Useless Doctors, please help!! 7 week baby’s eye!!

[PurpleRayne89]

My son is 7 weeks old. He had conjunctivitis a day or so after birth which they treated with drops and then ointment. Each time it came back. I was then given drops again, the gunk cleared but the swelling above his eye had remained. It looks red and puffy. It’s been consistent throughout the entire 7 weeks. All doctors have done is prescribe prescribe prescribe. Given his age I don’t want him to have a cocktail of drugs before he’s even one.

Has anyone seen anything like this before? What would you suggest? I have a 6-8 week baby check up tomorrow where I’ll be mentioning it again. If they again fob me off I’m thinking of heading to baby A&E until they see him for further investigation.

Any help, advice, support is extremely appreciated.

-Mother at wits end!

I'm surprised they prescribed anything tbh, I saw the Dr about DD who had conjunctivitis for a couple of weeks and was told they couldn't prescribe till 1yo and just to keep washing with cool boiled water.

Is it bothering him? Could the puffyness be an allergy - any pets?

@Wagglerock thanks for responding. It’s strange they’ve prescribed so much. I’m really fed up. Literally no patience from them at all. We have 2 cats. I thought he could have an allergy but it was swollen when I was in the hospital for 3 days and has remained as so since I returned home. I will suggest that tomorrow to see what they say.

Tell them to stop prescribing the same thing over and over because clearly its not working. If they've reached their limits of treatment ask them either to write a letter to peads asking for advice and guidance of treatment that they can continue in primary care, or ask for a full referral.

Im a nurse practitioner in a GP.

This is neither an accident nor an emergency so don't do that.

Does he cry tears from that eye? They can have immature tear ducts whixh can cause similar.

If you are breastfeeding or are producing milk, use this to bathe this eye! It will work!

Just clean it every few hours with cool boiled salt water. Not really sure what you want A&E to do if you don't want anything prescribed to him? It's a pretty common childhood ailment that I've always found cleared up on its own.

Also, type SCAN guidelines into google and click on the peadiatric bit - it gives the treatment options for different illnesses requiring anti microbials and what the treatment options are. We use this. Its also good to know about for anyone really, it has an adult section.

Also look at NICE CKS. Same thing.

viewer.microguide.global/SCAN/SCAN

I think he needs to be reffered. The gp sounds out of their depth. Be firm and ask for a paeds or eye clinic referral

Suspect this a blocked tear duct. Try massaging it. If doesn't resolve some children are referred to an ophthalmologist and can have the duct probed eventually

mft.nhs.uk/app/uploads/sites/2/2018/04/REH-203.pdf

@Letsallscreamatthesistene thanks for responding. I’m going to ask for a referral as someone else here suggested. They’re clearly out of their depth and have no idea what to do.. I’m sick of hearing “I’m not sure what it could be” without one of them actually suggesting further evaluation. Thanks

@October2020 I understand. I’m just fed up. Tomorrow will be the third GP I’m going to be seeing. He only cries tears from the swollen eye and not the normal one.

@Landlubber2019 thanks. I am EBF I’ve been trying the breast milk in the eye and to bathe it for weeks. I think it may of helped with the gunk but not the swelling at all.

Second vote for breast milk. If you are breastfeeding.

Gentle massage in an upwards direction along the tear duct can help. As canbreast milk, it can take weeks to finally resolve though.

Has the GP actually swabbed the eye?

Came on to say blocked tear duct! All 3 of my lids had this.

I used to massage the inner corner of my kids’ eyes as I was feeding them.

www.nationwidechildrens.org/family-resources-education/health-wellness-and-safety-resources/helping-hands/eye-tear-duct-massage

Two of my sons had a gunky eye until 6 months - blocked tear duct. They were never given any drops etc

I was going to say a blocked tear duct too. A doctor showed me how to massage it properly (it’s hard to explain unless youve seen it done correctly). Starting above the middle of the eye, put your thumb against the eye socket bone and rub firmly all the way along the bone (or just under) to the inner corner of the eye which should release gunk. Wipe away with sterile cloth and cooled salty water.

I was gently massaging before he showed me this and dd cleared up straight away once the blockage cleared.

I’m shocked you were prescribed!

OP - I'd want to rule out a pre-septal orbital cellulitis. I'm an optometrist with a further qualification in children's vision.
It's not conjunctivitis at the moment and a blocked tear duct wouldn't cause that swelling.

Do you have an eye casualty nearby? Sometimes they only open Monday to Friday. It will wait until the morning.
It's pretty pointless going to a regular A&E on a Sunday afternoon.

It doesn't look very puffy to be honest. A&e would be totally innapproprate. They are prescribing because you keep taking him back, and some topical eye drops is hardly a cocktail of drugs.

Has the swelling actually changed in 7 weeks?Because that could just be your baby, a blocked tear duct could cause the conjunctivitis symptoms you've been having, but the swelling above the eye would not be a blocked tear duct

Agreed about cellulitis

@nothingcanhurtmewithmyeyesshut It just looks worse each time and gets redder. I’ve been using salt water for the last few days. Hopefully it begins to make a difference.

@CovidCorvid thanks for suggesting. I’ve been using breast milk, may have helped with gunk. Might be blockage somewhere who knows but it seeps occasionally. I’ll try the massage and maybe it will help drain whatever it is.

Swabbed when in hospital, I didn’t receive the result they only prescribed. Second time was informed it was conjunctivitis which required a certain type of antibiotics to clear it up.

@underneaththeash I’m going to google an eye hospital and take him there. I keep getting the run around. The swab was returned for conjunctivitis but I don’t think it’s that any longer as no more gunk. However, it has started to seep past day of so.