vision. The cause of the pathology can be very serious diseases. Therefore, it is impossible to postpone a visit to the doctor. If a newborn has a sour eye, you need to find out the cause of this phenomenon as soon as possible and start timely treatment.

What the symptoms say

What sour eyes in a newborn baby becomes visible after he wakes up in the morning. At night, the baby's eyes rest, they are closed, there is no blinking, but certain processes take place inside. Therefore, mother can observe the following picture:

• The corner of a baby's eye is covered with a yellow, grayish or brown crust or mucus.
• Baby can't open his eyes on his own, sohow his eyelids are glued together.
• The child feels discomfort, but cannot consciously rub his eyes and open them. Therefore, he is irritated, restless and starts crying.
• Souring can be removed by wiping the eye, but after an hour it will appear again.

All these symptoms can only speak of 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 why the eyes of a baby turn sour may be different.

Main reasons

So, why do the eyes of a newborn turn sour? 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 mother or medical staff becomes the source of infection for the baby. Immunity in a newborn baby is practically not developed, therefore, bacteria, falling on the mucous membrane of the eye, begin to multiply rapidly. The main symptoms of Staphylococcus aureus are:

• profuse discharge of purulent contents from the eyes;
• photophobia;
• Crusting at the corner of the eye.

To confirm the diagnosis, it is necessary to undergo a certain examination. According to its results, the doctor will prescribe adequate treatment and give the mother recommendations onbaby eye care.

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 entered the mucous membrane of the eye. The baby can be infected during childbirth. This happens if the mother at that time had a vaginal infection. Therefore, before childbirth, it is necessary to be examined and, if a pathology is detected, undergo the necessary therapy. In newborn babies, conjunctivitis can also develop as a result of a viral infection (influenza, SARS). Also, bacteria can penetrate the sensitive mucous membrane of the baby due to poor eye care, foreign objects or dirt. The main symptoms of the pathology will be:

• photophobia;
• red eyes and profuse watery eyes;
• excretion of purulent secretion;
• formation of yellowish crusts in the morning and throughout the day.

A characteristic sign of conjunctivitis is a large accumulation of pus in the corners of the eyes. In the morning, the baby cannot open his eyes. The general well-being of the child worsens: he becomes lethargic, capricious, whiny.

Dacryocystitis

If a newborn has a very sour eye, then the cause may be a serious disease dacryocystitis. The main cause of the pathology is the non-disclosure of the lacrimal canal in an infant after birth. This is due to the fact that the newborn has a lacrimalcanal remained embryonic tissue. As a result, tears cannot flow through their natural path and become stagnant. This favors the growth of bacteria and the development of dacryocystitis. The most striking sign of the disease will be a strong reddening of the lower eyelid of the child. A week after birth, pus begins to stand out from the baby's eye. The rest of the symptoms are similar to those of conjunctivitis. Only a doctor can make an accurate diagnosis after a complete examination of the baby. If the underlying cause of dacryocystitis is not addressed, the disease will progress.

Treatment

So, if the eye of a newborn turns sour, what should mom do? How to help a child 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, based on the results of which he will make a diagnosis and prescribe the appropriate treatment.

The following medications may be prescribed to treat sore eyes in a child:

• Antiseptics ("Furacilin", "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 ("Floxal", "Tobrex", "Albucid", "Levomycetin").

In no case should you self-medicate. The mucous membrane of the eye of a newborn baby is very sensitive. Notknowing the exact dosage and duration of the course of treatment, you can only harm the child and provoke various complications of the disease.

Rubbing and instillation of medicine

If a newborn's eye turns sour, it must be treated with an antiseptic or other solution. The procedure must be carried out in the following sequence:

• Wash your hands thoroughly and sanitize them.
• Put the baby on his back in front of you (better to swaddle him).
• Treat the eyes with a solution from the outer eye to the inner. Wipe your eyes with a clean swab. It can only be used once. Each eye has its own cotton swab or disk.
• Then you need to gently move the lower eyelid and squeeze out a little medicine (drop drops).
• Give the baby time to blink a little so that the medicine is distributed inside the eye.
• Remains of the drug should be carefully removed with a tissue or a clean cotton pad.

If the medicine is stored in the refrigerator, then before use, you should hold it briefly in your hand to warm it. All actions of the mother should be neat and calm. How to wipe the eyes of a newborn, if they turn sour, what drug and how long to use, the pediatrician will tell.

Homeopathy

This category of medicines is considered safe, since natural ingredients are used in their production. But not always homeopathy can help get rid of pathology. Yes, eye disease.a newborn caused by a bacterial infection should be treated with antibiotics only. Homeopathic remedies in this case are prescribed to strengthen the immune forces of the baby's body.

In case of viral eye diseases, homeopathic drops "Okulocheel" are prescribed. They have anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects. With allergic conjunctivitis, the use of the drug "Euphrase" is possible. You can also wipe your eyes with solutions based on medicinal herbs: succession, calendula, chamomile. The rationale for use, 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 a disease with an antibiotic than to numb it with a homeopathic remedy.

Massage

Dacryocystitis disease requires a special approach to treatment. If the eyes turn sour in newborns, what should I do? Feedback from experienced professionals suggests that massage is becoming the most important method of therapy. To do this, at the appointment, the ophthalmologist will show the mother simple movements that she can completely independently perform at home. The index finger should be placed in the area of the corner of the eye near the bridge of the nose and apply pressure. It should not be strong, but noticeable enough to break through the gelatin plug that filled the channel. Then the finger must be shifted along the nose with a jerky movement. The procedure is repeated several times. Mom should carefully control her efforts so as not to damage the baby's nasal septum. chiefthe condition for performing a massage to a newborn is short-cut nails and clean hands of the mother. Before the procedure, the eyes should be wiped with an antiseptic solution, and after that, the drops prescribed by the doctor should be dripped.

Surgical intervention for dacryocystitis

When a newborn's eyes turn sour with dacryocystitis, how to treat a baby if massage does not help? In this case, the baby will be bougienage. This is an operative intervention, which involves breaking through the lacrimal canal mechanically using a probe. This is a simple operation, although it is considered surgical. Before the operation, the baby will be anesthetized with local anesthesia. To do this, special drops are dripped 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 why a newborn's eyes turn sour. This pathology should not be ignored. But before starting treatment, it is necessary to undergo an examination and establish an accurate diagnosis. A pediatrician and a pediatric ophthalmologist will help with this.