How to treat a baby's eye. So that the baby doesn't get sick. Daily eye care for newborns

Date: 12/21/2015

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• Daily morning toilet for a newborn - eye rinsing
  • Caring for your baby's eyes if there is discharge of pus
  • Care for the eyes of a newborn with dacryocystitis
  • How to care for your eyes after probing?

With the birth of a baby, new worries and troubles arise. Many young mothers are interested in the question: what does a newborn need? After all, a baby's eyes require special care.

Often after birth (on the 2-3rd day), the baby’s eyelids may begin to stick together and the corners of the eyes may fester. An eye infection can be acquired during childbirth. However, young parents immediately panic and begin to think that their baby is sick. Sometimes parents never find an answer to the question of what eye disease the child has, since the disease may not exist, and the newborn’s eyes simply adapt to the new world.

Daily morning toilet for a newborn - eye rinsing

Before starting the baby's morning toilet, the mother should wash her hands cleanly with soap to avoid infection. Before starting a newborn, it is necessary to assess their general condition. Healthy eyes have clean eyelids, and when the baby blinks, they move without difficulty. If the baby’s eyes still fester, then it is necessary to consult a specialist to rule out any disease, for example, dacryocystitis. After the organs of vision have been examined, you can begin rinsing.

For this you will need:

• cotton pads or balls;
• boiled water, cooled to room temperature;
• gauze napkin.

Once you are armed with the necessary items, start wiping your eyes with a cotton pad or swab dipped in boiled water. The procedure must be done from outer corner to the inner. After completing the procedure, blot your eyes with a gauze napkin.

But remember, each organ of vision needs a separate cotton pad or ball.

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Caring for your baby's eyes if there is discharge of pus

If in the first days of life the baby’s eyes fester, then the doctor prescribes eye drops based on antibiotics. Already at home, after being discharged from maternity ward, you can treat purulent eyes with a 2% solution boric acid. For this, 1 tsp. boric acid is dissolved in a glass of boiled water. It is necessary to properly treat the organs of vision, from ears to nose.

You can replace boric acid weak solution potassium permanganate. The solution becomes slightly pink; the potassium permanganate crystals must completely dissolve, otherwise the baby may get burned. You can also care for the eyes of a newborn with the help of furatsilin. To do this, you need to dissolve one tablet in a glass of boiled water. If a child has daily eye rinsing for a long time don't pass purulent discharge, then this may be a signal of the development of a disease such as dacryocystitis.

The birth of a child is a joyful event in every family and at the same time it is very exciting. The arrival of a newborn comes with a huge responsibility for new parents, who must learn completely new skills related to caring for their baby.

A special place in the daily to-do list is occupied by hygiene procedures, in particular, caring for the eyes of a newborn, which requires certain knowledge and skills. Practical experience comes with time and the main thing is not to be nervous, not to worry, to do everything carefully, gently, delicately and treat this as a normal daily procedure on which the comfort and cleanliness of a defenseless child depends.

If there are no problems on the mucous membrane of the baby’s eyes, then caring for the eyes will not be such a difficult undertaking. The procedure is carried out daily in the morning and evening time. To wash a newborn's eyes, you will need the following supplies:

• cotton pads or cotton balls;
• water container;
• gauze napkin;
• boiled water at room temperature.

To carry out this procedure you need to prepare at least 4 cotton pads, boil and cool water to room temperature. It is best to place the child on the changing table, so the procedure will be most comfortable and convenient to perform. A couple more cotton pads or gauze wipes will be needed to blot excess water from your eyes.

It is necessary to use different cotton pads for each child's eye. This also applies to washing and wiping.

How to care for your newborn's eyes

A newborn's eyes need daily and careful care. To wash your eyes, use regular boiled water or saline, no special decoctions or solutions need to be prepared.

When a child blinks, everything that might have accumulated on the surface of the eye is independently removed.

After long sleep, small white balls may appear in the corners of the eye, which many parents mistake for purulent discharge. In fact, this is an accumulation of ordinary mucus, which does not pose any danger to the health of the newborn.

It is necessary to wipe the eyes of a newborn in the direction from outer to inner corner. After the mother has prepared everything necessary, you can proceed directly to the procedure. The algorithm of actions looks approximately as follows:

• cotton pads are dipped in water cooled to room temperature and lightly wrung out to keep the pads moist;
• With wet discs in the direction from the ears to the nose, light movements are made over the baby’s eyes, removing everything that has accumulated;
• You can wash each eye separately or both eyes simultaneously, using different cotton pads for each;
• If after the procedure the baby’s eyes remain wet, they must be carefully blotted with dry pads or gauze napkins, also using a separate product for each eye.

