Tear ducts in newborns: massage at home. How to massage the lacrimal canal in newborns: indications and technique

Newborns under one year of age often develop eye diseases that cause difficulty in tear production. One of the common pathologies in children is dacryocystitis. During this disease, obstruction is observed in the nasolacrimal duct, which is accompanied by severe inflammation and swelling of the eyelids. In fact, it is not very dangerous, the main thing is to know correct treatment which includes performing massage procedures. But you can learn how to properly massage the lacrimal duct at an appointment with a pediatrician.

During intrauterine development in children, the lacrimal canals are closed with an embryonic film, which protects the canals from the ingress of amniotic fluid into them. As soon as the child is born, the process of breaking through the film is observed and the eyes begin to work as they should. However, in almost 5% of children, the tear duct is blocked, which leads to various complications. If you visit a doctor for initial stage this process, you can prevent serious complications, swelling, increased suppuration.

Obstruction of the lacrimal canal in children is caused by the following reasons:

the impossibility of spontaneous opening of tissue at the end of the tear duct;
infectious infection;
abnormalities in the structure of the nasal bone, which may have increased load on the area of the tear duct and lead to blockage of the tear ducts;
the presence of closed or underdeveloped openings in the corners of the eyes, from which tear fluid is released;
the presence of a gelatinous plug or epithelial film that has resolved by the time of birth, which covers the lower passage in the area of the lacrimal canal and interferes with the normal flow of tears;
atresia - this condition is characterized by true fusion;

Older children may have trouble releasing tears due to chronic inflammatory pathologies nose and paranasal sinuses. Also, in them, this disease manifests itself after receiving injuries that cause a violation of the integrity of the structure in the lacrimal canal.

5% of newborns experience blockage of the tear duct

Symptoms

In order to accurately understand whether a child has dacryocystitis, it is necessary to consider its signs. Typically, this disease causes the following symptoms:

Stagnation of tears.
Unilateral or bilateral lacrimation may occur. This symptom is the first sign of the disease and may be protracted.
When an infection occurs, pus and mucus accumulation are released. At first, the discharged contents are collected only in the area of the inner corners of the eyes. If treatment is not provided in time, the amount of mucus and pus increases, and the child’s eyelashes and eyes stick together.
Sometimes there may be redness and inflammation of the conjunctiva of the inner corner of the eye.
A separation of tears appears with cloudy contents of mucus and pus.

To accurately understand whether a child has dacryocystitis, you should consult a doctor. The specialist will be able to conduct an examination, examine the child and diagnose accurate diagnosis.

Only a doctor can accurately determine dacryocystitis in a child or another type of disease.

When is a massage required?

Typically this procedure is prescribed in the presence of the following conditions:

as part of preventive therapy dacryocystitis, when the presence of a membrane in the lacrimal canal is detected;
for full therapeutic therapy with obstruction of the nasolacrimal duct.

Before performing a massage for dacryocystitis in newborns, it is imperative to undergo a preliminary examination. To do this, you need to visit a pediatric ophthalmologist; this specialist will be able to make the correct diagnosis. You shouldn’t make a diagnosis yourself, much less carry out home treatment, this may lead to serious complications child's health.

It is an experienced pediatric ophthalmologist who will be able to carry out necessary examination and establish an accurate diagnosis. Based on the results obtained, he prescribes treatment, in which he prescribes special medicines, for example, in the form of drops, special liquids for washing, and will also show correct technique performing a massage.

An ophthalmologist will show you the massage technique for dacryocystitis at your appointment.

Preparing for a massage

In order for an eye massage to be done correctly, and most importantly effectively, you need to carefully prepare for this procedure. In this case, it is necessary to prepare not only the child, but also the mother. Before performing the massage, the mother must do the following:

First you need to trim the nail plates, they need to be cut short so as not to harm the baby’s eyes.
Next, you need to wash your hands well.
If the surface of the palms is cold, then it needs to be pre-warmed. The baby should feel comfortable and feel the warmth of his mother’s hands.
Before performing, fingers should be lubricated with a small amount of baby cream or oil. This is required so that during this procedure the finger can easily slide over the surface skin. Remains of cream or oil should be removed with a napkin. It is important that cosmetic product does not get into the baby's eye, otherwise it may cause severe irritation and redness.

Preparing the child

Before the massage, the eyes should be cleaned with cotton pads soaked in chamomile decoction or furatsilin solution.

