My 9 Week Old Has Gunky Eyes

HI! I too share your philosophy about antibiotics/doctors. The warm compress with circular masssage may help. Also, if you are breastfeeding you can try to squirt some of your milk into the tear duct and nasal passages. Breastmilk is packed with all sorts of antibodies and if it is infection this may help. I know it sounds really bizarre but it work with my son anytime he had a cold/infection in his sinuses. My husband thought I was wacko (and yours may too), but it's worth a try and totally harmless!! Good luck. Let us know how it turns out!
K.

try expressing breastmilk into his eyes...breastmilk is amazing and also can help with ear infections. good luck:)

My mom raised 11 kids using this method, and told me her mother and grandmother did the same. Your child's urine is sterile, and contains uric acid that will kill bacteria. My mom swears by wiping out a childs eyes with their own urine, they used to use cloth diapers, and when the diaper was changed, they would take a corner of the wet diaper and gently wipe around the rim of the infants eyes. we still use this for pink eye, it is much more effective than antibiotic ointments.

I agree. And unless it is green, I would hang tough. My three year old had gunky eyes for many weeks when he came home. I remember thinking how gross newborns were, and no one told me, but until now I didn't even realize that wasn't normal. I am sure that he will grow out of it soon. I am the same way with anti biotics and am happy to say that at three he has had two doses of pennicillin for an "earinfection". Which if you can tell by my tone of writing confirms your original intention which is if its green call the docs, but if not warm wash cloth and lots or tlc, he will be fine.

Iannjesse,

You are definately right when you say that doctors over-prescribe antibiotic.

I'm a Health & Wellness Advisor NOT a doctor and I don't know why he has gunky eyes.

My son had one eye that was gunky, he was diagnosed with a plugged tear duct, which was cleared surgically and everything was fine afterwards.

If you need to do an antibiotic...Please look into a beneficial micro-flora product, called Optiflora. This will help to break that antibiotic cycle.

One thing the doctors or lists of side effects will NOT tell you is...that all antibiotics are designed to kill bacteria (Anti means against life). The problem arises in that the antibiotic cannot differentiate between the good and bad bacteria. When you stop taking the antibiotic, your body as no good bacteria available to fight off another infection - so you get sick again and the doctor prescribes a stronger antibiotic the next time...and so the cycle begins.

Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium bifidum, are called probiotics. Probiotic bacteria favorably alter the intestinal microflora balance, inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria, promote good digestion, boost immune function, and increase resistance to infection. Individuals with flourishing intestinal colonies of beneficial bacteria are better equipped to fight the growth of disease-causing bacteria.

So how can you be assured that your little will have a good supply of the beneficial bacteria available when she finishes the antibiotic? There are many different brands of beneficial bacteria products. Most require refrigeration and need to be taken on an empty stomach. Most manufacturers do however state on the label so many live bacteria' at time of manufacture'.

Over 70% of our immune cells reside in the colon area - so it doesn't matter how many are alive 'at time of manufacture'. The only thing that really matters is how many live bacteria actually make it to the colon.

I only know of ONE brand that dose NOT require refrigeration, can be taken on an empty or full stomach...AND Guarantees that 500 Million live bacteria will actually make it to the colon. Please see results of a University Study of randomly selected microflora products & tested for the amount of ‘ACTIVE’ Bacteria found in each ---

"At the time of manufacture" Label Claims
vs Micro Analysis RESULTS:

ON LABEL - WHEN TESTED
Brand 1 2 Billion - NONE

Brand 2 100 Million - 1,500 only

Brand 3 250 Billion - 30 Million

Brand 4 1 Million - NONE

Brand 5 500 Million - 500 Million Shaklee

Shaklee QUARANTEES live bacteria Delivered TO the GUT - colon

OBVIOUSLY the Body WILL ONLY Benefit from
What gets Delivered to the Intestines.

The name of this product is Optiflora, clinically proven to get results. You can find out more about this product and other Shaklee products at http://www.shaklee.net/ser/product/Optiflora

All Shaklee products are 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed or your Money back - so there is NO Risk!

The other thing you might want ot do is find a doctor who will support you in your beliefs. Have you look for a Naturopath or a Homeopathic Doctor?

Hope this helps - more questions please call/email

S. ###-###-####

Have you tried to use a warm towel over the eye if he wigggles try it when he is a sleep.I'm sure there has to be natural eye drops at the natrual food store or even Walgreens.But there may be an age recommendation it won't hurt to take him in to see the pediatrician if it is pink eye you could be infecting others.And you can alway's refuse any medical advice given to you and medication.
Dr.s I belive know when to give an antibiotic,if you belive it is overlly on your kid's ask ?'s.

