Question
At 12 days old, a newborn’s eyes often produce eye discharge. Should one be concerned? What could be the possible causes?
Answer
If a newborn has an excessive amount of eye discharge, consider the following scenarios: Firstly, if the child was delivered naturally, it might be due to inclusion conjunctivitis caused by Chlamydia trachomatis infection, which is transmitted through the birth canal. Treatment with rifampin eye drops may be used. Secondly, if the mother has a history of gonorrhea, be vigilant for gonococcal ophthalmia, which can be treated with ciprofloxacin eye drops or norfloxacin eye drops, but they need to be applied more frequently. Treatment for gonorrhea may be necessary if required. The eye discharge in such cases is purulent, and gonococci can be found in the eye secretions for diagnosis. Thirdly, if the child was delivered by cesarean section, consider intrauterine infection, although this situation is rare. If only one eye is tearing and eye drops are being used, consider dacryocystitis or lacrimal duct obstruction.