This procedure should be carried out according to the following scheme:

well-moistened cotton wool is drawn from the outer edge of the eye to the inner;
It is necessary to use new cotton wool for each eye to avoid infection;
You can wash the eye. To do this, you need to place the baby on his side and pour a herbal decoction into the eye with a pipette. The remaining liquid should flow to the spout. The released clot of pus, mucus and broth can be removed with a napkin.

Cleansing and rinsing is recommended to be done 5 to 10 times a day. Positive results will be observed within 2 weeks. At this stage, it is necessary to conduct a secondary examination of the child by an ophthalmologist. If a specialist diagnoses the absence of suppuration and the complete opening of the lacrimal canal, then massages and rinsing can no longer be performed.

Features of massage

Before you start performing a massage, you should carefully read the following: important recommendations that will help you quickly achieve a positive result:

Exact adherence to the massage scheme and technique will allow you to achieve improvement immediately after the first procedure.

Massage procedures are performed on a flat surface with a rigid structure.
The speed of movement when performing this procedure should be fast.
Each movement should last no more than 2 seconds.
Before you begin this procedure yourself, you should undergo training with an ophthalmologist. The doctor will accurately describe and tell you how to massage with dacryocystitis.
Before performing a massage, be sure to carefully study the anatomy of the nasolacrimal ducts. It is important to know where these organs are located and what they are. This will make the whole process of massaging and treating them much easier.

Technique

So how to massage the tear duct? The following technique will help with this:

To begin with, you should choose the finger with which you will do the massage. It can be done with the little finger, index or middle finger. They need to be placed just above the inner corner, then you need to find the lacrimal sac, it is located between the inner corner of the eye and the eyebrow;
after this position is selected, it is necessary to perform a slight sliding movement towards the wing of the nose;
When moving, the degree of pressure should not be great, but it should be felt. This movement is done 5-10 times;
these actions cause an increase in pressure inside the channel and cause rupture of the membrane;
after this procedure it is necessary to instill eye drops which were prescribed by the attending physician. Drops should be instilled into both eyes.

The performed procedure allows you to quickly improve the condition of the child’s eyes. Also, when performing it, you should make quick movements so that pus and other separable contents come out of the baby’s eyes. This will help prevent the development of infection, eliminate severe inflammation. The main thing is to strictly follow the massage scheme and technique, then improvement can occur immediately after the first procedure.

Jul 11, 2017 Anastasia Tabalina

After a diagnosis of “dacryocystitis” is made, massage of the lacrimal canal in newborns is mandatory. This technique has contraindications, so it is carried out strictly as prescribed by the doctor. Massaging helps to open the canaliculi of the lacrimal sac, thanks to which the treatment of the pathology will be faster and more successful. It is important to learn how to properly massage the eyes of a baby, taking all precautions.

Why is it needed?

Dacryocystitis is a common disease in which blockage and inflammation of the lacrimal drainage system occurs. The tears produced by the glands cannot drain normally through nasal cavity. As a result, blockage and stenosis of the nasolacrimal duct occurs, which, if not addressed in a timely manner, leads to dangerous complications.

Typical symptoms of tear duct obstruction are:

stagnation of tears;
swelling, inflammation of the conjunctiva in a clogged eye;
redness of the whites;
if there is a bacterial infection inside the gland, the release of purulent exudate as with conjunctivitis.

All these symptoms are indications for massage in infants. For dacryocystitis in newborns it is prescribed complex therapy, while a special eye massage for obstruction is necessarily included in its scheme. The procedure is carried out by a specialist; if the mother wants to master the technique, it is important to learn all the subtleties and aspects of massage, otherwise the opening of the tubule will not be achieved.

Efficiency

Proper execution manipulations will lead to the desired result after a couple of weeks.

If the massage for dacryocystitis is correct, after 1-2 weeks it will be possible to achieve the opening of the nasolacrimal duct, after which it will function without disturbances. The procedure helps to avoid surgical treatment, which, like any surgery, may cause postoperative complications and consequences in infants.

According to Dr. Komarovsky, properly performed massage for blocked tear ducts in children under 10 months. helps to completely cure the disease without resorting to surgical methods therapy.

How to do?

To pierce the tear duct in infants, it is important to understand how to properly massage the eyes and nose, as well as remove mucus and purulent contents. Therefore, the first massage of the eye canal in a newborn should be performed by an experienced specialist. The sequence of actions is as follows:

The procedure itself is performed between the wings of the nose and the inner corner of the baby’s eye.