I had the same problem with both of my girls. It is probably a clogged tear duct. You can try massaging the area between the babies eye and nose to milk the gunk out of the duct and try to get it to dialate. You might also try warm compresses. If that doesn't work, you may need to go the antibiotic route. We did eye drops with both of our girls when the massaging and warm compresses wouldn't work. Often it is something that they outgrow by 6 months (if I remember correctly). That was the case with my older daughter, but my younger daughter never did out grow it and ended up having to get her tear ducts surgically dialated to fix the problem.

Hi,
Have you tried tea compresses? There are a few homeopatic brand products in the supermarket, you can try those if it doesn't say not for infants....
Good luck,
Mariana Abadie
www.MyKidsFirst.com
www.MaiaCreations.ecrater.com

Does your baby also have a cold? My son, who is now 10, would always get gunky eyes when he had a cold. Warm wash clothes worked well. If his eyelids or the corner of his eyes are also red, I would see the doctor.
C.

Ten years ago I had the same problem with my middle child. I took him to the doctor. She did not give us any medication. She had us put warm compresses on his eyes multiple times a day and it did clear up on it's own.

First, if you don't have the book, "Smart Medicine for a Healthier Child", you might want to buy it. You can look up many, many common conditions and learn what the med docs, the homeopathic docs, the nutritionist, or the herbalist recommends. Then you are in a good position to compare and choose the best approach for your baby.

'Gunky' can conjure up several images. I am assuming you are talking about conjunctivitis. One of my son's eyes became pussy and matted when he was three days old. We have a wonderful doctor (Osteopathic) who told me to put a few drops of breast milk into his eye. It was clear in just a few hours! He did trouble with sties in that eye when he was 6 and 7, but that was just clogged ducts due to seasonal allergies. It cleared on its own after that and his vision is excellent.

If this is not normal conjunctivitis and is not easily treated with mother's milk, you might consider seeing a good optometrist before seeing an ophthalmologist, as they are much more likely to send you straight to the pharmacy. Dr. Karen Rosen is located in Crestwood Mall by the Lenscrafters store. She is a marvelous doctor that has a great amount of knowledge about simple and nutritional way to keep eyes healthy. She is a real gem and loves kids!!! She was able to give us real solutions when the ophthalmologists methods failed us.

Although this condition is most often said to be caused by a clogged tear duct, which can be managed by moist heat and gentle massage between the eye and nose, if this is the case you also need to ask what is inspiring the duct to clog. Is it infection or allergy? My guess would be allergy or yeast. It is a relatively common response to the harsh silver nitrate drops that are put in the infants eyes just after birth. The reason for these drops is to prevent blindness which can be caused from the short trip through the birth canal of a mother with gonorrhea. The harsh silver nitrate wipes out the natural balance of friendly bacteria and micro-organisms. The infant's body then has to struggle to re-establish a healthy balance. When there is not a healthy balance of friendly bacteria, we are left vulnerable to common yeasts or funguses, such as Candida. Mother's milk is the best way to help re-establish that balance.

What does not make sense to me is that they give this to C-section babies too. It also makes no sense to me that they are not required to assess if gonorrhea is even present. They just do this routinely to every baby. As far as I know, there has been no research to see if something much milder, such as a dilution of colloidal silver would be just as effective. There is a very mild product called colloidal silver water, but it is not always easy to find on a store shelf. You may have to search for it on the web.

I applaud any mother who goes for natural methods first. But it requires taking responsibility to learn, learn, learn. Get some good reference materials. It is good that you came here to get suggestions, but blogs are no replacement for a professional diagnosis. I recommend that you seek out professionals that are more educated about natural methods. You have to know enough to know whether or not you found a doctor you can trust. I've met more doctors I cannot trust than doctors I can trust. Luckily, I've always been able to find plenty I can trust. They are out there. When I needed a family doctor and didn't know how to find a good one, I began visiting all the health food stores in town and asking employees and customers about doctors they recommend. It was obvious when the same names kept coming up everywhere I went. I've learned to find out where a chiropractor would take her/his family if they needed and MD. Be a good detective when hiring a physician and then you will have a physician who will be a good detective for your health issues.

