Question
My newborn is 7/8 days old, and there is a red line in the left eye, while the right eye keeps producing tears and mucus. What’s going on?
Answer
You can use your thumb to gently press from the inner corner of the eyelid along the bridge of the nose towards the nostril, applying slight pressure, five times a day, with each press lasting for five counts. Remember to keep your fingernails clean. If there is no effect from massaging the lacrimal sac, it is recommended to perform a lacrimal duct probing procedure when the child is three months old, as the child’s lacrimal puncta are large enough for flushing and probing at this age, and the struggle is not intense. If the child grows older and struggles more, it will be more difficult to perform the probing.