Using gentle, pushing movements, squeeze out the pathological contents from the lacrimal sac.
In the eye where the channel is clogged, drop a solution of Furacilin, heated to body temperature.
Using a sterile cotton swab, remove the released purulent exudate.
Next, you need to massage the area between the inner corner of the eye and the wings of the nose.
Use your fingertips to make careful, jerking movements, while simultaneously pressing on the clogged glands. Movements are performed from top to bottom - starting from the inner corner of the lacrimal openings and heading towards the wings of the nose. The number of such manipulations is 10.
Then perform one vibrating movement, only in the opposite direction - from bottom to top.
At the end of the procedure, drop bactericidal drops, for example, Vitabact or Levomycetin, into the clogged eye.

In order for the gelatinous film to break through, it is recommended to massage the nasolacrimal duct at least 4-5 times a day. The duration of the course of therapy depends on the individual characteristics of the child, but on average it takes 1.5-2 weeks. During this period, the child’s gland function normalizes and dacryocystitis recedes. It is important to constantly monitor the baby and monitor his well-being, since complications may arise when suppuration begins.

- This is a pathological process in which the nasolacrimal duct does not pass through. At untimely treatment pathology can diagnose infection. To treat the disease, massage of the lacrimal canal is often used.

Causes of eye suppuration

A newborn's tear provides nutrition to the cornea and also supports normal vision. When the lacrimal glands work, a film is formed, which ensures full refraction of the sun's rays. In children with normal operation The lacrimal glands produce fluid in small quantities. After washing the baby's eye, the tear enters the nasal cavity through the nasal duct.

In a quarter of newborns, the nasal duct is closed by a membrane. It resolves within a month after birth. If this is not observed, then the baby begins to have inflammation of the lacrimal sac. This leads to the development of dacryocystitis. The disease is accompanied by the appearance mucous- purulent discharge, which can be seen in the inner corner of the eye. If the discharge is observed in excessive quantities, the child cannot open his eyes on his own.

Important! In case of untimely treatment pathological process the child develops conjunctivitis and other complications. That is why it is necessary to carry out massage in a timely manner for dacryocystitis in newborns.

Why is massage necessary?

It is recommended to massage the lacrimal canal if there are appropriate indications. If a membrane was found in the lacrimal canal, then manipulation is recommended to prevent dacryocystitis. Dr. Komarovsky recommends using this method during the course of the pathology.

Before performing a massage for dacryocystitis, it is necessary to mandatory consult an ophthalmologist. If the diagnosis is incorrect, the procedure can only harm the baby. The specialist will tell you how to properly massage the lacrimal canal and what products need to be used for treatment. In most cases, ophthalmologists prescribe medications that have an anti-inflammatory effect.

Massage technique

Any parent can get a massage after consulting with a massage therapist. Parents must first prepare for the procedure. The massage therapist should cut his nails as short as possible and wash his hands thoroughly. In order for the massage to be effective for a child, you need to warm your hands to the most comfortable temperature. To ensure that your fingers glide, you must first lubricate them with baby cream or oil. To avoid getting the product into the eye, remove any excess with a tissue.

Before carrying out the manipulation, it is recommended to prepare the child. Initially, existing purulent discharge from the eye is removed. You need to take a tampon, which is moistened in a solution of furacillin or chamomile decoction. You need to wipe the eye from the outer edge to the inner. Each organ of vision should be wiped with a new cotton pad. You can wash the eye. To do this, one of the solutions is instilled into the baby’s organ of vision. It is recommended to remove the leaking product with a clean cotton pad. The manipulation should be carried out not only before the massage, but also after it.

In order for massage of the lacrimal duct to help, the scheme of its implementation must be strictly followed:

Initially, an adult’s hands are disinfected using special solutions. Only pads are used for manipulation index fingers. Initially, pressure is applied to inner part eye. After this, the fingers turn towards the bridge of the nose.
In order to remove purulent contents, it is recommended to apply light pressure on the lacrimal sac.
At the next stage, drops are instilled, which is first recommended to be heated to room temperature. Next, the secreted contents are wiped with a cotton pad or swab.
Pressure is applied to the bridge of the nose and simultaneous movement from top to bottom. In the same way, pressure is applied to the lacrimal sac.
The manipulation must be repeated at least 5 times. At the final stage, drops prescribed by the doctor are dropped into the eyes.

Massage of the lacrimal canal is the simplest procedure that anyone can do. The video will tell you more about the technique.

Komarovsky's methods

Dr. Komarovsky talks about how to do a massage correctly. A specialist has developed a methodology. The doctor claims that only gentle vibrating movements should be used to perform the massage. Strict adherence to the trajectory of movements is also recommended.

