Question
A newborn baby, just over a month old, has a large amount of yellow discharge in the left eye at night. If the baby sleeps for more than three hours, the entire eye will be covered with discharge. How should this situation be handled?
Answer
Newborns, due to their vigorous metabolism, naturally have more discharge. However, if there is an excessive amount of sticky eye mucus, forming what is known as “sticky eyes,” it may indicate neonatal conjunctivitis. The most common pathogens causing neonatal conjunctivitis are chlamydia and cocci. Chlamydia infection is a microorganism that lives inside cells and can cause conjunctivitis and pneumonia during infancy. Infection may originate from the father’s urethritis, leading to the mother’s cervicitis, and can occur even if both parents are asymptomatic and the amniotic sac breaks prematurely. If such symptoms arise, medical attention should be sought immediately and treatment should be followed under the guidance of a doctor.