How to wash a newborn baby's eyes. Saline solution for rinsing. Here you can buy antiques of various subjects.

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?

In the first weeks of a baby’s life, suppuration often appears in the eyes

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. The nasolacrimal 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 is what dacryocystitis looks like in a baby of the first year of life

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.


After sleep, a child with conjunctivitis cannot open his eyes due to dried pus (see also:)

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 allergic reaction to an external stimulus or 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;
  • abundant 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?

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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 an allergic reaction, then treatment 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 (the leaves must be treated with boiling water before the procedure).

How should you care for a patient?


Newborns need to wash their eyes regularly

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 in the direction from 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.

The birth of a child in a family is an important and exciting event. But parents are not always fully prepared to expand their family. Small surprises lead to various missteps and can cause various diseases. It is impossible to completely protect a toddler from diseases. When the first signs of pathology appear, it is important to coordinate actions and correctly learn to cope with the first signs of the disease. But how to treat a newborn’s eye if it is festering will help you understand this

Indications for rinsing

There are several conditions in which a child needs to wash his eyes. Similar procedures are also carried out as preventive procedures on a daily basis.

So, the main indications for rinsing are:

  1. The appearance of the main signs of conjunctivitis.
  2. Increased amount of secretion from the eyes.
  3. Purulent or other discharge from the organs of vision.

A newborn's eyes are extremely sensitive to various influences, often the cause unpleasant symptoms are the following diseases:

  • conjunctivitis;

These diseases are most often diagnosed in children in the first year of life. But much depends on the nature of the inflammatory process. . In some cases, the baby becomes infected, pathogenic bacteria passing through birth canal mother.

In this case, this can lead to the development of persistent, difficult to respond drug effects eye infections. You need to be especially careful if they should be selected only by a doctor. It should be treated by an ophthalmologist. Since no rinsing in in this case will not help, antibiotic therapy is necessary.

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On video - the best means for washing baby's eyes:

As part of prevention

If the procedure is carried out within preventive measures, then it is carried out twice daily: in the morning and in the evening. This allows:

  1. Reduce the risk of developing infectious and inflammatory diseases.
  2. Clear the newborn's eyes of accumulated secretions.

The procedures are carried out using boiled water, gauze and a cotton pad. You just need to moisten a cotton pad in water and rinse the baby’s eye, moving from the inner to the outer corner (from the temple to the bridge of the nose).

Then remove the remaining liquid with a gauze napkin. Then you can move on to washing the other eye.

How and with what to rinse?

If the procedure is not preventive, but therapeutic in nature, then the following medications can be used as part of its implementation:

Chlorhexidine, like Miramistin- these are similar antiseptic agents; they will not harm the child. They are used if there are indications: inflammatory or infectious process organs of vision. Antiseptics have no serious contraindications; they do not need to be dissolved in water. You just need to apply the solution to a cotton pad and rinse the child’s eye, then remove all excess product with a gauze napkin.

Potassium permanganate is used with reluctance, since there is a high probability of damaging the mucous membrane. Can only be used weak solution. Add several crystals of potassium permanganate (2-3) to a glass of boiled water. So that the liquid becomes light, pink tint. This solution can be used to treat infants without any particular concerns.

Furacilin is safer than potassium permanganate. This small size tablets having yellow. They are bred in warm, boiled water. For a glass of water you will need only 1 tablet of Furacilin. The solution is cooled to room temperature, and then the procedure begins. You can store Furacilin solution in the refrigerator for 24 hours.

Hydrogen peroxide is considered powerful antiseptic, used to treat various diseases and treat wounds. Hydrogen peroxide stops the development of the inflammatory process.

You can purchase a ready-made solution of hydrogen peroxide at the pharmacy or prepare a product for treating the organs of vision yourself. To do this, you need to dissolve 1 tablet of Hydroperite in 1 glass of water.

Hydrogen peroxide is good to use for dacryocystitis, when purulent secretions accumulate in the ducts.

It is worth noting that the agents used to treat children must have a minimum concentration, in otherwise there is a high probability of causing damage to the mucous surface of the baby’s eyes (chemical burn).

But if antiseptics do not help, the inflammation actively progresses or is accompanied by the occurrence of other unpleasant symptoms: increased body temperature, fever, decreased appetite. It is urgent to show the baby to a doctor.

Folk recipes

Not wanting to “poison” the child with chemicals, many mothers prefer to wash their baby’s eyes not with medications, but with well-known means:


Chamomile infusion is good natural antiseptic, it helps stop the inflammatory process on early stage development. But in severe cases such treatment can only be used as a adjuvant therapy, due to low efficiency.