I am also a mother of a 9 week old baby girl... and I live the organic lifestyle as much as I can. I also teach essential oil classes and use natural remedies 99% of the time. I am not a doctor but I would like to tell you about what worked for me. Both my daughter... (and my son when he was that age) had gunky eyes... My pediatrician said there was nothing to worry about because when they are that small their tear ducts get clogged very easily... She told me to get a warm wash rag and in a circular motion massage the tear duct every morning until it went away. I usually take "doctors advice" with a grain of salt ... but this remedy involved no drugs so I went ahead with what she told me to do. It worked for both of my kids... but... she said if the eye itself is red then that could be bad... pink eye or another type of infection. They would probably give an antibiotic for that. But if your baby's eyes themselves are not red then it probably is just the clogged tear duct.

Take you baby to the doctor! While it may be something minor and possibly treated naturally, what if it's not and is something more serious? What is worse, your fear of an antibiotic or your child having something seriously wrong with them or even worst being blind because you don't want an antibiotic since it's not natural. Sorry to sound harsh, but beliefs or not, surely your beliefs don't out weigh the health of your newborn. It baffles me that a parent would have a newborn with gunky eyes for 3-4 weeks and not take them to the doctor to see what is wrong.
Please get medical advice for the baby that can not speak for themselves to tell you what is wrong.

PLEASE, PLEASE get your son to the doctor. It sounds like it could be pink eye (also know as conjunctivitis), which can cause vision loss or blindness if not treated quickly. It is also very contageous to others.

My pediatrician is VERY good about only prescribing meds when absolutely necessary. I agree, it is important for kids to SOMETIMES muster their way through some infections, as this is how they build their immune system. However, eye and ear infections are absolutely nothing to mess with. If not treated quickly, they can cause permanent blindenss or hearing loss.

Try to get into your doctor as soon as possible.

Both of my daughters use to have the same problems when they were little and every time they got like that they had an ear infection. Have you noticed your baby pulling on his ears? Sometimes they didn't run fever but the ears were still infected. Just a thought.
P.

I'd go to the doctor or another specilist generally with babies when they have an infection that is where it seaps out is the tear ducts. I'd have it checked out. I know garlic is a natural antibiotic granted you would not want to give such a small child a garlic pill but maybe if you are nursing you could get some I buy the odorless/tasteless gel caps and that way if you take it the baby would get some too. Sorry I'm not a lot of help on the organic thing, you could try going to a health food store and they may have suggestions.

My 6 month old daughter had the same thing and it turned out to be blocked tear ducts. We used the warm wet towels to keep them clear and did a tear duct massage. this did not clear it up so we saw a pediatric eye dr. and he recomended the surgery to clear them. This was the last thing I wanted to do, but her eyes are clear and she is a much happier baby for it. The whole thing took them 5 minutes to do both sides. The eye drops were not fun to put in her eyes, but the trick was to put them in when she was sleeping or in the corners and let them go in on their own. I have had two eye dr.s look into her eyes and they both say that she has no vision problems from it all.

Hi! I had the same problem with my last baby. The Dr said it is very normal, and not to worry. So maybe your dr will say the same.

I understand about the antibiotics and my husband and I try hard not to run to the doctor with every little thing. However, my daughter ended up having some scar tissue blocking her tear duct and so the fluid could not drain off & kept seeping out & getting crusty eyes. At first they gave us drops but most doctors know that it only takes a couple of weeks & if that isn't working there is an underlying cause. My daughter went under anethesia at 1 year old to have her tear duct probed open again. I was scared but it has been all worth it. Good luck and I pray for the best!!

The first time my son had gunky eyes, he actually had an ear infection. He did not pull on his ears, but he was irritable. Maybe the pediatrician needs to take a look at your child's ears. Three to four weeks seems like an extended period of time for this symptom, especially considering your child is only 9 weeks old. Bond with your pediatrician, don't be afraid . . . you will have a LONG relationship:-)

Breast-milk worked for my son when he was an infant. He had a reoccuring eye infection. Just squirt a little in his eye, and it should clear up. If not you may need to resort to medicine.

My nine month old has had a gunky eye problem since birth. She's a pretty good sport about the compress, but expresses her discontent with all the fuss. I've had luck with expressing breast milk, not much, directly into the eye. It doesn't hurt her and it seems to relieve it. I've had to see the Dr. about it because when the gunk changed color (a weird green), it was a sign of infection. Antibiotics were necessary and glad to have given them to her.

my son had the same problem, and still occaisionally does. My doctor told me to "milk the tearducts" as they may be blocked. You rub along the underside of the eye in towards the corner by the nose. We were told to milk the ducts about 10 times at ever diaper change. It didn't seem to help my son (I think he has allergies) but it may help you. After working several years in a pharmacy, I am very much against the constant prescribing of antibiotics for every little thing, so I understand your concern. My doctor has never mentioned prescribing one for his eyes. Hope it helps!

