Baby Crying Without Tears

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Baby Crying Without Tears

by Danielle
(PA)

My baby cries but no tears appear; what is wrong?

Is something wrong with his eyes? They don't seem unusual in anyways, but it can't be normal for a baby to not have tears, or can it?

Find answers and comments below.

Baby Help Line Response:

Hi Danielle!

How old is your baby? Although babies do produce tears right from the start, the quantities are so small in the beginning that they go unnoticed. It can actually take several months before a baby cries with "real" tears.

Unless your baby has other problems with his/her eyes for example if they are very red, dry or seem to be infected, this is not something to worry about.

Hope this helps!

Paula

The information provided on this site is not intended nor recommended as a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care professional regarding any medical condition or treatment. Nothing contained on this site is intended to be used for medical diagnosis or treatment.

Comments for
Baby Crying Without Tears

Click here to add your own comments

Jul 02, 2008

Baby Crying Without Tears Comment
by: Debbi

Hi, Danielle,
As a mother of six, I only had one infant that did not make tears naturally and eventually had to have his tear ducts opened.
Sometimes at birth a small, thin flap of skin covers the area where tears drop from our eyes.
The tear ducts will often open on their own between birth and one year of age.
I understand that there is usually not a major concern if the tear ducts are not open, unless the baby has reached his or her one year birthday without tear production or if there is infection, swelling, or fever associated with the tear duct area.
Debbi

Aug 25, 2009

Crying no tears
by: Anonymous

My toddler is 17 months old and still cries no tears. He has no eye infections or redness. He has been hurt a few times where his cry was "the hurt" cry.. and still no tears.

Aug 05, 2010

No tears
by: Cheree

We have just been to the eye dr as my 18 month old still hasn't had tears. Apparently it isn't a problem as his eyes still have moisture. He may not ever have tears which seems a little sad but it won't cause him any harm.

Aug 25, 2010

My son has the same condition
by: Anonymous

Hi Danielle,

I am glad to hear that your doctor said it was normal as long as your 18 months old had his eyes moisturized. I have a 3 year old and he does not have tears either and the doctor told me the same thing. I feel relief that my son is not the only one in that situation

Dec 22, 2010

no emotional tears
by: Amber

This is the first time I've even seen a reference of any sort to this. My daughter is nearly 4 years old and has never made a tear in response to emotion. They don't so much as even glisten, no puffiness, no redness - like they are simply not connected. Her ducts are fine, she has never had issues with dry eyes or flushing foreign bodies. Her doctors have never heard of this and it has remained a curiosity. We go to see a neurologist next month for an unrelated issue, I plan to bring this up just to see if they have any info at all. If we find anything out at all I'll let y'all know...

Feb 22, 2011

Baby without tears
by: Elena

hi, my name is Elena. i have a child almost 3 years old, and i've never seen his tears.Doctor said that is normal but i'm still worrying.

Jun 14, 2011

the same with my boy
by: Elena B.

My baby is 9 months old and still no tears. He had a conjunctivitis a month ago, but it healed quickly (he caught it from daddy). I'm seeing a new doctor in a few days, hope to find good news.

Jan 23, 2012

Toddler with no tears NEW
by: Anonymous

My daughter is almost 3 and she also has never shed a tear. Her eyes don't get glassy or even get puffy. I took her to the eye doctor and they seemed shocked and told me to bring her back in 6 months. She has never had an infection in her eyes and has never had morning crust. They seem to be moist. It just seems very odd that when she is hurt or sad she doesnt shed a tear. She is my 5th child and this is new to me. Her ped also said not to be concerned yet. But as a mother its hard not to worry.

Feb 03, 2012

Tearless crying NEW
by: Anonymous

Hi my name is Stephanie. After I noticed my son wasn't crying tears after age 1 I took him in. The local eye dr wasn't concerned but I knew it wasn't right and went with my gut to have it checked further. By the time we got to the pediatric specialist he said had it been left uncared for he'd have probably been blind by the time he was in high school or at least partially. He immediately placed plugs in the lower lids to keep what moisture he does make from draining. Contemplating doing the upper lids. This is very rare, hard to find anything on it. He calls it congenital alacrima but my son is perfectly healthy other than he doesn't cry tears. He's now 3 years old and we go every 6 months to make sure his eyes aren't to dry and the plugs are still there and working. But please push it, don't settle for "that's interesting but he'll be ok" because had I, my son would be paying the price later on in life.

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