What should you know about conjunctivitis in infants?

An infant's eye may become red, watery, puffy or sticky. Discharge can collect on the lashes, especially after sleep. A blocked tear duct can also cause watering or crusting without inflammation of the eye surface, while infection may cause more redness and swelling. A baby cannot describe pain or light sensitivity, so watch for crying in bright light, keeping the eye closed, rubbing the face, or unusual irritability.

The appearance does not reliably identify the cause. Age, recent illness, exposure to someone with an eye infection, and whether one or both eyes are involved all help a clinician decide what to do.

Wash your hands before and after touching the baby's face. Use cooled boiled water or clean water as advised by a clinician and a fresh sterile pad to wipe discharge gently from the nose-side corner outward. Use a new pad for each wipe and each eye. Keep towels and face cloths separate, and wash them regularly.

Do not put breast milk, saliva, adult eye drops, or leftover antibiotics in the eye. Do not force the eyelids open. Arrange a GP consultation for advice about an infant's red or sticky eye, particularly if the baby is very young or symptoms are not settling.

Seek urgent medical advice if the eyelids become very swollen, the eye looks cloudy, the baby cannot open it, light seems painful, or the baby is unusually sleepy or difficult to settle. Get prompt help for fever, poor feeding, fewer wet nappies, breathing difficulty, or redness spreading around the eye. A red or swollen eye in a newborn needs timely clinical assessment.

Ask whether the findings fit conjunctivitis or a blocked tear duct, how often to clean the eye, and whether siblings or caregivers need extra precautions. Ask which treatment is appropriate, how to give it without touching the eye with the tube, and which changes require same-day review.