My daughter had the same thing at four weeks old. My son also had pink eye a week before she did and I treated them with breast milk two times a day and it cleared it up immediately! It did not burn the eyes like the eye drops the doctor gave us to use on my son did. You can google breast milk and pink eye to read more. I hope that helps. :-)

Ok. First of all , they won't throw antibiotics at him. The peds. know that babies should not have antibiotics unless absolutely necesary because their bodies can build up an immunity to it. But, if you don't take him to the Dr., this could very possibly turn into an infection and then they will have to give antibiotics to save his life. If he does not shed tears when crying and if it's just a little bit of gunk in the inner corners, then this is probably just clogged tear ducts and it should go away on their own, but if they don't after 9 months it may require surgery (that happened to me).

Anyway, do you remember on the news not too long ago how this man, I think his name was John Horner, didn't beleive in medicine and dr.s, he only believed in the "natural life". Well, right after giving birth (in their home), his wife needed medical attention. I think she had a bad infection. Becasue of his beliefs he wouldn't let her take meds or get attention and she died in their home. Not sure if the baby lived.

Do not let your beliefs become more important than the health of your son. Yes, I hate dr.s also, our family dog died because she was misdiagnosed. Those things happen, but there is a reason dr.s make so much money, and medicine saves our lives, medicine goes way back to the beginning of time. I don't know to what extent you get into your natural beliefs, but if you love your son and if he needs medical attention, iron (meat), vitamins, whatever, then you'll give it to him. Chances are, you'll only hurt him in the long run if you don't.

It sounds like clogged tear ducts which is very common. One of my children had to use antibiotics but it may not be necessary for all. Take warm damp cloths and rub inside corner of the eye about four times a day. Use pressure. It may seem like you could hurt them but use enough force to know you are pusing in the area. Sometimes it will pop like a zit and it will all be over. Sometimes it takes several days. I often used the warm rag three or four times a day but I would also just rub it with my finger every time I changed the diaper.

my son just got over having the gunky eyes. he was just over a week old when he developed it. we just put a warm washcloth over his eyes and gently wiped them off trying to help him open them. also i found that if he;s been crying it makes it much worse. he still gets it once in awhile but its not near as bad. and when we went to the dr yesterday he said they looked fine and wouldn't need ointment. i hope this helps

Gunky eyes are just 'closed' tear ducts. My son had this and after he was about 4 or 5 months old it cleared up on its own. It helps if you massage the duct area several times a day. That was the only advise my peditricain gave us, he said that if it didn't clear up by the time he was 2, that they'd need to go in and stitch it up in an operation.

I feel the same way, but sometimes its necessary. We have had pink eye at our house 3 times, and it can cause blindness if not treated. Definately go to the Dr. Its worth it. And feed him lots of plain yogurt. That'll get his body back on track after antibiotics.
Good luck!

Like everyone else said, it could be a blocked tear duct or conjunctivitis. If the lid and area surrounding the eyes are red and swollen (I know...maybe hard to tell with a 9 week old) then its likely conjunctivitis. But if its just junky, sounds like the tear duct. We had that too. My daughter's was just really resilient so at a year old we had to have it probed and broken. They put the child under anesthesia briefly to put the probe in and break it...1/2 hour tops in surgery. Warm compresses and massaging SHOULD handle it, but if not, the outcome could be short surgery.

I hear you on the ABX but you don't have to fill the prescription if they give it to you. But conjunctivitis IS running around and it can cause SERIOUS damage to your kids eyes. Tobramycin is really mild. Prudent use of an ABX is fine...over prescribing is the problem...the "just in case" attitude is the one to be scared about. Better to be safe than sorry.

Ahhhh, I am dealing with the same EXACT thingl however I have been to the Dr. DON'T GO!!! We ahve tried a clear gel over the eye that has cleared it up for 7 minutes! and we have also tried eye drops that haven't done ANYTHING. We massage the corner of the eye whenever we can and we gently wipe the junk away with a HOT HOT wash rag several times a day. The Dr. said it very well may be a clogged tear duct that will have either work it's way out or at 10 months will have to be unclogged by an eye doc...hope that helps your little guy.

