Question
A five-month-old baby has had persistent eye discharge in the right eye since birth, sometimes accompanied by tears. What could be the cause?
Answer
Excessive eye discharge in infants can be caused by two types of factors: 1) infectious factors: possibly originating from exposure to bacteria-containing secretions in the womb or during childbirth, or from contact with unclean items after birth. 2) non-infectious factors: may be due to residual epithelial cells in the nasal lacrimal duct or mucosal obstruction, leading to the inability of tears to be normally drained, forming a lacrimal sac inflammation. It is recommended that parents strengthen the daily cleaning of the baby’s eyes to prevent and alleviate symptoms.