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Tears in newborns: when they appear, what time are the first
Children cry when they are in pain or scared, when they are hungry or just miss their mother. But tears in newborns can not be seen immediately. At first, within 1-2 months after birth, parents notice their absence, but you should not be afraid – this is normal.
When the first tears appear in newborns
The emotional and physiological development of the child continues gradually after birth. In the first week, he does not smile at mom and dad, his facial expressions are spontaneous, since the subcortex of the brain cannot yet control it. When a baby cries, his facial muscles contract reflexively.
Tears in newborns appear after 1-1,5 months
During pregnancy, the child’s lacrimal canals do not function, he does not need them yet. After birth, the plugs that close them begin to gradually dissolve.
Only after 1-1,5 months, the baby begins to cry with tears. How many weeks this will happen is an individual term for each baby. They will be scarce, but it is important that they are in both eyes. This means that the lacrimal canals began their work at the same time.
The appearance of tears in only one eye can mean a blockage of the lacrimal canal of the other eye. The cause may be suppuration, developmental or structural abnormalities. Then you need to seek help from an ophthalmologist. In the absence of tears in both eyes, 2 months after birth, it is also necessary to inform the specialist.
What if there are no tears
If, as the child grows up, tears have not formed, only a doctor can prescribe treatment. To remedy the situation, the following measures are being taken:
- Eye drops. Special medications soften the ocular plug, the process of cleansing them is quick and painless.
- Massage. When prescribing this method, the doctor will show the technique, and later the parents will cope with this task themselves. This procedure is not complicated, does not cause discomfort in the child, but it is highly effective. Depending on the situation, appoint from 3 to 10 sessions a day, 2 minutes each. Improvement is usually seen after 5 days of treatment.
- Washing with weak solutions of herbs – chamomile or black tea.
In severe cases, if none of the methods of treatment gives results, surgical intervention is used, but this is extremely rare.
Even in the very first days of life, keep your baby’s eyes hygienic. Every day you need to wash it, and wipe each eye with a cotton pad dipped in boiled water, in the direction from the temple to the bridge of the nose. Lightly diluted tea leaves can be used.