Crusty Eye, Put Breastmilk in It?????? and RSV a Week Later

Updated on February 03, 2011
J.A. asks from Lebanon, TN
16 answers

my 2 1/2 week old has crsty. goopy eyes. I have just been wiping with a warm wash rag....but have since learned how to "massage" the tear duct. I also read to squirt breast milk...I have been dropping some in fro m the bottle each time i feed- is that what people are suggesting? ( I heard brest milk does wonders),,,,,i feel weird. After I did it once she went to sleep and when she got up there was more goo than ever before....thoughts??

Also, my baby had RSV...thought it was just a " chest cold" but knew something wasnt right ( mother instinct is unreal) anyways, she is a week into recovery and still has snot, but now sounds like she is slightly wheezy, or grunting....or snoring... her lungs were great and clear the whole time, but this noise is new. It isnt typical wheez, sounds like it is in her throat, and is only occasionally- i hope this make some sense to someone.....

AND ONE MORE.... my baby hdoesnt have big poops (just sounds worse when happening than is lol), but she does have a lot. what do you think of giving her a lil bitty bit of pedialyte just for good measure
Thank you :)

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So What Happened?

THanks!
@ Marda, It doesnt, I was asking 3 dif questions :)
I will still to the warm rag and wiping the eye. it gets a lil red, I assume that is normal from the compress and massage. He actual eye colr looks good.

As for the pedialyte, I will not do that- I had (After I posted) already given her .5oz of it. she will be OK?

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K.

answers from Charlotte on

You should only clean a baby's eye with cooled boiled water on a cotton wool/cotton ball on the closed eye. Eyes are very sensitive and can be damaged by bateria in raw, organic breast milk.

1 mom found this helpful

A.G.

answers from Houston on

I have read that too. I never tried it but i would think anything lactose based in the eye would not be a good idea. It could be worse In india they use cow pee for that, lol, Im all for the idea that breast milk is awesome, but i cant get on board with the eye thing.

Although breast milk rubbed on chapped nipples works wonders.

1 mom found this helpful

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P.M.

answers from Tampa on

As long as baby is not straining and having hard (very hard pebbly) poops - no need to 'help her along for good measure'. Breastfed babies tend to have less poops but they are loosely formed, since barely anything is wasted with the very nutrient dense breastmilk.

Breastmilk for crusty goopy eyes is a great!! But you have to do it like 3-4 times a day, and preferably fresh from the breast.

4 moms found this helpful
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K.M.

answers from Miami on

Agree with Pamela, Raven, and More2go.

I would not give her the pedialyte. If she has plenty of wet diapers, she's hydrated. Breastmilk is a natural laxative. Babies are very good at utilizing all the nutrients and not having as much waste. Sometimes the will go several DAYS without pooping and it's very normal. Nurse her more. You'll make sure she is hydrated plus she'll get antibodies that will help with infection. New babies often seem congested in the beginning. But, with the history of RSV, I would take her back to the doctor just to be sure and to set your mind at ease.

I don't think breastmilk in the eye is going to do any harm. It has antibodies in it which is why it's thought to be good for pink eye. Sometimes it can take awhile for the goopy eye to go away anyway so I think time more than anything is what will help. You could wipe it with a clean cloth at every diaper change to stay on top of it and also massage the tear ducts in an up and down motion.

Congrats on the new baby. :)

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S.G.

answers from San Francisco on

OK, must respond to this one too! My babe had a blocked tear duct. At one week old his eye got so goopy he couldn't even open it! Even after I cleared it, the goop returned. For months we had goop. I was so worried that he would have to have surgery for blocked tear duct. But my doc said they mostly clear up on their own within a year. Well, months went by and after every nap I had to clear that eye. When I got up with him in the middle of the night, the first thing I did was wipe his eye and hope that some day I would go to wipe it and there would be nothing to wipe. Lo and behold, at 11 months, we were on a trip in Tahoe and I didn't have to wipe that eye. I thought it must be the altitude or climate, but never again did the goop come back. The eye cleared on its own. Your LO will too, probably!

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B.J.

answers from Rochester on

I would call your MD on Mon and ask about the sound she makes. Being that she is only 2 1/2 weeks old I would not give her pedialyte with out the MD's concent. If she is still having plenty of wet diapers then she should be hydrated enough. My boys always got the goopy stuff in the eye the first few weeks and I had to keep wiping out with a clean wash cloth with warm water on it. Good luck!

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M.P.

answers from Portland on

I don't understand how Pedialyte will help with the eye or the breathing. Pedialyte is formulated to help a baby stay hydrated when they're having difficulty drinking or eating. Pedialyte has nothing to do with poops either.

