Parenting Article:

Does Your Baby have 'Sticky' Eyes?

By: Cathryn Curtin

Babies often have 'sticky' or watery eyes. This may be in one eye or both. The best way to cleanse the eye is drop some normal saline or if breast feeding some breast milk into the eyes and swab (wiping from the inside of the eye out, once) with a cotton ball. Repeat this 4 times a day.

Cleanse with:

• Expressed breast milk -or-
• Normal saline – 1/4 teaspoon salt in 150mls cooled boiled water. Make clean solution every 24 hours.

Cleansing procedure:
Wash hands thoroughly before and after procedure.
Using clean cotton ball, dip into solution (or express some breast milk into the eye) and cleanse from the inside of eye (medial canthus) to outside of eye (lateral canthus) using one movement only, then discard cotton ball and repeat procedure again until eye clean.

If blocked lacrimal (tear) duct:
This may clear spontaneously in time.
Continue to cleanse eyes.

Consult Doctor if:

• Conjunctiva becomes red.
• Discharge becomes green - infected.
• Sticky eyes persist.
• Baby generally unwell.
• Amount of discharge increases.

Cathryn Curtin is a qualified nurse, midwife and maternal and child health nurse specialising in assisting women during pregnancy, birth and parenting.  She has over 32 years experience.  Cathryn saw the need for families to have one on one support due to early discharge from hospital and ongoing support during the first few years of parenting.

Cathryn and her team aim to provide individual care of the woman post birth. Cathryn's expertise is in breast feeding, sleep and settling, support to women with Post Natal Depression, general parenting, family coaching and support. Cathryn can be contacted for consultation on www.cathryncurtin.com.au or consulting@cathryncurtin.com.au.

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