In order for the massage to help, the direction in the corners of the eye should only be from top to bottom. Breasts don't have enough strong body, so the doctor prohibits the use of antibiotics to treat them. Treatment of the disease should be carried out using eye drops. Who and what medications to use should be determined only by an ophthalmologist according to the individual characteristics of the patient’s body.

What drops should be used for dacryocystitis in newborns

Modern pharmaceutical companies engaged in the production of a variety of drops for the treatment of dacryocystitis. The choice of a specific medicine should be made only by a doctor after a preliminary examination of the baby.

The drug Tobrex, which was developed directly for the treatment of dacryocystitis, is quite effective. A medicine is produced based on tobramycin, which belongs to the category of active antibiotics. It is used to neutralize pathogenic microorganisms. The main component does not negatively affect the child’s body and is excreted along with urine.

The use of the medicine should be carried out with the utmost caution, since side effect is an allergic reaction. In order to eliminate it, it is recommended to first conduct an allergy test. The drug can cause complications in extremely rare cases. Improper use of the medicine leads to the development of seizures. If the drug is used irrationally, the baby's hearing may deteriorate. Using the drug in excessive quantities causes kidney problems.

Important! To provide effective treatment for dacryocystitis, drops must be used. To avoid the possibility of developing undesirable effects, you should first consult your doctor.

Indications and contraindications for massage

The manipulation must be carried out in strict accordance with the indications. Massage is prescribed if the tear ducts are blocked. The procedure is recommended for cloudy tears. If a child experiences redness and swelling of the lacrimal sac, he is recommended to have a massage. It is necessary for constant unilateral or bilateral lacrimation. When parents notice in the corners of their eyes permanent accumulation purulent contents, then the baby needs a massage.

Important! Despite the effectiveness of massage, it is prohibited in certain cases. If a child has hydrops of the lacrimal sac, then manipulation is strictly prohibited. A contraindication to the procedure is phlegmon of the lacrimal sac.

Massage is a highly effective procedure for dacryocystitis. That is why this manipulation is recommended when the first signs of pathology appear. To avoid complications, it is recommended to consult an ophthalmologist before massage.

Congenital diseases occur in many children. Most often they are associated with pathologies intrauterine development and are diagnosed in the first months of life. Obstruction of the lacrimal duct is a common disease that affects approximately 5% of all newborns, which causes lacrimation and the eye begins to fester. Parents should know the first signs of pathology, why it appears and how to treat it in order to provide the necessary assistance in a timely manner.

Causes of tear duct obstruction

The tear ducts of a child at the stage of intrauterine development are closed with a special epithelial film. Normally, it should resolve by the time it is born. There are cases pathological development this process, when the membrane remains on the eyes after birth. Most often, membrane rupture occurs at the moment of the baby's first cry. If the film does not disappear in the first weeks of life, dacryocystitis develops. The cause of the disease may be a gelatinous plug that seals the tear ducts.

Dacryocystitis is a pathology characterized by obstruction of the lacrimal canal and the development of an inflammatory process in the organs of vision. Causes of the disease:

Dacryocystitis can develop in children older than one year. Factors contributing to the occurrence of pathology:

chronic inflammation of the nasal mucosa (rhinitis);
injuries;
deviated nasal septum;
dropsy;
abnormally narrow tear duct.

Symptoms of the disease

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Most often, dacryocystitis is diagnosed in the first months of life. The main symptom of the disease is the early release of tears from the newborn's eye. Typically, fluid begins to form in infants older than 1 month. Pathology can be unilateral or bilateral. Other signs:

At the initial stages of development of dacryocystitis, it is secreted clear liquid. As the infection spreads, pus appears, which becomes noticeable in the corner of the eye, its amount increasing every day. Sometimes a child cannot open his eyes after waking up due to large quantity mucus on eyelashes.

In what cases is massage prescribed?

Dacryocystitis is diagnosed using a test - a special colored liquid is dropped into the baby's eyes, and cotton swabs are placed in the nasal passages. With normal patency of the lacrimal canal, liquid quickly enters the nose and stains the tampon. If patency is absent or partially impaired, staining occurs more slowly.

Pi timely diagnosis the disease is easily treatable. To eliminate the pathology, the following treatment methods are used:

How to do it correctly?

Massage for dacryocystitis in newborns significantly speeds up recovery. Actions are aimed at eliminating blockage of the tear duct. Before performing it yourself, you should ask your pediatrician or ophthalmologist to show you the correct massage technique.

