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A very common and not serious phenomenon
Almost half of children are born with an imperforate tear and nasal passage. The valve that allows tear fluid to flow through the nasal passages is blocked. Tears stagnate in the eye and germs can grow and cause repeat conjunctivitis. It is not inevitable! Most of the time (90% of children), the offending valve punctures spontaneously in the first six months of its life. For the remaining 10%, the situation will improve gradually until the child is 4 years old or will not change at all. In the latter case, a surgical intervention will definitively solve the problem.
Symptoms that are easy to spot
The blocked tear duct is manifested by permanent “clear” tearing: your baby has constant weeping eyes and a tear regularly rolls down his cheek. For some babies, the phenomenon is more discreet and more difficult to detect. It is the recurrent conjunctivitis that will alert your doctor. In this case, a thicker secretion settles in his eye, there is then superinfection (conjunctivitis). Of course, this infection must be treated, but antibiotics will quickly prove ineffective, since they do not treat the underlying problem. The valve is not permeable, the column of microbes stagnates and develops. Quickly consult an ophthalmologist for a diagnosis, because the symptoms are for some points similar to those of congenital glaucoma.
Massage: the right thing to do every day
Regular massage (at each change) of your child’s tear ducts significantly limits inflammation and the installation of germs causing conjunctivitis. The small pressures thus exerted on the valve will make it possible to open it and release the stagnant liquid. The gesture is simple and only takes a few seconds: with your thumb, gently massage the inner corner of the eye towards the nose. Before each massage, do not forget to put a few drops of physiological serum in order to clean the eye.
Surgery as a last resort
Your child is now over 6 months old and you have not seen any improvement. Your ophthalmologist will probably advise you to have surgery. The act is very fast and is performed under very light anesthesia (by application of a mask). The specialist inserts a cannula (small narrow tube) into the tear duct to open the valve. It happens – very rarely – that an operation is not enough. In the most complex cases, the ophthalmologist may consider placing a silicone probe that he will leave to work for six months to a year.