What should you know about conjunctivitis in infants treatment?

A sticky eye may result from conjunctivitis, a blocked tear duct, irritation, or another eye problem. Viral inflammation may improve with supportive care, while allergy or irritation needs the trigger addressed. Antibiotic treatment may be prescribed for selected bacterial infections, but antibiotics do not treat viruses and should not be started from an old prescription.

A clinician considers the infant's age, one-eye or two-eye involvement, redness, discharge, swelling, general health and recent illness. Newborns and babies who seem unwell deserve particularly prompt assessment.

Clean your hands and gently remove discharge with a fresh sterile pad and clean water as advised. If medicine is prescribed, follow the label and the clinician's instructions. Keep the bottle or tube tip from touching the lashes or eye, and do not share it with another person. Finish or stop treatment only according to the advice given.

A GP consultation can confirm whether medicine is needed and demonstrate how to give it. Do not place home remedies, breast milk, saliva or non-prescribed eye products in the eye. Keep the infant's towels and face cloths separate while an infectious cause is being considered.

Seek urgent care if the baby has marked eyelid swelling, a cloudy eye, significant light sensitivity, trouble opening the eye, fever, poor feeding, unusual sleepiness, or redness spreading around the eye. Contact a clinician promptly if symptoms worsen, discharge becomes heavy, or there is no clear improvement after the advised treatment.

Ask what cause is being treated, how to position the baby, and how to give drops or ointment without touching the eye. Confirm the dose and schedule, what to do if a dose is missed, how to store the medicine, and when the eye should be rechecked.