I understand what your saying about doctors. Being a mother of 6 I have heard some stuff. I have been told when I take a child with a rash in that they are teething and allergic to teething. Allergic to their own teeth? Please. Your baby sounds like it could be either a small cold in the eye like a allergies or your baby may have a closed tear ducked. Sometimes babies tear ducks take several weeks to open and that somehow creates gook in the eye to where you have to clean it with a warm wet washcloth everytime he/she wakes up. My son had an issue with his eye when he was around that age and they don't give you drops. They give you a gel type in a tube and you put it right along the inside of the lower eye lid and it goes in on it's own. I understand the natural life you want to live, but you know sometimes even diabetics cheat. If it would help him to be comfortable and clear up what he has so it doesn't impair his vision, I say go for it mom. You can always google what the doctor says. I do, good luck.

Im a nurse and we use tear free baby shampoo on the elderly when their eyes get like that. Get your rag really sudsy and wash from the inside of the eye outward. Just do it every 4 hours or so for the first couple days, except for when sleeping. Then you can lessen it after that hoping you have seen some improvement. This is even what the doctor will tell use to do if that makes you feel better:) Good luck!

My son had it and they gave me ointment to put in his eyes, had something to do with the tear ducts being blocked. It helped him. Hope the baby feels better soon. You can also try warm cloths and massage the eye see if that helps.

I would say that your baby probably has blocked tear ducts. It seems to be very common in newborns and I had a baby with that. I was very concerned about his sight and called my pediatrician right away. The doctor did give me eyedrops for his eyes (I'm not sure it was an antibiotic) but it did clear the problem up.
If you are concerned about your pediatrician "throwing" antibiotics at your child all the time, I would, by all means, go and find another doctor who fit more with my own beliefs. My children's doctor has never just given us drugs like that. She has always been very honest and will let me know if a drug is not going to help a problem and we just need to wait it out.
D.

I had the same problem with my daughter when she was that age. She's now 8 and her eyes are beautiful. Here's the same thing the doctors told me...Put some breastmilk in her/his eyes. I now have a 5mth old son and it worked with him as well.

Have you tried taking a sterile warm wet cottonball or cloth and wipping it through out the day. It sounds like the tear duct might be clogged. My doctor recommended that you wipe it from the inside near the nose out in circular motion. If it doenst clear up defenitly go see the doctor.

Both of my kids had the same issue. When I took them to the doctor they said it was just a clogged tear duct. With my oldest son they gave me eye drops but with my youngest son they just told me to massage the tear duct and keep wiping gently with warm damp cloth. So I would massage his eye when I nursed him. I hope you find this helpful!

That sounds like it could be allergy symtoms. Have your doc. check it out and as soon as possible find out exactly what your child is allergic to and remember to pray to God that it all works out well and your child grows out of this soon.

My son had the same thing. He has a clogged tear duct. It's very common in newborns and usually goes away before they turn a year old. If my son's wouldn't of cleared up on his own he would have had to have surgery for them to unclear it. But his stopped at about 10 months. They gave us an ointment to put in his eye, that was not antibiotics, but it never helped anyway. It was something we just had to ride out. Hope this helps you.

My daughter had one eye like that from birth. Our pediatrician in Hawaii told us to wait until 9 months old and then they will have you go to a specialist. Our daughter had a clogged tear duct and the only time we had eye drops was when she had pnemonia and the pnemonia made her eye worse. My daughter just had surgery earlier this month for the clogged tear duct and it was only a 20 minute procedure and she is doing great. You can't tell she had surgery. I took a warm wet washcloth to it to clean it every day...becomes hard at times, but it worked. I would at first let the warmth loosen it up then wipe.

My daughter had the same thing and it was a blocked tear duct. Hers did not clear up with drops or ointment, so they eventually had to perform some very minor surgery (outpatient) on her tear ducts. She's had no problems since. That was 7 years ago.

My son had this problem from birth. His went away on its own I think in about 2-3 months. My pediatrician said to massage tear duct in a downward motion and keep eyes clean. I always used a warm wet cotton ball. As long as your baby doesn't seem too uncomfortable everything will run its course. No antibiotics are needed for this problem.

is your baby waking through the night? My 8 month old had gunky red eyes for a couple days and cuold hardly sleep at night due to him scratching them. i took him in and he had a ear infection in his righ ear that caused his eyes to become red and irritated. eye drops cleared them right up? why are you afraid of eye drops? just curious. i have a phobia of putting things in his ears so i can understand. it could also be pink eye. i would take him in...you don't want his sight to be effected by something that medicine could of helped with.

