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WHAT CAUSES EYE INFECTIONS?

 

Eye infections can be triggered by a bacterial infection, viral infection or an allergy. Your child's eye will become noticeably inflamed and may have some discharge. Although most infections do not damage the eye, the infection can be very uncomfortable for your child.

 

• Babies may be born with an 1 eye infection caught from their mother during birth. Babies are also prone to eye infections because their defences are immature when they are first born. 
• Children often have eye infections, especially when they start to go to nursery or school. Infection, spreads easily between children because they are not very good at keeping their hands away from their eyes when they are infected. 

Your doctor may prescribe drops to clear the eye infection. Putting these drops into the eye will be easier if you hold your child steady on your lap. Looking into a mirror will help you guide the drops in.

 

WHEN TO CALL A DOCTOR

 

You should always take an eye infection seriously. Consult your  doctor if:

• The whites of his eyes are red.
• There is green or yellow pus in your child's eye.
• The eyelids are swollen and red. 

What your doctor will do.

 

If your baby is less than one month old, your  doctor will take swabs for common bacterial infections, such as staphylococcus, and less common ones, such as gonorrhoea or chlamydia. Your baby may be referred to an ophthalmogist for treatment.

 

• In babies over one month, your  doctor  may take a swab from your baby's eye and treat with antibiotic drops. 

TREATING EYE INFECTION

 

Washing the eyes

 

This is a useful technique in all babies at bathtime and any child with crusty eyes from a stye or conjunctivitis.  

1.  Take one cotton wool ball and soak it in cooled, boiled water. 

2.  Draw the cotton ball across the eye from the inner to the outer corner. Throw it away. 

3.  Use the next cotton wool ball to do the same thing with the other eye, drawing it from the nose  outwards.

 

Putting drops into the eye:  The best time to put drops in a baby's eye is when he is asleep. If you are having problems applying drops or ointment to your child's eye, try squeezing the liquid gently into the corner of the eye.  

1.  Sit your child on your lap with his back against your chest. 

2.  Put one of your arms across his arms and chest and hold him fairly tightly. Place the other hand across his forehead. 

3. Gently pull down the skin below the lower eyelid and squeeze the antibiotic into the lid ­you may find it easier to have somebody else to help you to do this. The antibiotic will melt into the eye as he closes it.

 

To prevent infection spreading from the eye, use a clean piece of cotton wool for each eye.  Wipes the towards from the inner corner

 

Eye infections in babies and children are quite common and, in most cases, can be treated by prescribed antibiotics at home. Here are the four main eye conditions that your baby or child may contract.

 

Sticky eyes

 

This is a very common problem in babies and is not usually due to infection, although parents often worry that it is. It happens because the tear duct is not fully formed in babies       

 

Sticky eyes affects newborns as their tear ducts are undeveloped. A discharge of yellow pus can stick the eye shut.

 

Symptoms:

• Pooling fluid in one or both eyes
• Overflow of tears
• Crusting around eyelids 

Treatment:

• Massage the eyes twice a day with a clean finger.
• Clean with cooled, boiled water.
• See the GP for antibiotics if there is a lot of discharge. If it is still a problem after one year the baby may need a small operation to probe the tear duct. 

Styes

 

This is an infection of the eyelash follicle, usually with staphylococcus bacteria.

 

Symptoms:

Small tender, red lump.

Discharges pus.

Develops rapidly

 

Treatment:

• Hot compresses applied to the stye will relieve the pain and draw out the pus. Pulling out the eyelash from the stye will allow the pus to drain out. 
• Styes usually resolve within two to three days, especially if the pus is allowed to drain out. Remember, if there's pus about, let it out. 
• If the stye does not seem to be settling down or the redness is spreading to the eyelids, antibiotics may be needed. These will be in the form of oral antibiotics because drops will not be as effective.
• Sometimes a sty needs surgical incision and drainage. 

Conjunctivitis

 

Inflammation of the conjunctiva, the white part of the eye, is the commonest reason for children to complain of uncomfortable, bloodshot eyes.

 

Bacterial symptoms:

• There is often a lot of yellow pus pouring from the eye.

• The eyes are often stuck together in the mornings when the child wakes up.
• Both eyes invariably will be affected.
• Vision is unaffected. 

Treatment:

• Antibiotic eye drops. Your GP will always advise you to use the antibiotics in both eyes regardless of whether the infection has reached the other eye. 

Viral symptoms:

• The child will often also have a cough or cold as well as the conjunctivitis.
• The eyes feel gritty, like there is sand in them.
• The discharge is watery.
• Lasts longer than a bacterial conjunctivitis. 

Treatment:

• The infection will settle with no treatment but sometimes needs steroid drops if intractable. These must be prescribed by a specialist. 

With conjunctivitis, the eyes may first become bloodshot and watery, followed by a build-up of discharge in the corner of the eyes. However, your child's vision should not be impaired by this condition.

 

Blepharitis

Blepharitis can be triggered by lice, a bacterial virus, dandruff or poor hygiene.

 

Symptoms:

• Inflamed, watery eyes.
• Warts on the eyelids.  

Treatment:

• Antibiotic ointment will clear a bacterial virus, and daily cleansing with a moistened cotton wool bud will get rid of scales and crusts.
• Warts can interfere with vision, so your child may be referred to a specialist for removal.
• Emollients such as E45 will soften the eyelid skin. 

For  More  Information:  Please  consult  your  physician  on  your  next  visit.