Eye discharge in a 7-month-old baby

A small amount of dried discharge after sleep can be cleaned at home, but redness, swelling, pain, fever, or a baby who seems unwell deserves medical assessment.

A narrow or blocked tear duct can leave one eye watery and sticky, often without marked redness of the white of the eye. Conjunctivitis can cause discharge with redness and may affect one or both eyes. Itching and watering are features of allergic conjunctivitis, although infection and irritation can look similar in a baby.

The colour alone cannot identify the cause. A clinician considers whether the eyelids are swollen, whether the eye surface is red, how long the problem has lasted, and whether the baby has cold symptoms or fever.

Wash your hands, then soften crusts with clean gauze or cotton dampened with cooled boiled water. Wipe gently from the inner corner outward, use a fresh piece for each pass, and use separate materials for each eye. Wash your hands again afterward.

Do not put breast milk, herbal products, leftover drops, or another person's medicine in the eye. Avoid forcing the eyelids apart. If discharge keeps returning, arrange an examination so treatment can match the cause; antibiotic drops do not help every type of eye discharge.

Seek urgent care if the eye is injured, very painful, difficult to open, unusually sensitive to light, or if the clear front of the eye looks cloudy. Rapidly increasing eyelid swelling, redness spreading around the eye, trouble moving the eye, repeated vomiting, unusual sleepiness, poor feeding, or breathing difficulty also need prompt assessment.

Contact a clinician soon for fever, thick discharge that quickly returns after cleaning, worsening redness, or symptoms that are not settling. A baby with reduced wet nappies or who is less responsive than usual should be assessed without delay.

Ask whether the pattern fits a blocked tear duct, infection, allergy, or irritation; whether any prescribed drops are suitable for this age; how to apply them; and what change should trigger another review. Bring a list of products already used and mention contact with anyone who has red or sticky eyes.