I come across sticky eyes in newborn babies quite a lot.

It's important to make sure it's not an infection. Your GP can take a swab of the eye secretions and send for testing.

Another way of finding out, is the colour of the eye discharge. Usually a greenish eye discharge is indicative of infection.



This is a baby with an eye infection and needed antibiotics from the doctor.

Blocked tear ducts are relatively common and are a common cause of sticky eyes.

They usually resolve spontaneously within a year without surgery.

http://www.kidspot.com.au/familyhealth/Pain-relief-Headache-Eye-infections-in-children+2619+560+article.htm

Some things you can do to help it along are:

http://youtu.be/rApneh5LmYo

• Clean the eye area with a sterile saline solution and cotton wool balls from the inside of the eye to the outer.
  
  
• Clean in one direction only and use a new cotton wool ball each time. Dry the eye with a dry cotton wool ball. If you are cleaning both eyes, wash your hands before and in-between and after  cleaning of the eyes. Eyes pick up infections relaatively easily.

http://youtu.be/I2bwGsgeHtE

and Breast milk can be used to clean the eye and acts as an anti-infective agent

• Don't worry, while it looks a bit yucky, it will resolve, although it may take up to one year to clear.

• Clean and change cot sheets regularly
  
  
• Check with your GP if you think it may be an infection

Happy blocked tear duct massaging! This is something that makes a big difference to resolving it without the need for surgery.