If your baby is hydrated you definitely do not want o give her/him anything but breast milk or formula because the baby needs all of the nutrition from the milk. Pedialyte contains minerals for hydration but is not nutritious.

Many babies make sounds when they breathe. Since this sound is happening only sometimes I wouldn't be concerned. IF your baby were having difficulty breathing the sound would be all the time and would emanate from the chest.

About the milk for the eyes. I'd not use it. If your baby has an infection the milk would only provide food for the bacteria. I can't think of any way it would help. I wake with goop in my eyes nearly every morning and it's caused by allergies. Goop is caused by several different things. I'd wait and see if it goes away. IF it continues for a couple of weeks I'd call and ask the doctor about it.

My elderly mother had an infection in her eyes and I was worried. I took her to the ophthalmologist who said it was a virus. No treatment available. Just took time for it to heal. He said it wasn't dangerous and would not affect her ability to see.

After your post. Yes, giving her a bit of pedialyte will not be a problem. It would only be a problem if you gave her enough pedialyte that she didn't drink formula and breast millk. Good to continue treating eye goop with a warm cloth. You're doing fine!

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M.S.

answers from San Francisco on

I would not put breastmilk from a bottle in her eye. Straight from the breast before it gets contaminated.... otherwise you spread what is in her mouth to her eye, and if you touch the nipple with your hands it can get contaminate the nipple as well.

1 mom found this helpful

K.M.

answers from Chicago on

I am sorry but I do not think breastmilk should go anywear but in baby's mouth to babys belly. I think you should contact the dr 24hr hotline to see if anything should be done immediately otherwise wait until monday. Good Luck I am sure there will be pleanty more helpful responses on this topic but I do suggest to keep the milk for the belly.

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R.K.

answers from Boston on

Some children get crusty nasty eyes with ear infections and if he's been sick it's possible she as one or she could have pink eye from rubbing her hands on her face time to call your pediatrician.

The only fluid a 2 week old baby should have is breast milk or formula!!!!! Pedialyte will not her poop and from wh you describe she doesn't need the help!

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K.L.

answers from Washington DC on

Goopy eyes are normal because their tear ducts are just starting to open and they get clogged easily. I have heard of using breastmilk for pink eye because the antibodies in the breastmilk helps with the infection. Definitely continue with the warm compress and massages.

If your baby has any other signs of being sick or develops a fever, definitely call the dr. Goopy eyes and pink eye can actually be a sign of an ear infection (the fluid builds up in the ear cannal and needs to drain somewhere and they eye ducts are right there).

As for the poops, do NOT give pedialyte to a 2 wks old! The sodium in it would do more harm than good! Breastfed babies have different poops than formula fed babies. They can actually go days without pooping or poop every time they eat. Its completely normal. Unless she's in obvious pain and struggling to go and when she does go its more like solid pellets (instead of the mustardy yellow poop), there is no need to worry.

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L.J.

answers from Lexington on

Yes, breast milk does work for this. I not only used it on my baby when I needed to, I've also used it on my older kids and once, even, on my husband! He's from rural Thailand and when he was young they did that all the time. It sounded strange to me at first, but it worked.

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J.J.

answers from Toledo on

Breastmilk has antibodies that act as a MILD antibiotic for a very MINOR infection. If she has a clogged tear duct, the BM will not do anything but add to the drainage.

Was she treated for RSV? That is not something to be taken lightly and only treated for a short time. My (now) 7 y/o had RSV at 3 months requiring hospitalization and has lived and at times really suffered with asthma ever since. She should be on nebulizer treatments several times per day.

Pedialyte is to help stave off dehydration. As long as she's not straining and screaming in pain when she poops, there is no reason to be concerned.

My advice all around...call her pediatrician! Especially regarding the RSV. I don't mean to scare you, but if that is not treated properly, it can be deadly.

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L.J.

answers from Lexington on

Yes, breast milk does work for this. I not only used it on my baby when I needed to, I've also used it on my older kids and once, even, on my husband! He's from rural Thailand and when he was young they did that all the time. It sounded strange to me at first, but it worked.

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J.H.

answers from Lexington on

Has her ears been checked since the crusty eye started. Everytime my kids get the crusty eyes it's an ear infection.

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M.R.

answers from Chicago on

Breast milk for the eye is fine and can't hurt but please don't rely solely on that until she has gotten checked out thoroughly by a pediatrician.

Sometimes breast milk can help illnesses but other times different treatments may be in order. The best course is to consult with her pediatrician.

With the pedialyte - again, please consult your pediatrician. Not every child is going to poop the same and they might actually be just fine. She may need it and she may not need it but again, it is best to have a trained medical professional make that decision.

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