All actions performed should be carried out without effort, and the mother should remain calm and confident.

Also, every mother needs to monitor her own hygiene and cleanliness when she is with infant. Many common infectious diseases, which can affect the eyes of a newborn, are caused by ordinary dust or dirty hands, on which many pathogenic microorganisms may be present.

Mom must learn a simple rule: before starting hygiene procedures or just take your baby in your arms, you need to wash your hands thoroughly with soap.

This must be done regardless of whether the mother went outside or picked up any objects or things, because germs can be anywhere, for example, on the door handle to the children's room. Also you need to cut your nails short, especially in the first time of a newborn’s life. Nails can very easily injure the delicate baby skin or injure the baby’s mucous membranes.

What to do if your baby's eyes are infected

In many newborns, approximately on the 3rd day after birth, pus begins to accumulate in the eyes and the eyelids stick together. This is one that very often appears after childbirth. The disease is not considered complex and does not have any impact negative influence on the baby's vision and can be easily treated with special drops with an antibiotic that any pediatrician can prescribe. However, treatment should be carried out in mandatory to stop the spread of infection.

Usually in in this case you will need frequent washing (every half hour) with a solution of furatsilin or potassium permanganate. After washing the eyes, it is necessary to instill a solution of sodium sulfacyl (10-30%), 1-2 drops into each eye.

After approximately 3 days of treatment, all symptoms should disappear. However, parents should remember that drops must be placed in both eyes, even if only one is festering. This can prevent the infection from spreading to the healthy eye.

There are cases when the infection, even with appropriate treatment, does not go away or even begins to develop. Also, the appearance of pus may resume a few days after treatment. Sometimes purulent discharge is accompanied by lacrimation, which indicates. In these cases, you should consult an ophthalmologist. Self-medication in this case is contraindicated.

Do not forget that it does not replace the procedure of washing the eyes. It must be performed daily, at least 2 times a day. It will be possible to cancel it only when the baby begins to bathe like an adult and the eyes will be washed on their own.

The structure of a newborn's eyes is the same as that of an adult. Their only difference is small size all structures. It should be remembered that in the first days of life a newborn does not fix his gaze and may even cross his eyes.

However, there is no need to worry, the functions of the organ of vision are simply imperfect, but by the end of the first week the duration of interest in the surrounding world is growing.

Buy a mobile phone or a couple of bright toys that will attract your baby's attention.

How to care for the eyes of a newborn?

Rubbing

To the frequently asked question of how to wash a child’s eyes, there is only one answer - they are not washed, but wiped.

Eye care is carried out daily morning and evening. It is not necessary a large number of warm (but not hot) boiled water, two cotton balls (separately for each eye) and a dry cloth or towel.

Pour boiled water into some container where your hand can fit freely.

It's better if it's a bowl. Wash your hands. Place your newborn baby on a flat surface. Take one cotton ball, moisten it with water, squeeze it out lightly (it should be damp, not wet).

Lightly rub the child's eye from the outer to the inner corner of the eye. The used cotton ball must be thrown away immediately to avoid accidental confusion. Repeat the procedure with the second eye.

The following is strictly prohibited: washing a newborn’s eyes with tea, unboiled water, or instilling various substances created according to recipes traditional medicine, wash your eyes with chamomile and a decoction of other medicinal herbs, independently (without consulting a doctor) drip antibacterial and/or other eye drops.

Children are not experimental material. Any action, even an absolutely innocent one, can lead to serious consequences.

The use of alcohol-based tinctures in infants is contraindicated for two reasons:

• there is a possibility of drying out without that delicate skin, as a result of which cracks and their secondary infection may occur;
• If alcohol gets on the conjunctiva, a chemical burn of the cornea and conjunctiva that is difficult to treat can develop.

It should be remembered that you should not wipe the edges of the eyelids with a solution of potassium permanganate. The entry of potassium permanganate crystals and/or solution into the conjunctival cavity leads to chemical burn with the formation of conjunctival adhesions.

Dripping breast milk into your eyes is also not a good idea. In the conjunctival cavity of each person there is its own healthy microflora(it can be unique for each eye). Its main task is to prevent the development infectious process, becoming the first barrier of protection.