How to prepare chamomile infusion:

  • pour 10 g into a glass. dry raw materials;
  • pour 200 ml of boiling water over it;
  • let the medicine sit for 2 hours;
  • strain and use as directed.

On video - best recipe brewing chamomile:

The solution should not be too strong; its effectiveness can be enhanced by using the following herbs:

  1. Calendula.
  2. Oak bark.

Another method is to wash the child’s eyes with tea. Use strong tea It’s not worth it, it’s better to give preference to slightly golden tea leaves that were prepared not so long ago.

Tea brewing is not the best option, it is more advisable to use the usual mineral water without gas it will do more good.

They accumulate very quickly in tea pathogens, for this reason it is recommended to use the tea leaves immediately; it is not suitable for storage; you will have to prepare a new portion each time. And this medicine has no antiseptic effects, it simply calms and reduces the severity of unpleasant symptoms.

Can I use breast milk?

Breast milk has unique composition, it contains great amount vitamins and microelements. Mother's milk is indispensable for the baby, but it is an organic product.

That is, once it gets on the mucous membrane, it is not absorbed properly, is not processed, and therefore the benefit from it will be minimal.

It is better to leave breast milk for feeding the baby; it is not recommended to use it for the treatment of infectious or inflammatory eye diseases.

The only organic substance that can be instilled into the eyes is honey. Its use is justified because honey contains antiseptics. natural origin. Honey is bred boiled water, and then drop the solution into the eye. But this procedure is painful, for this reason it is not recommended for infants.

In addition, honey is strong and a newborn may develop various kinds allergic reactions.

Nominally, you can wash the eyes of a newborn with any antiseptics approved in pediatrics. But you should not experiment with drugs. A pediatrician should be involved in the treatment of children, and it is worth contacting him if certain problems arise.


The appearance of a baby in a family is not only great happiness, but also the beginning of a new stage in the life of young parents. From the moment the baby is born, they are responsible not only for themselves, but also for him. For the sake of the child’s health, mothers are ready to do anything to save him from suffering and eliminate the cause of anxiety. The main thing that needs to be mastered in the first months of a baby’s life is eye hygiene. Even the most minor infection can provoke the development of a serious disease in a fragile body.

Babies' eyes need special care from the first days of birth, regardless of whether he has suppuration or not. If this problem passed you by, use clean boiled water for rinsing. For processing you will need:

  • Cotton pads or tampons;
  • Sterile gauze;
  • A little boiled water in a pre-washed cup.

Examine the baby's eyes in the morning and evening, carry out treatment in the following sequence:

  • Wash your hands with soap or wear rubber gloves;
  • Wash each eye in turn, never reuse the cotton pad;
  • Movements should be light and gentle;
  • At the end of the procedure, wipe the eyes with a sterile gauze bandage.

At the same time, observe standard rules Adults should also practice hygiene to avoid the spread of allergies or viral diseases.

You will learn how to properly perform daily baby hygiene by watching the video.

How to wipe a newborn’s eyes, and how to do it correctly?

If the doctor did not prescribe you special medicines, boiled water can be used for washing. Chamomile solution and furatsilin have high antiseptic properties. The latter medication is the most popular among young mothers, and pediatricians also recommend it for eye hygiene. You can purchase a ready-made solution at a pharmacy or prepare it yourself.

While processing, move from the outer corner to the inner one. Usually pathogenic bacteria accumulate precisely in inner corner By moving in the opposite direction, you risk spreading the infection throughout the eye.

How to wash a newborn's eyes? Before the procedure, the baby should be swaddled so that he does not disturb his mother with his active movements. Under no circumstances carry out the treatment if the little one is sleeping, otherwise he will get scared. Do not use for eye hygiene wet wipes, even if they are labeled “antibacterial.”

Why is it so important to care for your baby's eyes?

Not only adults, but also newborn babies need to wash their face every morning. Since he is too young to carry out such a procedure on his own, this responsibility falls on the shoulders of the parents. During the day, it is necessary to wipe the child’s face and eyes several times, this will protect him from viruses and infectious diseases.

Why is daily treatment so important?