My daughter had clogged tear ducks and they told us to just keep it clean and they only need to be seen if the eye gets red and it gunky more than it is clean. i just used a warm towel to clean her eyes. we did have to eventually take her in for drops but it was only a couple days of the drops.

best of luck

If you have a good Dr they won't unless it is aboslutley needed. Dr's have realized that more and more people are become antibiotic resistant, so to help this problem out they try to prescirbe antibiotics to those who really need it. If your child has conjunctivitis then he will need an antibiotic eye drops, but it could be blocked tear ducts and in which case the best thing for that is to take a warm wash cloth and gently wipe the eyes clean and massage the tear ducts (which are located in the corner of the eyes next to the nose). You can alos buy Chamamile tea, make a cup and use the tea as the eye drops. Chamamile tea has a natural antibiotic in it. My now 6 month old had the very sane issue and I told my husband that he just had clogged tear duct, but he insisted that I have him checked out. I did, and of course the Dr said it was a blocked tear duct and sent me home with the instructions to use a warm wash cloth and gently rub the eyes. I took several weeks to clear up. I think my son was almost 3 months when his eyes cleared up. Hope this helps

I thought I would explain how to massage the tear ducts. My Dr told me to do it, but I did not understand how to till she showed me. Put your finger next to the nose, under the tear duct. Gently press in circles, three times to the left, three times to the right, three times down, three times up. That is it, do it three times a day. My daughter had blocked tear ducts, they cultured the area to see if it required antibiotics, I didn't start them till they called with the culture results. Good luck, and good health for your little one!!!!

it could be pink eye. which is highly contagious. I am not a good source for organic solutions as the only thing I know is see an eye dr and get eye drops with antibiotic.

pink eye has been known to shut down child care facility for a day or more to disinfect the site. I personally would not mess around with it.

I have some suggestions, call me, Naomi ###-###-#### (evening)..

Try locating a Family Doctor of Osteopath/Naturapathic. They practice natural/homeopathic medicines and treatment. They may have something for your baby that you will be comfortable with. Some Health Plan Companies have Doctors of Osteopath on staff. If you have a health plan check with them and see or they may be able to refer you. Also check the internet.
God bless.

Could be stopped up tear ducts. Sometimes it goes away on it's own in babies and sometiems surgery is needed. Take him to the doctor and don't be afraid, your doctor is only there to help. Good luck and God bless.

Hi Iannjesse,

My daughter had the something when she was little like that and the only thing my Pediatrician done and told us to do was use a warm wet washcloth to clean her eyes out with. He didn't give her an antibiotic but only gave her some eye drops for me to use twice a day for a couple of weeks. By the time she was 3 months old I didn't have to use it anymore and we have had no problems either. Hers was an overactive tear duct. Even when she was born and cried she had tears that rolled down her face and that was the cause of it.

I can understand your feelings about the antibiotics. I try to treat my kids with home remedies before I take them to the dr. I try to use medicines and antibiotics as a last result.

Really the eye drops weren not bad to use and it cleared my daughters up and it went away. Hope this helps, W.

I completely agree with using breastmilk. I find it easiest to pump and then use a syringe or dropper to deliver it. Whether it is a clogged duct or pinkeye, I have used breastmilk for both and had terrific results. A doctor visit wouldn't hurt if you don't see any change soon. At least you can make sure it is nothing serious. You don't have to follow what the doctor says. You are the employer. You have the final say. Why fight with the doctor. Ask for all the options, take the prescription, smile and say thank you, and then do what you want to do.

Hi...I only have a suggestion because it is very possible that your child may need to see a doct. YOur baby's tear ducts may be clogged. Try getting a wash cloth wet with warm water and rubbing the inside corner of your baby's eye clockwise/counter clockwise. Do some reasearch on clogged tear ducts to see if the pics symptoms fit. Again, this is only suggestion. GOOD LUCK!
S. S.

Your baby needs to see the dr.. you don't want to risk she/he losing their sight! 3-4 weeks is a long time for having gunky eyes! Please take your baby to the Dr. I don't want to give my kids antibiotics all the time either however there comes a time when they need it to get better. I know our pediatrician isn't casual about antibiotic's most don't want to give them unless the children really need them of course. Please see the Dr & do what is advised for your childs sake!

L.

Hi. My last baby had the same problem. This may sound crazy to you, but breastmilk will clear it right up. Just squirt a little into the affected eys and let the natural antibiotic properties go to work. I read about this, and then we tried this after the eye infections kept coming back even with regular antibiotics. Good luck!

