Pink eye or conjunctivitis is very common among babies. Your child’s eyes are red and runny. One of the most frequent eye infections in children and adults is pink eye. Despite the fact that pink eye in babies is painful and very infectious, it usually will not bring about any complications.
Even newborns are susceptible to pink eye as they have blocked tear ducts and low immunity and they can get exposed to bacteria which is normally present in the birth canal during vaginal birth. Here’s all you need to know everything about pink eye in babies.
In This Article
- What Is Pink Eye In Babies?
- How Common Is Pink Eye In Babies?
- What Causes Pink Eye In Babies?
- How Contagious Is Pink Eye?
- What Are The Symptoms Of Pink Eye In Babies?
- How Is Pink Eye In Babies Treated?
- How Is Pink Eye In Newborns Prevented?
- What Can I Do To Prevent My Baby From Getting Pinkeye?
- When Should You Consider To See A Doctor?
- FAQ’s
What Is Pink Eye In Babies?
In both babies and adults, the inner side of the eyelids and the white of the eyes are lined with a transparent membrane called the conjunctiva. The infection or inflammation of the conjunctiva, which can be caused by microbes or mechanical irritation, is called conjunctivitis. The blood vessels in the eyes will become more visible when they get inflamed. This gives the characteristic red or pink color to the white part of the eye. Hence the name pink eye.
How Common Is Pink Eye In Babies?
Pinkeye mostly affects babies above three-month as they have a low immune system. Sometimes newborns can also get it during vaginal birth. Babies are likely to touch their eyes every now and then and are therefore more susceptible to getting pink eye. The infection generally begins in one eye, and then eventually spreads to the other eye too.
What Causes Pink Eye In Babies?
The pinkeye in babies is caused by
- Bacteria
- Viruses that cause the common cold.
- Allergic conditions like hay fever
- Allergens like dust, pollen, and animal dander
- Pollutants like smoke or fumes or chemicals in the air
- If chlorine water or soap gets into the eyes, it can irritate the conjunctiva causing pinkeye in babies.
- Twenty percent of babies are born with blocked tear ducts. The blockage gives rise to symptoms similar to conjunctivitis.
How Contagious Is Pink Eye?
Apart from the causes mentioned above, bacterial and viral pink eye is highly contagious. The baby will get bacterial and viral pinkeye if
- An infected person suffering from conjunctivitis happens to touch the baby
- You mistakenly clean your baby’s eye with something used by the infected person like a towel, handkerchief or a tissue
- Contaminated water and beddings
- Coughing and sneezing of an infected person
What Are The Symptoms Of Pink Eye In Babies?
The symptoms of pinkeye in babies vary
- If the eyes are pinkish or reddish in color, watering, and have greenish or yellow discharge, it is an indication that the baby is having pinkeye due to viral or bacterial infection.
- If the eyes are pinkish or reddish in color, watering, and itchy followed by a runny, itchy, or stuffy nose, it is an indication that the baby is having pinkeye due to an allergy.
Other symptoms include
- Swelling of eyelids
- Discharge from the eye sticks the eyelids together and causes difficulty to open the eyes after the baby wakes up from a nap
- Irritation in the eyes
How Is Pink Eye In Babies Treated?
The treatment of pink eyes in babies depends on the type of pink eye that has affected your baby:
Treating Bacterial Conjunctivitis
- The pediatrician will prescribe an antibiotic ointment or antibiotic eye drops.
- Ensure you finish the whole course, which usually lasts seven days, even if the symptoms disappear.
- Wash your hand thoroughly before applying the medicine.
- Your baby’s eyes are extremely sensitive. Never share or use old medicines. Old medicines are not sterile and can worsen the infection.
- If you’re using eye drops, target to put them in the inside corner of your baby’s eye. This is the easiest way to do it when your baby’s eye is shut.
- Wash your baby’s eye with warm water and remove the dried crusty discharge before applying the drops or ointment. This will make the medicine more effective.
- Gently clean the eyelids with a cotton cloth dipped in warm water every morning so that the baby can open the eyes without much difficulty.