  • During the birth process, the baby passes through the birth canal, where it accumulates a large number of flora of various kinds. Since the infant has an undeveloped the immune system, then the “pests” attack the mucous membranes and provoke sepsis. Hygiene procedures protect the baby from germs;
  • A certain amount of proteins and lipids, as well as dust particles and lost hairs, accumulate in the tear duct during the day. If you ignore wiping, there is a high risk of the eyes becoming sour;
  • The baby's lacrimal glands, which are responsible for moisturizing the surface, are underdeveloped. eyeball. Therefore, it dries quickly and becomes sensitive to external stimuli. If not used special drugs, inflammatory processes will begin;
  • U premature babies obstruction often occurs tear ducts. As a result, discharge begins, which negatively affects the mucous membrane. You can get rid of the problem with daily massage and rubbing.


Prevention of eye inflammation in a newborn

There is a large number medical supplies And folk recipes that help prevent eye problems in infants. Before using any product, consult your pediatrician.

Treatment with Furacilin

Antibacterial drug – best friend mothers and their babies. It is a product for external use, effectively fights staphylococci, streptococci, coli etc. Sold in the form of tablets or ready-made solution. For newborn babies it is recommended to use pharmaceutical drug because it is sterile.

To prepare at home, take one tablet of the drug per 100 milliliters of water. Heat the liquid over low heat and bring to a boil. Add the crushed tablet and wait until it is completely dissolved. Strain the prepared product and wipe the eyes with sterile gauze. The maximum shelf life of the solution is one day.

Saline solution for rinsing

It is a weak solution of sodium chloride at a concentration of 0.9%. Everyone is familiar with this drug from an early age; it is used for droppers, diluting medications and treating the epidermis. Sold in almost every pharmacy.

The product has several undeniable advantages:

  • Affordable price;
  • Does not cause an allergic reaction;
  • Sold ready-made;
  • Effectively fights pathogenic microorganisms.

In pharmacies it can be found in the form of a large bottle or small plastic ampoules. To treat your baby's eyes, a couple of drops are enough; apply them to a cotton pad and wipe. The result is noticeable within a few days. The solution is safe for a child’s health; it is often used to remove debris or dust that accidentally gets into the eyes.

Phytotherapy

Decoctions and infusions of herbs are recommended to be used as aids in the fight against sepsis. It is worth remembering that ethnoscience powerless against inflammation caused by blockage tear ducts. But herbal medicine is effective in treating conjunctivitis.

Tea compress

The most popular “grandmother’s” way of dealing with suppuration. Eye compresses are prepared from strong black tea. They relieve irritation and calm delicate skin toddler. To prepare the composition, follow the following instructions:

  • Buy loose leaf black tea without flavoring;
  • Brew a strong drink and cool it to room temperature, let it brew for half an hour;
  • Strain the tea;
  • Soak cotton swabs in the liquid, wring them out and place them on your eyes. Leave for ten minutes.

If the baby gets scared and cries, then replace the compresses with twice-daily wiping until complete recovery.

Camomile tea

Chamomile infusion is an effective “fighter” against inflammatory processes. It can be used as prophylactic, to prevent souring and suppuration of the eyes. To prepare the infusion you will need:

  • Take 4 tbsp. dry chamomile (can be purchased at any pharmacy) and pour a glass of boiling water;
  • Leave for one hour for the flowers to infuse;
  • Strain the liquid.

Treat your child's eyes in the morning and evening while washing.

Calendula decoction

The plant helps stop the development of purulent sepsis. To prepare the infusion you need:

  • 1 tbsp. pour the flowers into a small saucepan and add 400 ml of water;
  • Cook for ten minutes, bring to a boil;
  • Strain the finished infusion and cool to room temperature.

The decoction is used to prepare compresses or as an eye wash.

General rules for the use of medicines

Any medication must be used with caution, especially in relation to a newborn baby. Careless handling of medications can lead to serious consequences, so pay close attention to the rules for using medications. Particular care should be taken when preparing a solution of potassium permanganate, better known under the “pseudonym” potassium permanganate:

  • A couple of crystals are enough for the composition; there is no need to pour half the bottle into water;
  • Before determining the strength, wait until the substance is completely dissolved;
  • The water should turn pale pink; at first glance, it seems almost transparent;
  • You can only wash your baby's eyes with a very weak solution.

Using potassium permanganate to treat children's eyes is a last resort; try other traditional medicine first.

The appearance of a long-awaited baby in a family is not only an incomparable joy, but also the beginning of a new stage when you bear full responsibility for the life and health of this little defenseless bundle of happiness.

Among the many tasks that you will face in the first months of a child’s life, a special place is occupied by the question of how to wash a newborn’s eyes in order to protect them. This is a necessary part of the daily toilet, which will help avoid the occurrence of many diseases and simply a feeling of discomfort.

