Question
My baby is one month old and has a lot of yellow eye discharge in their left eye. What could be the cause? Does diet affect this?
Answer
Newborns are most prone to having excessive eye discharge. Normally, children between 2-3 months old may have some white eye discharge upon waking up in the morning. This is because during this period, eyelashes tend to grow inward, causing friction and irritation to the eyes, leading to the production of eye discharge. Generally, around the age of 1, eyelashes will naturally grow outward, and the amount of eye discharge will gradually decrease. If washing the face multiple times a day still does not resolve the issue of excessive eye discharge, you can gently wipe the eyes with a warm towel. It is important to note that diet does not directly cause excessive eye discharge, so there is no need to worry about your baby having a ‘fire’ (a traditional Chinese concept referring to internal heat).