It will be better if the massage is performed by a specialist for the first time, having taught the parents the techniques. Basic Rules:

massage regularly, 5–6 times a day before feeding;
movements must be confident and careful, since babies have thin cartilage tissue nose;
With age, the baby feels discomfort during the procedure, so you need to start at one month of age;
maintain hygiene.

Preparing mother and child

To achieve maximum effect, you need to purchase the following products:

Before performing a massage, you must wash your hands thoroughly with soap and trim your nails short. The baby should lie at a comfortable height on a hard surface (changing table). Should be swaddled infant or fix its position. This is necessary because the child cannot control the movements of his hands. It is believed that the procedure is best done when the baby is crying, because at this moment his tear ducts are tense and it will be easier to remove the film. You shouldn’t wait for crying; it’s important to perform the right movements and keep things clean.

Technique and techniques

Preparatory actions before massage (treatment):

gently squeeze the liquid out of the lacrimal sac;
drop 1-2 drops of Furacilin at room temperature into each eye;
wipe the eyes with a sterile cotton pad from the outer edge to the inner (wipe each eye with a clean pad).

Technique (more details in the video at the end of the article):

Find the lacrimal sac - it is small and dense. Located in the inner corner of the eye. Movements should be performed with a pad index finger from the brow ridge to the corner of the eye.
Massage the lacrimal sac, moving from top to bottom (from the inner corner to the wings of the nose). Vibrating and jerking movements with moderate pressure are most effective.
It is necessary to perform 10 movements from top to bottom, the last one from the wings of the nose to the lacrimal sac.
Apply disinfectant drops (“Vitabakt” or “Levomycetin”) (we recommend reading:). You need to instill it in both eyes, even if there is obstruction in only one organ of vision.

During treatment, care must be taken to ensure that the leaking fluid does not enter other organs. To do this, you need to clean your eyes with a cotton pad in a timely manner.

Are there any contraindications?

You should not massage the lacrimal canal in newborns with the following diseases:

Phlegmon of the lacrimal sac - acute inflammation infectious in nature, accompanied by tissue necrosis. The disease occurs with fever, headache and weakness.
Dropsy (hydrops) is a complication of dacryocystitis, in which atrophy of the mucous membrane occurs. In this case, a tumor with thin skin appears on the back of the nose, under which a gray-blue liquid is visible.

There are times when massage does not bring therapeutic effect, And inflammatory process covers the tissue next to the lacrimal sac. In this case, the probing method can be used. Its essence is to insert a special probe at a right angle with rotational movements into the nasolacrimal canal. The probe helps expand the tear duct and remove the plug. After removing the device, the channels are washed with an antiseptic.

The operation is performed under local anesthesia.

To avoid relapse of dacryocystitis and other complications, it is necessary to massage and use drops after surgery.

Famous pediatrician O.E. Komarovsky believes that dacryocystitis can be cured and the condition of a newborn up to 6 months can be alleviated with the help of properly performed massage. The procedure should be carried out by a specialist or after training one of the parents, since theoretical knowledge will not be enough.

It is important to maintain hygiene and wipe your eyes in a timely manner so as not to introduce an infection into the affected eye or infect a healthy one (in case of a unilateral disease). All actions must be confident and careful, with moderate pressure.

Some mothers are faced with the problem of obstruction of the lacrimal ducts in newborns. At the top of the eye is the lacrimal gland, which produces tears that lubricate, nourish and protect the front of the eyeball.

In the photo you can see the location of the lacrimal gland. Its secretion should lubricate the cornea of the eye, preventing drying. The opening of the canal through which the lacrimal secretion passes during prenatal time is closed by a delicate membrane. Which should open after the birth of the child, with his first cry.

But it happens that it turns out to be quite durable. Sometimes unfavorable anatomical conditions arise and its integrity is not compromised. The mouth of the lacrimal sac is closed. Its contents do not enter the nasolacrimal duct and begin to become infected.

Tear-purulent inflammation occurs. Dead cells and mucus, lingering in the tear duct, acquire nutritious soil and provoke the occurrence of dacryocystitis. This causes anxiety in the baby, souring of the eyes after sleep.

Signs of dacryocystitis

From the first days of life, a newborn experiences profuse discharge from both or one eye.
The discharge is sometimes mucous or purulent in nature. Tearing occurs constantly.
A slight redness appears on the conjunctiva.
Swelling occurs or the lacrimal sac swells
When pressing on the lacrimal sac, tears or purulent contents appear.

