Gazing into your baby's eyes can do more than fill you with a thrill. It can also give you a chance to check for certain conditions that merit a trip to the doctor, website Kids Health points out. Different sized pupils, eyes that move independently of one another, constant eye rubbing and excessive fluid discharge, crustiness or redness are some of these conditions. Droopy eye in infants is another.
Ptosis
Droopy eye in babies is not a drooping of the actual eye, but rather a droopiness of the eyelid, Healthy Children and MayoClinic.com explain. Also known as ptosis, a droopy upper eyelid frequently has no apparent cause. It might be noticed at time of birth or your baby can develop it later in life.
Characteristics
Ptosis is not always immediately apparent, Healthy Children and MayoClinic.com say. It can be so subtle, you barely notice the condition. When it is evident, the droopy eyelid often looks heavy or larger than average or the eye itself can seem smaller than average. In severe cases, the affected eye can be shut off altogether. While ptosis usually only affects one eye, it can affect both eyes in rarer cases.
Horner Syndrome
Horner Syndrome, a condition caused by an underlying medical problem, is one known cause of droopy eye, MayoClinic.com notes. In addition to a droopy upper eyelid, Horner Syndrome often comes with a few other symptoms. The affected eye can have a raised bottom eyelid and small pupil. The side of the face with the affected eye may be unable to sweat. Babies are not usually born with Horner Syndrome, but it can come from a spinal cord or other injury during birth.
Complications
In addition to affecting your baby's appearance, droopy eye can lead to more severe complications, Healthy Children warns. The droopy eyelid can be large enough to cover your baby's entire pupil, which can impair your child's vision as well as his eye's development. If the droopy eyelid is excessively heavy, it can push in on the eye and warp the cornea into an abnormal shape, thereby causing a condition called astigmatism.
Surgery
Surgery is an option for correcting droopy eye, Healthy Children says. Unless the droopy eye is impairing your baby's vision and requires immediate attention, surgery is usually best left until your child is at least four years old or older. Surgery on a baby's face is tricky, since the facial tissues and the eyelids are barely developed and the outcome could require further correction when your child is older.