- A warm compress can be comforting in this situation. Soak a clean cloth in warm water and apply it to your baby’s eye.
Treating Viral Conjunctivitis
Viral conjunctivitis usually disappears on its own. As the antibiotic drops have no effect on viral conjunctivitis, all the above-mentioned measures other than drops and ointment will help to alleviate the irritation and ensure fast relief.
Treating Allergic Conjunctivitis
- The first step is to identify the allergen and keep the baby away from the allergen
- Cool compress is excellent in getting relief from allergic conjunctivitis. Put a cotton cloth dipped in ice water above the eye
Conjunctivitis Due To Blocked Tear Duct
As we already mentioned, twenty per cent of babies are born with blocked tear ducts. Massaging gently the corner of the eye near the nose will help to unblock the tear duct.
Breast milk is excellent in treating all types of conjunctivitis. Putting a few drops of expressed breast milk on the affected eye several times a day will help clear any discharge and treat a mild infection or prevent it from worsening.
How Is Pink Eye In Newborns Prevented?
A newborn has an increased chance of getting pinkeye, especially during a vaginal birth as they are exposed to the bacteria in the birth canal. Both the normal bacteria and the bacteria that are present in the birth canal, if the mother suffers from any infection or sexually transmitted diseases, can cause pink eye in newborn babies.
To prevent this, immediately after the delivery, the doctor will apply antibiotic ointment or eye drops. However, this can give rise to chemical conjunctivitis as the chemicals in antibacterial eye drops or ointment irritates the conjunctiva. This is relatively harmless and will disappear within 36 hrs.
What Can I Do To Prevent My Baby From Getting Pinkeye?
A hundred per cent prevention is impossible. But there are some measures you can take to reduce the chances of your baby getting pinkeye.
- Wash baby’s cloth in warm soapy water.
- Don’t mix the clothes of the baby with other members of the family.
- Never allow any visitors in your house to touch your baby without washing their hands.
- Don’t share towels, pillowcases, or bedding with other members of the family.
- Never take your baby outdoors when there is smoke or smog in the atmosphere.
- Avoid the things that can cause an allergy in your baby.
When Should You Consider To See A Doctor?
If treated, the pink eye should clear up in three to five days; if untreated (for example, due to a virus), it might take up to two weeks. It’s important to have your child’s physician assess any illness that lasts longer than expected. Also, if your infant or young child has trouble seeing, is overly sensitive to light (particularly indoor light), or has red, watery eyes, you should take her to the baby eye specialist immediately away.
We hope this article will help you to deal well with this situation. If you have any suggestions or home remedies to deal with pinkeye in babies, please feel free to share them with us in the comments section below.
FAQ’s
1. How Can You Tell If Pink Eye Is Viral Or Bacterial?
Viral pink eye often begins in one eye after a cold or respiratory illness and results in watery discharge. Bacterial pink eye may affect one or both eyes and is most often caused by a respiratory or ear infection. The discharge of bacterial pink eye is usually thick and causes the eyes to stay together.
2. What Is The Difference Between An Eye Infection And Pink Eye?
Pink eye is an inflammation or infection of the transparent membrane (conjunctiva) that lines and covers your eyeball’s white region. Eye infections may occur in a variety of locations of the eye and can affect one or both eyes.
3. What Does Beginning Pink Eye Look Like?
Viral conjunctivitis often starts with a rapid onset of discomfort or a sensation of particles in the eye. Bacterial conjunctivitis causes burning, itching, a grittiness feeling, and minor pain or discomfort in the eye.
4. Can Breast Milk Cure Eye Infections?
There is inadequate data to support the use of breast milk to treat eye infections in babies. Breast milk, on the other hand, seems to be safe and beneficial in treating bacterial eye infections and clogged tear ducts.
5. Can A Cold Cause Pink Eye?
Conjunctivitis may be caused by either bacteria or viruses, and it often comes on in tandem with the common cold or other signs of a respiratory illness, such as a sore throat.
