Blocked tear ducts, also called dacryostenosis, is common in babies, occurring in up to 20 percent of newborns, according to Children's Hospital Boston. While the watery eyes and crusty discharge of a blocked tear duct may be worrisome to parents, this condition is generally harmless to the infant.
Description
When the duct at the inside corner of the eye, called the nasolacrimal duct, becomes blocked, tears and mucus back up into the eye instead of draining into the nasal cavity. The eye may appear watery or parents may notice a thin crust or mucus-like substance as the watery excess tears dry. In some babies, the blockage may be unnoticable at first, but will become apparent about a month after birth.
Cause
Some babies are born with a blocked nasolacrimal duct, the result of incomplete formation of the ducts. This may be the result of a small membrane covering the duct that disappears before birth in many infants, but may take up to 10 months after birth to go away in others. Some babies may develop a blockage during the birth itself or shortly afterward as a result of mucus that gets trapped in the tiny duct or swelling that pinches off the tube leading to the nasal cavity.
Complications
Babies with a blocked tear duct generally don't develop complications, but this condition may make the infant more prone to conjunctivitis, an infection of the membrane covering the eye and lining the inner eyelids. This type of infection can be viral or bacterial and a baby who develops it should be seen by a doctor in case antibiotics or other medication is necessary.
Medical Treatment
In most cases, a pediatrician will leave the blocked duct alone to see if it resolves on its own. According to Children's Hospital Boston, 95 percent of babies with a blocked tear duct will experience a spontaneous opening of the duct by their first birthday. For cases that do not resolve on their own, a probe irrigation, in which the doctor sends a tiny flexible tube into the duct to clear it, typically fixes the problem. Rarely, surgery or procedures to widen the duct may be used if all other measures fail and the blocked tear duct remains after one year of age.
Home Care
Parents of a baby with a blocked tear duct should take care to keep the area clean by gently wiping any discharge from the eye with a soft wet washcloth a few times each day, explains Dr. Sears on the Parenting website. Parents may also try gently massaging the inner corner of the eye by moving a clean fingertip in small half circles from the inner corner of the eyelid toward the nose.