Breast milk, which contains lysozyme, washes away such necessary microorganisms and, being an ideal breeding ground for bacteria, involuntarily stimulates the development of the inflammatory process.

However, you shouldn’t worry if your baby gets into his or her eye during feeding. a small amount of milk, since it is insignificant and will not cause undesirable consequences.

Antibacterial agents

If your child’s eyes become inflamed, a large number of crusts appear on the eyelashes, there is discharge, itching or redness, you should immediately contact an ophthalmologist. Self-administration of medications in this case is not permissible.

In case there is inflammatory process, the baby will be assigned antibacterial drugs. The most commonly prescribed drug is Tobrex, active substance which is an aminoglycoside antibiotic.

Be careful, as the drug is similar to Tobradex, the use of which is not recommended for children under 1 year of age due to the fact that, in addition to the antibiotic, it contains a corticosteroid (hormonal component).

However, in severe infectious lesions when the risk adverse reactions lower than the possible death of the organ, taking the drug is justified. Do not use traditional medicine advice.

If the child has indications for rinsing the lacrimal ducts or conjunctival cavity, this will be done by an ophthalmologist or a specially trained nurse.

Instillation of drops

If you need to use eye drops, you should wash your hands and prepare cotton balls. Place the newborn on a flat surface. Take a cotton ball in one hand and a bottle of drops in the other. Thumb Hands with a cotton ball, pull down the lower eyelid, drop drops into the eye. Blot with a dry cotton ball towards the inner corner of the eye.

The used cotton ball should be thrown away so as not to inadvertently rub it on the other eye. If possible, only one drop should be applied. If it turns out that you dropped more, then don’t worry. More than one drop, roughly speaking, “is not absorbed by the eye.”

If your child has been prescribed eye ointment, then the algorithm of actions is the same, except that instead of drops it is necessary to add ointment. If everything is done correctly, the ointment disappears under the eyelid when you release it.

Remember proper care behind the eyes of a newborn will allow your baby to see all the beauty of the world!

1. sticking together of eyelids in the morning;
2. swelling of the eyelids;
3. films may form between the upper and lower eyelids, which are easily removed;
4. education yellow crusts on eyelids;
5. photophobia - the baby squints in the light, worries, cries;
6. tear-suppuration;
7. when retracting the lower eyelid, swelling of the conjunctiva and redness are visible.

Forms of the disease

Depending on the causes and characteristics of the course of the disease, the following main groups are distinguished from a wide variety of conjunctivitis:

• Bacterial. Epidemic conjunctivitis is caused by the so-called Koch-Wicks bacillus. This conjunctivitis affects most children, that is, it causes epidemics. A baby can become infected with this disease from older children. Bacterial conjunctivitis can also be caused by staphylococci, pneumococci, streptococci, gonococci, diphtheria and measles pathogens. The last two conjunctivitis do not occur in isolation, accompanying the underlying disease.
• Viral. Such conjunctivitis can be caused by various viruses, including adenovirus (this virus causes adenovirus infection in adults - a banal acute respiratory infection) and the herpes virus.
• Caused by chlamydia - tiny bacteria that live inside human cells. These microorganisms infect various systems and organs.
• Allergic. Such conjunctivitis can occur due to an allergic reaction to some irritants: pollen, dust, odors - and is expressed by redness of the eyelids and severe itching.

With the bacterial form of conjunctivitis, both eyes are usually infected; the disease is accompanied by copious secretion of mucus and pus. The viral form usually affects one eye and is accompanied by tearfulness and light discharge. Both of these forms of the disease are highly contagious and are easily transmitted through contact with a sick person.

Routes of infection

• The baby can get the causative agent of conjunctivitis during childbirth, passing through infected birth canal(this can be either a viral or bacterial infection).
• Another route of infection is airborne, when an adult patient, for example, with an acute respiratory viral infection or a sore throat, releases the pathogen when sneezing, coughing, or breathing. In this case, droplets of saliva and phlegm can get into the baby’s eyes.
• Contact path transmission occurs due to lack of care. If an adult who performs various manipulations with a baby or even just decides to touch a child’s finger does not wash his hands before doing so, then the bacteria on the hands can get into the child’s eyes and cause illness. The likelihood of infection is especially high from an adult with various pustular skin lesions.

What to do?

If changes are detected in the child’s eyes, you should immediately contact eye doctor or a pediatrician. IN as a last resort If this is impossible for some reason, you can provide first aid to the child yourself.