Sounds like a clogged tear duct. My son had the same problem. There is nothing you can do except massage the tear duct every chance you get. It will take some time but it clears up eventually. Just have to keep it wiped clean. I used a warm clothed, it worked best.

Good Luck

T.

What color is the gunk and his eyes. If his eyes are red and the gunk is green/yellow then you should take him to the doctor right away. It would most likely be pink eye. With such a young infant any infection really is dangerous. And since they are his eyes I think it's better safe then sorry. Your eyes are important. You only get one pair. It has been going on for quite a while. So go ahead and take him to the doctor. It's obviously worrying you enough to ask others about it. So let your guard down a bit and have the doc take a look.

my second child had the same problem and the doctor said the only thing you can do is clean it out. It usually clears up by the time the baby is one. He told us that if it did not clear up by the time she was one then we would need to do surgery. I know it seems like a year is a long time, but be patient and more than likely it will all be over with.
I really hope this works.
C.

I used to put a drop of breast milk in the corner of my daughter's eyes when they got gunky. Sometimes it cleared up immediately, others I did it a few times a day for a couple of days. The great thing is that the breast milk doesn't bother them and it has natural antibacterial properties. There are a lot of things that can cause gunky eyes, from and actual infection to your child rubbing their eyes too much and irritating them. I hope this helps.

I work in a Vision Center with an eye Dr., and with everything I have seen it could be possible there is an infection that won't go away by itself. An eye Dr. can help as well as your regular Dr.

My newborn has a gunky eye, and I've been told that it is clooged tear duct(s) and that' sit's perfectly normal, but that it should clear itself up by the time they are a year. What you can do to help is by holding a warm wash cloth on the inner eye part, by the nose. Or you can gently massage the inner part of the eye while sleeping or nursing. I did that for about 3 weeks and it has cleared up since then, so I hope that is the case with you. I hope this helps. I understand about wanting to live a healthy lifestyle, we are in the same boat. Good luck! Hope your little one gets better.

If you are of the opinion that God will heal your child that is your choice. But, take this into consideration, GOD also has placed good hearted people on our Earth to help others and sometimes this includes Dr's and meds. My family and I are Christians, so I understand. YES it is hard to find a Dr. that won't prescribe antibiotics the second a child gets the sniffles - However, if your little one has an eye infection EYE DROPS will heal this within a few days. My 2 year old has had 3 eye infections and the drops work great. God does not mind that my husband and I put drops into his eyes to help him. If you live in the United States perhaps you should come to the realization that medicine is a big part of our culture and does help. Sweetie, there is nothing wrong with eye drops..and if you choose to skip other meds such as antibiotics I salute you. I believe that some meds are harmful, Dr.'s will put a child on anti depressents if say for example an 8 year old is not paying attention in class or has trouble socializing as "we" see fit. THIS IS WRONG. Each of us need to find out who we are and grow. Putting a child on a mood altering medicine is so very sad...but eye drops will not alter your little ones mood or change who he/she is and will become. From one believer to the next, give the eye drops a shot, but hold your beliefs and values close to your heart.

It maybe a blocked tear duct. I had them as a child and all 3 of my kids did. My youngest daughter was the worst! You can rub the skin right under the eye by their nose, where the tear duct is. I did that a lot with my 2nd child and she didn't have it nearly as bad as her sister did. As far as doctors tossing antibiotics at you I still see that a lot especially if we have to make a trip to the urgent care out in wentzville or warrenton. My children go to Dr. Beckerdite in Ofallon and he is wonderful about not giving an antibiotic if not needed. It is funny how much has changed since I was a kid. My mom use to just call the doctor up and get a pres right over the phone sent out to the pharmacy. DR. now wouldn't even think about that!! I have actually taken my children to the ER with an slight ear infection and have walked away without a presc. And guess what...the ear infection went away on its own. People have always been..give me something and make it go away NOW and we have to change that way of thinking.
Goodluck....google blocked tear ducts and I am sure you will find other ways to deal with it too...without an eye drop

Hello,

I think you need to take him to figure out exactly what the problem is. If it has been 3-4 weeks it is time to get a diagnosis and go from there. I know it is a long shot, but you should make sure it isn't anything too serious that might affect his vision in the future. There are some pediatricians out there that aren't so antibiotic trigger happy and even if recommended that doesn't mean you can't then find an alternative type medicine since you have the correct diagnosis. Good luck!