General rules for washing

Your primary task as a mother is to take care not to give your newborn any infection. That is why you need to carefully monitor the cleanliness of your clothes and especially your hands, because most often the baby comes into contact with you. Your child's eyes should be washed at least once every day. It is best to do this in the morning, after a night's sleep. For rinsing you will need:

  • cotton pad or ball;
  • boiled water, cooled to a comfortable temperature for the eyes;
  • gauze napkin.

Even if you became a mother for the first time, do not be afraid, rinsing is not at all difficult. Just soak the cotton in boiled water and wipe the toddler’s eye in the direction from the outer corner of the eye to the inner. Remove any remaining moisture gauze pad. Repeat the procedure with the other eye.

The procedure can be repeated in the evening, before going to bed. Unfortunately, daily rinsing cannot always protect you from illness. Any infection or virus can lead to problems such as conjunctivitis or dacryocystitis.

Important! The water must be boiled; any bacteria that may be contained in running water is dangerous for a newborn baby. Also, do not forget to rinse each eye with separate cotton wool.

How to wash a newborn's eyes if they fester

Like the entire body of a newborn as a whole, the baby’s eyes are still completely defenseless against the outside world. There is no need to be alarmed if they suddenly begin to fester. The reason for this may be:

  1. infection in the eye due to poor hygiene;
  2. entry of a foreign body;
  3. conjunctivitis;
  4. dacryocystitis.

The health of your newborn is in your hands, so remember to wash your hands thoroughly every time you touch your baby. The same applies to all family members. It is very important that everyone understands the degree of responsibility for the health of the newborn.

If, for some reason, your baby’s eye begins to bother you, don’t panic, you need to take action right away. So, how to wipe a newborn’s eyes if they fester?

Know! Without consulting a doctor, it is best to start with the maximum simple remedies, for example, tea leaves.

Tea brewing seems to be the most harmless means of everything that is used to wash the eyes of newborns. However, we must not forget about caution here. Watch the temperature of the brew, it should be pleasantly warm. Also, don’t make it too strong; stick to the golden mean in everything.

  • furatsilin;
  • potassium permanganate.

General rules for the use of medicines

How to wash the eyes of a newborn with furatsilin? Just dilute one tablet in boiled water at room temperature. The resulting solution can be used for several eye washes, but you should not store it for more than a day.

Of course, you need to be careful with any medicine, especially when it comes to a newborn, but most of all, you should be careful with potassium permanganate.

Any negligence can lead to serious problems, so use it very carefully:

  1. Use only a weak solution of potassium permanganate, diluting a couple of crystals in boiled water;
  2. Be sure to wait until they are completely dissolved and only then determine the strength level;
  3. The water should turn a pale pink color, remaining almost clear;
  4. Only after making sure that the solution is very weak, start rinsing the newborn’s eyes;
  5. Leave the option of treating your baby's eyes with potassium permanganate as a last resort.

In addition to the methods listed above, you can use various decoctions.

For example, is it possible to wash the eyes of a newborn with chamomile? Of course you can, this plant has not only healing effect, but also soothing, which is especially important for eye irritation. At the same time, you don’t need to think that the stronger the solution, the more effective it is. Chamomile decoction should also be taken weakly, not forgetting how delicate the eyes of a newborn are.

What to do with dacryocystitis

If a child has been diagnosed with dacryocystitis, this means that his nasolacrimal passage is blocked and eye washes alone will not do. It is necessary to massage several times a day, which will help release accumulated pus.

The doctor will show you how to do it; there is no need to be amateur when it comes to the eyes of a newborn. Also rinse your eyes with a solution of furatsilin or potassium permanganate.

Eye wash for conjunctivitis

If a newborn has conjunctivitis, rinsing should be done every half hour. A solution of furatsilin or potassium permanganate, as well as levomecithin drops, is also suitable here. This disease Most often it is caused by a lack of proper hygiene. And if the child is overtaken by conjunctivitis, pay closer attention to the cleanliness of the hands of both your own and all household members when in contact with the child.

If you carefully monitor the hygiene of all adults in the family, then most likely you will not need anything other than simple boiled water to wash your eyes. However, no one is completely immune from viruses and infections, so you should be fully prepared if you notice that pus has begun to ooze from the eyes of your newborn.

You can learn many subtleties about caring for a newborn from the Healthy Child course >>>

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  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

  • A baby can get the causative agent of conjunctivitis during childbirth, passing through an infected birth canal (this can be 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 boric acid(1/2 teaspoon of powder per glass of boiled water), and if this product is not at hand, 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.