It is necessary to clean the eyes every 1-2 hours during the day: remove crusts from the eyelids with a cotton swab moistened with a warm 2% solution of boric acid (1/2 teaspoon of powder per glass of boiled water), and if this is not at hand means, then warm boiled water.

Eyes can be washed with a strong solution of tea leaves. If the baby cannot open his eyes because a lot of pus has accumulated on the eyelids, then you can rinse the eyes with warm chamomile infusion. To do this, pour 2 teaspoons of chamomile with a quarter cup of boiling water. Cover with a lid and let sit for 5 minutes, then strain and rinse your eyes with a special cotton pad.

How to wash your child's eyes

Dampen a cotton pad (it is better to use a cotton pad rather than cotton swab, since a tampon can leave fibers on the mucous membrane of the eye, which further injures it and can increase inflammation) in warm boiled water or a prepared solution and in one motion, starting from the outer corner to the inner, rinse the eye. Change the cotton pad and gently wash the other eye in the same way.

How to apply drops

• Hold your baby so that his head is slightly tilted back. Gently pull down the lower eyelid.
• Draw up the medicine in advance, then quickly drop the product into the outer corner of the lower eyelid.

To avoid spreading infection, never touch the eye dropper to the affected eye.

You should not use any ointments or drops without consulting a doctor. The use of antibiotics can cause the pathogen-bacterium to become addictive, and then it will be more difficult to cope with the disease. Skin damage and allergies may also occur.

If necessary, the doctor will prescribe medications for the treatment of diseases accompanied by conjunctivitis (measles, diphtheria, etc.).

The baby needs to change his bed linen daily. If this is possible, then you need to swaddle him with his hands, since the baby rubs his eyes with his hands and the inflammation easily passes from one eye to the other.

So that the baby doesn't get sick

Prevention of conjunctivitis consists of following the rules of hygiene: you should not touch the baby’s eyes with unwashed hands, especially you need to make sure that older children do not do this. The child's underwear, bed linen, and all care items must be separate and always clean.

We remind you once again that you should not rely on folk or long-tested remedies for inflammation of the conjunctiva - you should definitely consult a doctor to find out what caused this conjunctivitis. Do not forget that inflammation of the mucous membrane of the eyes can lead to serious consequences, and advanced conjunctivitis, especially in infancy, can cause undesirable consequences for vision.

In the first weeks of a baby’s life, suppuration often appears in his eyes. Parents panic, but there is no need to worry - when quick help and stopping the spread of infection there is no danger to the child. What causes the eyes to fester, how can you help the baby, is it possible to prevent this phenomenon and why you should not wipe your eyes breast milk?

Causes of eye suppuration in children

The main cause of suppuration is exposure to infections. The newborn’s body is still too weak and unable to resist pathogenic microflora. Noso tear duct, which suffers first, is finally formed only by the fortieth week of life.

That's not all - the baby's tears do not contain lysozyme, which ensures development local immunity and resistance to bacteria. Without it, penetration and development of infection is a matter of time, and the eye will become inflamed. Additional factors speakers:

• adaptation of the child to extrauterine life;
• the body's reaction to Albucid instilled into a newborn in the maternity hospital;
• conjunctivitis (more details in the article:);
• dacryocystitis.

The diseases indicated in the last paragraphs of the list can lead to severe consequences in future. To prevent them, it is enough to provide timely treatment under the supervision of a doctor, as well as take care of the visual organs of a month-old baby.

Characteristic signs of dacryocystitis

This disease occurs due to. This situation is possible due to the delayed release of the original lubricant, which clogs the canal, as well as due to congenital pathologies, leading to a narrowing of its lumen. TO characteristic symptoms Dacryocystitis includes:

• discharge of pus (white or yellow purulent masses);
• increased lacrimation;
• red eyes that the child tries to wipe.

Sometimes the disease is expressed in blueness of the eyelids combined with swelling. Unlike some others ophthalmological diseases, dacryocystitis goes away only when the lacrimal canal is completely cleared and restores its functionality.

What is conjunctivitis?

This disease is divided into two types: infectious and non-infectious. The first develops due to penetration pathogenic microorganisms, for example, chlamydia and the causative agent of gonorrhea. This happens when the baby passes through the birth canal of an infected mother. Also, the disease occurs after birth due to contact with carriers of the infection.

