Symptoms of conjunctivitis in the baby and how to treat

Conjunctivitis in a baby is characterized by the appearance of red eye, with a lot of rowing and irritability. In addition, the baby may also bring his hands to his face more often due to discomfort.

The treatment of conjunctivitis in a baby must be guided by an ophthalmologist or pediatrician and can be done with eye drops or antibiotic ointments, antihistamines or eye cleaning with gauze moistened with filtered water or saline, according to the type of conjunctivitis. Most of the time conjunctivitis is easily controlled but it is important to take the baby to the pediatrician because, in some cases, it can lead to meningitis.

The baby may have conjunctivitis due to a bacterial infection, being called bacterial conjunctivitis, due to an infection by a virus, having the name of viral conjunctivitis or due to an allergenic substance, being called allergic conjunctivitis. See how to better identify each type of conjunctivitis.

Main symptoms

Symptoms of conjunctivitis in babies or newborns include:

• Reddened and irritated eyes; Watery eyes; Eyes that swell a lot, with a lot of secretion, which can be white, thick or yellowish; Itchy eyes, which makes the baby bring his hands frequently to the face; Small swelling in the eyelids and around the eyes eyes; Hypersensitivity to light; Irritability and difficulty in eating; Fever, especially in the case of bacterial conjunctivitis.

These symptoms can be present in only one eye or in both eyes, and usually when they are present in both eyes it is an allergic conjunctivitis. However, it is very important to evaluate the baby by the ophthalmologist or pediatrician, to make the diagnosis and guide the treatment according to the type of conjunctivitis.

How the treatment is done

Treatment for conjunctivitis in a baby should always be guided by an ophthalmologist, or pediatrician, and varies according to the type of conjunctivitis:

1. Bacterial conjunctivitis

Cases of bacterial conjunctivitis usually cause a large amount of swelling and can easily show symptoms in both eyes. This type of conjunctivitis usually needs to be treated with antibiotics, in the form of eye drops, ointments or syrups.

In addition, it is very important to always keep your eyes very clean and free of blemishes, as this type of substance facilitates the development of bacteria and can delay recovery. Check out how to clean baby's eyes properly.

Bacterial conjunctivitis can cause complications like meningitis or pneumonia, so it is important to follow all the doctor's advice to avoid these complications, ensuring the baby's health.

2. Viral conjunctivitis

In these cases, only cleaning the eyes with individual gauze moistened with filtered water, mineral water or saline solution may be indicated, as this type of conjunctivitis usually tends to disappear naturally in about 1 week, without the need for medication.

Some eye drops, especially moisturizers, can also be indicated by the doctor, but mainly to reduce discomfort.

3. Allergic conjunctivitis

Since allergic conjunctivitis is caused by an allergic reaction to some product or substance, treatment is usually done with the use of antihistamine and / or cortisone remedies, which decrease the response of the immune system, relieving symptoms.

Other care during treatment

During the treatment of childhood conjunctivitis, in addition to medicines, it is also important to adopt some precautions such as keeping the baby's eyes always clean, using disposable tissues and always a new one for each eye.

Other precautions include:

• Do not take the baby to daycare or school while the symptoms last; Wash the baby's face and hands several times a day; Avoid hugging and kissing the baby during infection; Change the pillowcase and baby towel daily.

These precautions are very important because they prevent the spread of conjunctivitis from one eye to the other of the baby and the baby to other people.

It is not recommended to drip drops of breast milk directly into the eyes of the baby with conjunctivitis because there is no evidence of its role in treating this type of infections. In addition, boric acid water is also totally contraindicated due to the risk of boric acid poisoning.