All these are symptoms that the child has dacryocystitis. Sometimes the disease takes on a complex form and proceeds as acute phlegmonous inflammation. This makes the child restless, he becomes nervous, cries, and his temperature rises.

Eventually, the pus breaks through the skin, forming a fistula - an opening through which the contents of the lacrimal sac are released. General state the child immediately returns to normal, the inflammatory process subsides.

Diagnosis of dacryocystitis

To make sure the diagnosis is correct, contact to a qualified doctor. He will conduct an examination and determine the nature of the secretion released with light pressure on the lacrimal sac. He will take so-called color samples from the child, which will allow you to assess the possibility of tears passing through the canal.

There are two types of checks:

From the tear ducts
From the nose.

In both cases, a 3% dark solution of Collargol is instilled into the child’s eyes. Monitor how long it takes for the color to appear in the child’s eyes. This is a tubular test. If the color appears within 5 minutes, the test is considered positive, and if it takes up to 10 minutes or more, it is negative, and this indicates a slowdown or significant difficulty in the passage of tear secretion through the canaliculi.

In the case of the second type of test, a cotton swab is inserted into the nose and the time for the appearance of the coloring effect is also monitored. If it appears within the first five minutes, it should not cause concern. Slowing down the process to 10 minutes or more - the sample gave negative result, this means that outflow is complicated or absent altogether.

Also, by pressing, the contents are taken for analysis, its nature and the possibility of antibiotics influencing it are determined.

In difficult cases, rinsing of the tear ducts is used, endoscopy or probing is performed.

Dr. Komarovsky says that usually a blockage of the tear duct acquired by a child goes away without any intervention by the age of one year. But it is possible to solve this problem earlier. Obstruction of the lacrimal duct in newborns is treated with massage.

When is a massage prescribed?

Late detection of the disease leads to complications varying degrees. Various adhesions and expansions may appear. The disease will enter a chronic, sluggish stage. Which will lead to regular conjunctivitis, orbital phlegmon, corneal lesions and other eye problems.

And they will require more serious treatment, sometimes even with the help surgical intervention. Therefore, you should carefully monitor the condition of your baby's tear ducts.

If the correct diagnosis is established, it is recommended to begin treatment of dacryocystitis in newborns with the help of massage, which can break through the membrane of the lacrimal sac. It is permissible to use it if a problem was discovered immediately after birth.

Preparing and performing massage

You are convinced that your child really has dacryocystitis and the membrane is preventing the passage of tear fluid through the canals. It is necessary to start preparing for the massage.
It should include the following actions:

Make sure that your nails do not harm the child.
Wash your hands clean.
Test for allergic reaction baby to the cream, which you will subsequently use for massage.
Clean your baby's eye with disinfectant solutions, for example, furatsilin or chamomile, or you can use ordinary boiled water. The mixture should be slightly warmed. Rinse the eye, freeing it from mucus, rubbing outside corner to the inner one with a cotton swab, first moisten it in the prepared solution.
Warm up your hands to a comfortable state for the child.
Prepare your own swab for each eye.
Lubricate the finger with which you will massage with warm cream.

If there is no thick composition, the washing procedure can be replaced by instillation. To do this, turn the child on his side and drop a wash or disinfectant onto the outer corner area. The mixture will wash the mucous membrane, flowing to the inside of the eye.

Massage technique

It is advisable to watch the video before performing it.

And then we proceed to the following procedures:

Let's prepare a hard surface and lay the baby on it.
Use the pad of your finger to find the location of the lacrimal sac.
Sliding easily, but with a certain degree of pressure, we move from this point to the wing of the nose.
This massage must be repeated 5 to 10 times, depending on the recommendation of the ophthalmologist.
After finishing the massage, we instill the eye drops prescribed by the doctor.

We use a changing table or simply an elastic mattress as a hard surface. In the future, you will develop the necessary skills, and you will be able to perform the massage process during feeding. There is no need to fix the child's head.

Due to this procedure, we will create pressure on the nasolacrimal duct. The embryonic tissue of the membrane will become thinner and rupture will occur. Fulfill massage movements need to be done at a fast pace according to the pattern shown in the picture. Its duration should be no more than two seconds.

Instillation is done to prevent the infection from spreading further and harming the healthy eye.

It may be clear or purulent if it appears bacterial infection. Then the child must be shown to a doctor, who will determine whether the tear duct has opened. And he will either offer to continue the massage or prescribe a probing procedure, which is usually performed once. It will restore the patency of the lacrimal canal.