DD was diagnosed with blocked tear ducts when she was very young, I think just a few weeks old. It's been mentioned numerous times since on visits to the doctor but we have always been told that in most cases they will unblock as the baby matures and if not, at 18 months we would be referred as "they don't investigate further until at least that age".
DD's didn't unblock and she was duly referred and we had the appointment with the consultant yesterday. DD is now 2 and a half. The year in between is partly due to the good old National Health waiting time and partly because we had to defer the first appointment as DD had chicken pox.
The purpose of my posting is just to let anyone know who might be affected by this that the consultant told me that although it is correct, in the majority of cases the ducts unblock naturally, when they don't and they need surgery they like to do it before baby's first birthday! Because DD is 2 and a half and her tear ducts etc have developed further it is possible the operation will not be totally successful and the ducts will re-block. They will try and unblock 3 times and then if necessary, insert a permanent tube.
I'm just a tad disappointed that my GP didn't know that 'they' like to operate before 1 year and not as he thought, investigate at 18 months and I hope that by posting this here, any other babies with blocked ducts whose mums read Mumsnet will not be in the same situation as we are.