Patient's question:
My daughter is now three and a half months old. Ten days after birth, her eyes started to have discharge, and the doctor said it was neonatal conjunctivitis. He gave her chloramphenicol eye drops and erythromycin ointment. After using them, the discharge reduced, but then a new symptom appeared—tearing. Then, we switched to Tobradex, and it hasn’t improved until now. Her eyes are always teary, and there’s discharge floating in her tears near the inner corner of her lower eyelid. It’s really frustrating… I’m eagerly awaiting your reply! A mother who is on the edge of her seat.First follow-up question: We stopped using the eye drops for a few days, but her condition remained the same, and suddenly one day, there was a thick layer of discharge on her eyelids when she woke up.
Doctor's answer:
Normal children, at the age of 2 to 3 months, may have some eye discharge in the morning when they wake up. This is because the eyelashes tend to grow inward during this period, and the friction causes eye discharge. Around the age of 1, the eyelashes naturally grow outward, and the eye discharge gradually decreases, so there is no need for treatment. You can clean the eyes with a warm towel or use cotton swabs dipped in a 2% boric acid solution to gently wipe from the inner corner of the eye to the outer corner.If a child has a layer of grayish-white substance on their eyes at birth, it is not eye discharge. This grayish-white substance is medically known as "vernix caseosa," which serves to protect the skin and prevent heat loss. It can be absorbed on its own, so it should not be wiped away casually.