Baby Eye Waters

My baby's one eye waters all the time and it has a lot of gunk in it when she wakes up. Is this normal or is it due to some infection? What should I do to cure her eye if something is wrong with it?

Find answers and comments below.

Find more Sick Baby Q&As and other Baby Tips here:

Comments for
Baby Eye Waters

Click here to add your own comments

Apr 18, 2009

Baby's Eye Waters
by: Baby Help Line

If her eye is watering all the time she may have allergies. The sticky stuff that is in her eye in the morning is just her eye cleaning itself out. You may want to check with your pediatrician about her eyes watering,she may need an allergy medicine. Many babies and young children have allergies to things and alot of them will out grow them. Hope your little one gets better soon.

Liz

Jun 08, 2009

Clogged tear duct
by: Anonymous

I know this is late for you But I'm going to answer anyway in case someone reads it and needs an answer. I had that happen with my baby and I've seen it with several others. What I learned it was is a clogged tear duct. It takes a few days to clear it up but you do it at home with a q-tip. Simply put a little lotion on a q-tip and rub the q-tip in upwards motions from the nose towards the inside corner of the eye. In If you can roll the q-tip as you do it, this is supposedly better. Do this several times a day and after a few days you should notice the watery eye and gunk going away and then completely gone. If you don't have q-tips use something small and smooth. A pinky finger with lotion would probably work. :) hope this helps. It did me.

Aug 23, 2011

Conjunctivitis (pink eye)
by: Paula (Baby Help Line)

Hi,

In addition, to allergy or a narrow tear duct, a watery eye can also indicate conjunctivitis or pink eye as it is also called. This an infection, usually caused by a virus and most often it clears without treatment.

Other symptoms are that the eye is red and uncomfortable to rub.

Pink eye is contagious, so it is important to try to limit the transfer of the virus or bacteria from one eye to the other. (Easier said than done with a little baby rubbing his eyes!)

But at least the parent can avoid touching both eyes with the same hand.

If you breastfeed, you have access to a very effective remedy; breast milk! Dropping breast milk into the irritated eye is often as good a medication as you can get from a doctor.

You can find an excellent description on how to administer the breast milk here (the second comment on the page).

If the conjunctivitis doesn't get better within a few days, if it gets a lot worse or if your baby is very uncomfortable, go see a doctor.

Hope this helps,

Paula