i know exactly what you mean about "throwing an antibiotic at it" and hoping it goes away! there was one time i took my son for his regular checkup and the dr. looked at a bit of heat rash on his tummy, and immediately told me it was staph and gave me a $50 prescription for it. i didn't get the scrip filled for about 12 hours (honestly i felt i knew better) and by the time we got it, we went home and i looked at it and ya know what? it was ALREADY GONE. it has really bugged me ever since. anyway, i have a friend whose little girl (17 months) has always had very weepy eyes, and her pediatrician (a different one than mine, but i don't know him) said that it was a blocked tear duct, and that she would have to have surgery. i had never heard of this but apparently it's fairly common - not a real help when it's YOUR child about to be put under for surgery before their 2nd birthday. don't be afraid to shop around for different doctors, but also keep in mind that (i feel at least) yes, some things do require "modern medicine". it could also be pink eye or something like that, which is highly contagious, and which i got from my son last winter. it's not fun! you would hate to have anyone catching anything from your child. sometimes you just have to bite the bullet. good luck, i hope his little eyes get better!

I know doctor's don't know everything but your child could end of losing sight because of your beliefs. Listen we as parents don't have to agree to/ about evrything that a doctor say BUT for the first five years of life you should listen to them about the shots, drops & what ever they recommend for the child in those first five years. The world is not & has not been living & doing the natural thing & even as you were born & grown up through the years...you weren't either. I say that to say thay I don't knock you & your belief or decision but you've survived from some of these treatments in life as well, don't limit your child because you now want to be all natural. You can control the types of food, meats, snacks, drinks & so on that the child get's a little later in life but right now you might want to listen to the doctor & get a second opinion to have something to compare. I have an aunt that because of her religion that is dying from breast cancer because even in that religion they told her what NOT to do but didn't offer any alternatives (as their were some) & now it's too late she has to suffer until the day God calls her home....don't do that to your child, give the child a choice between seeing & not seeing. Life is much too short already to have to live it limited. Good luck to you & God Bless. I hope that I haven't offended you in ANY way & if I did I apologize to you in advance.

Every time you change his diaper massage his eyes, when they are little the tear ducts are immature and just need some massaging to loosen them up. My doctor actually told me to do this.

My daughter had the same problem from about 1 week of age till she was about 3 months. Her pediatrician said it was just her tear ducts opening up and as long as her eyeballs weren't red and she didn't seem to be in pain, it wasn't a cause for worry. She told me it would clear up on its own eventually, but if it did seem to become an actual problem, she could prescribe some drops. She said with some children, the gunkiness can last up to a year sometimes! She told me to help my daughter work it out by massaging gently alongside her nose up toward the duct a couple times a day, and just use a warm wet washcloth to wipe the gunk and crud away. It worked! She's been fine since, and I never had to use drops for her!

Have you tried to just wash them with a warm rag in the morning? If he is that young his tear duct may not be open yet and it is totally normal. Is he having any other symptoms? While it could be just a common case of pink eye, or a cold in his eyes there are worse things like cellulitis which is not something to mess around with, if it is not treated blindness could be the ultimate result. Not trying to scare you but you probably should have it looked at.

Are you nursing?? My daughter had blocked tear ducts in both of her eyes until she was 6 months old and when they'd get infected, they would have a yellow discharge coming out of them. If you're still nursing or pumping, you can express some fresh milk into a bottle and drop 2-3 drops of milk in each eye every 4 hours or so. The antibodies in your milk act as a natural antibiotic. For my daughter, it took the infection away within 1-2 applications. Hope it helps!
PS - My niece just went to the doctor - she has contagious conjunctivitis and had to get drops.

Vision issues of any kind are something you don't want to ignore. It could be a simple infection, but left untreated could have long-term effects on your child's vision. Please consult a physician, but let him know how you feel about medications, and ask if there are any wholistic treatments for your child.
Best of luck - J.

Could be a cold in the eyes or also could be conjunctivitis which is something most people call "PINK EYE" and that is very contagious. Normally warm water will remove the matted material around the eyes but if the eyes themselves are red and irritated, you need to see a Doctor. This is one thing that does need attention by a professional, especially if it's not going away on it's own.

I have found that washing the eyes with warm salty water helps to keep the gunk off for a bit, but if they have an infection, nothing helps but the antibiotic eye drops. Both my girls have had this problem, mostly when they are congested with a cold. It clears up within a day or two. I also avoid antibiotics...when I can!!

I have also heard that a few drops of breastmilk is supposed to help...but I had weaned when my girls had infections so never tried it.