The non-infectious form of the disease occurs due to contact with the eyes. foreign objects. Most often they turn out to be some kind of fine particles or dust, but sometimes the eye festers as a result of contact with chemical compounds. In addition, the disease develops due to an allergic reaction to external stimulus or a drug.

Symptoms of blenorrhea

Blennorea is a complicated type of conjunctivitis, expressed in profuse suppuration (see also:). The causative agent of the disease is gonococcus. In this case, at first the disease occurs as ordinary conjunctivitis, and then characteristic symptoms appear:

• swelling and redness of the eyelids;
• profuse purulent discharge after the eye is severely inflamed;
• the appearance of follicles and folds on the eyelids;
• thickening of the eyelids, sometimes so severe that it is difficult for children to open their eyes.

The disease usually affects one eyeball, but quickly spreads to both eyes. At timely treatment the disease leaves no traces.

If therapy was carried out late or with errors, then scarring is possible.

How to help a baby if his eye is festering?

This article talks about typical ways to solve your issues, but each case is unique! If you want to find out from me how to solve your particular problem, ask your question. It's fast and free!

Start without consulting a doctor complex therapy it is forbidden. This can lead to complications, and best case scenario treatment simply will not be effective. The specialist will evaluate the features of the causes of suppuration, identify the exact etymology, after which, taking into account individual characteristics baby, prescribe a therapeutic course and recommend the necessary care.

Drug treatment

The basis drug therapy consists of destroying the causative agent of the disease or suppressing the allergic reaction. All medications should be prescribed only by a doctor; independent choice is contraindicated. TO necessary medications relate:

• antibiotic-based rinse solution;
• antibacterial drops;
• antiherpetic ointments;
• immunomodulators (they do not eliminate the disease, but strengthen the body’s condition, which is necessary for a speedy recovery).

If the cause of suppuration is allergic reaction, then an appointment is required antihistamines. Among the most effective doctors isolated Tavegil, Suprastin, Fenkoral. The once popular Fenistil should be taken with caution - despite its speed, it has a number of side effects and contraindications.

Massage of the tear duct

This method of getting rid of the disease consists of a mechanical effect on the lacrimal canal, which helps push out plugs from it and restore patency (more details in the article:). The procedure, although not complicated, is responsible - everything in a newborn baby is very small and delicate, and careless movements can damage the eye or canal. The massage is performed like this:

• we look for the lacrimal sac in the corner of the eye, which is festering (it resembles a tubercle);
• place it on it forefinger towards the inner eye;
• Use the pad of your finger to press the tubercle with pushing movements;
• After the procedure, we wash the eye with a solution of chamomile or Furacilin (we recommend reading:).

You can do no more than 15 pushes in one approach. If pus is actively released from the child’s eye, then massage can only be done with sterile cotton wool. It will not be superfluous to make additional movements from the inner eye to the tip of the nose - this is necessary to break the embryonic film.

Traditional medicine at home

Let us immediately make a reservation that it is impossible to treat this disease with conspiracies. Their effectiveness has not been proven by science, time will be lost, and this is fraught with complications.

Nevertheless, folk remedies fight against the disease exist. Among them:

• washing the eyes with a weak tea solution 4 times a day;
• rubbing the eyes with a decoction of chamomile and sage flowers in succession three times a day (rinse with caution, as there is a risk of allergies);
• instilling a decoction of plantain leaves (before the procedure, the leaves must be treated with boiling water).

How should you care for a patient?

First of all, you should protect your baby as much as possible from contact with dust and possible sources of infection and regularly wipe your eyes. To do this, pets must be removed from the premises. You also need to do it regularly wet cleaning at home - this not only helps eliminate allergens and bacteria, but also removes dust.

During active suppuration, the newborn may experience additional unpleasant symptoms:

• temperature increase;
• headache;
• sleep disorders;
• poor appetite;
• nasal discharge.

The child cannot report this, so monitor his behavior. If he cries often, you should show him to a doctor and take measures to relieve the symptoms. The pediatrician will advise you on specific products and how to properly carry out the treatment.

Prevent the development of eye diseases

Most inflammations can be easily resolved with regular eye cleaning. This is done twice a day. You will need a bandage or tampon. The material is wetted in water, and the eye is rubbed from the outer corner to the inner. Disinfectant solutions are not needed for this; boiled water will do at home. Chamomile may also be helpful. Remember that the most dangerous period- the first month after birth.