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General health

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Original poster

Please please help if you can. I can't get any answers from anyone. Worried about my newborn's eyes.

19 replies

BroccoliSpears · 04/05/2008 10:28

In my last few weeks of pregnancy I got conjunctivitis. I couldn't take anything for it that was safe during pregnancy, so still had it when ds was born last Monday (and still have it now I think - just very mildly, almost gone).

I have heard that conjunctivitis is very dangerous for newborns.

I've been so careful about washing hands, not touching my face, his face, but he does now have gungy eyes.

I asked every midwife in the hospital for advice and they didn't really know. So I asked to see a doctor in the hospital. She didn't really know - she agreed that it was dangerous for newborns, but said there was nothing I could take. Midwife yesterday agreed that he does have gungy eyes but said that newborns often are a bit gungy.

Every health professional I speak to tells me that it isn't ideal but there's nothing I can do. Meanwhile I'm worried sick that I've given my son permanent eye problems or something.

OP posts:

Friendlypizzaeater · 04/05/2008 10:30

Can they not take a swab and cultivate it ? My LO had gungy eyes for a couple of week after he was born - its really common.

piratecat · 04/05/2008 10:31

I am not an expert, but my gut feeling is that yes newborns often have gungy eyes.

When my dd had conjunctivitis, as a b aby I was just told to keep them clean, wiping them from outside to inner corner using cotton wool and boiled tepid water.

Don't panic, I am sure you have not done any damage.

stripeymama · 04/05/2008 10:31

It is indeed very common.

Has anyone suggested using breastmilk in his eyes to help clear them up? Did this with dd and it worked beautifully.

soapbox · 04/05/2008 10:32

Broccoli - the most effective thing for conjunctivitis in newborns is to squeeze a few drops of breastmilk into them and swab away. Breastmilk contains a very mild antibiotic which is very effective in helping to clear it.

cornsilk · 04/05/2008 10:35

My ds had gungy eyes when born. I was given a cream by the midwive and was told to keep them clean with cooled boiled water and cotton wool. Was not told breastmilk - how interesting!That makes perfect sense.

Original poster

BroccoliSpears · 04/05/2008 10:36

Thank you - breastmilk is a great idea and I hadn't thought of it. I'll do that.

He's probably just generally gungy in a newborn way, but you know when you're worried about something...

OP posts:

ladytophamhatt · 04/05/2008 10:36

ds2, 3 and 4 all had gungy eyes as newborns.

with ds3 the stupid MW called the Gp about that and hsi manky belly button and the 1st thing she said on teh phone was "theres something wrong with teh baby"

Thankfully the GP told her to not make such alrmist comments about gungy eyes and belly buttons.

IIRC ds2(might have been ds3) had recurrant conjunctivitus for months after birth and his eyesight(or ds3's.......blimey tahts bad taht I can't remeber isn't it??) is absolutely fine.

Breast milk is appaerntly very good for clearing it up.

stripeymama · 04/05/2008 10:40

Breastmilk and conjunctivitis

Original poster

BroccoliSpears · 04/05/2008 10:41

That's reassuring about your ds's eyesight as well LadyTH. All I have is a nebulous "conjunctivitis is dangerous for newborns" and I don't know any more than that. Does it blind them or is it just a bit itchy and might result in scratching or infection? You can imagine which one I decide it probably is at 3am.

OP posts:

oggsfrog · 04/05/2008 10:42

From googling it appears that the type of conjunctivitis that can be dangerous is viral - one that is picked up in the birth canal when the mum suffers from gonorrhoea, herpes and chlamydia.
I would assume the type you have is bacterial, and the bbc health website suggests that with newborn babies, simply cleaning the eyes may be all that's needed to help the condition settle.
Hope it clears up soon.

Original poster

BroccoliSpears · 04/05/2008 10:43

Good link Stripeymama, thanks.

Oh thank goodness for mumsnet.

OP posts:

ladytophamhatt · 04/05/2008 10:46

DS4 had it recently, it went on for ages and ages. Far longer than the 7 day course of eyes drops last for....he's obv not a newborn anymore but there has been no lasting effects.

aquasea · 04/05/2008 10:46

Seconding (and thirding) the breastmilk suggestion. My DS got gungy eyes a lot in his first few weeks. A few drops of breastmilk in the eye cleared it up beautifully.

itscoldtoday · 04/05/2008 10:47

Bacterial = caused by a bacterium. Gonorrhoea is a bacterial infection.
Viral = caused by a virus. Herpes is a virus.

The vast, vast majority of gunky eyes in a newborn baby is not an infection, it is just gunky eyes. A lot of the time it is associated with a blocked tear duct, which resolves by itself in about 99.99999999%(ish) of the time. The rest of conjunctivitis is most normally viral.

There are few worrying causes of conjunctivits, and they are easily tested for with a swab, which your HV/GP should do is they have any concerns; or indeed to lay your mind at rest.

The treatment is as MNers have said - wipe clean with cotton wool dunked in cooled, boiled water. Express a few drops of breastmilk into each eye (careful aim required!!). HTH

Original poster

BroccoliSpears · 04/05/2008 11:50

Well I swabbed with cooled boiled water and then spent an amusing few minutes squirting the poor little lad in the face with milk. Got a good sloosh in both eyes and will repeat later this aft. Even if it is just a bit of newborn gunge, it makes me feel better to be doing something.

Am a bit that not one of the many healthcare professionals, midwives etc who I spoke to about this thought to suggest the milk thing. Ho hum.

Thank you all!

OP posts:

stripeymama · 04/05/2008 11:54

My midwife suggested the BM thing before dd even had sticky eyes. I think it was when she was telling me to use BM on sore nipples rather than fancy nipple cream.

Hope it works for your lo, and try not to worry. My db (now 18 and with perfect eyesight) had gungy eyes for months - to the extent that it was an event for him to have them both open!

LIZS · 04/05/2008 11:55

Friend's kids both had conjunctivitis when she had her 3rd. Baby caught it at a weekish and had ab's. Breastmilk has antiseptic properties so you could wipe over gently with it.

flack · 04/05/2008 13:16

Saline water & regular cleaning cleared ds's sticky-eye (breastmilk for the first 3 wks only gave him baby acne).

Sidge · 04/05/2008 13:42

Newborns have the tiniest little tear ducts that are blocked for the first few weeks of life. (Have you noticed that babies don't cry tears at first, they dry cry?)

So gungy eyes are usually just blocked ducts. True conjunctivitis causes redness and soreness as well, so if his eyes are otherwise normal but gungy then worry not.

You can also soak a cotton wool pad in breastmilk to clean the eyes. I wouldn't recommend a direct squirt!

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