Red eyelids of newborn after childbirth

A small child brings joy and happiness to the house. But hardly anyone will argue with the fact that with the baby in the house there is also a constant excitement for his health. Well, what kind of mother can remain indifferent, noticing the red eyelids of the newborn? And if the kid also became restless, often cries, constantly rubs his eyes, where does not get excited and do not hurry to see a pediatrician. And this will be the right decision, because such a symptom can be both a physiological feature of newborns, and the manifestation of quite dangerous diseases.

[1], [2], [3]

Causes of the red eyelids of a newborn

Seeing the red eyelids of a newborn, some moms in a panic immediately rush to look for reasons on the Internet, their parents, girlfriends, neighbors, without thinking that the same symptom can be a manifestation of various diseases and conditions. Sometimes it is very difficult to determine by eye the true cause of redness of the eyelids, even in an adult, not that of a child. But children with their delicate skin and unformed immune system are very different from us adults.

If you look closely, you can see that the skin of the newborn is very thin, so in some places especially vulnerable places through it are radiating blood vessels. Red vessels on the eyelids of a newborn are not pathologies. The skin of the eyelids is especially tender and delicate, which means that blood-filled capillaries can easily be seen through such a delicate barrier.

Another thing, if the vessels are visible not only on the eyelids, but also on the proteins of the eyes. This can talk about the pathologies of the vascular system of the eyes, which are usually inflammatory. This symptom can be observed with iritis, uveitis, iridocyclitis and other pathologies of vessels that permeate the organs of vision.

If a bright red or burgundy-pink tint of the eyelids was noted immediately after the birth of the baby, then the cause may be a benign neoplasm, which is referred to as a mole and is called a gangioma. In such cases, not only redness is noted, but also an enlargement of the eyelids with a grainy pattern. Most often after a while, the skin in the eyelid area turns pale and becomes even. In some cases, the gangioma disappears by itself. If neoplasm is observed, doctors resort to prompt and radiotherapy.

If, after childbirth on the baby's eyelids, you see limited areas with blood veins or red spots, a possible cause of such a symptom is subcutaneous hemorrhage, which could occur at the time of delivery.

If it's not about the red streaks on the eyelids of the baby, but about the local redness of the skin, the reason can be the usual rubbing the eyelids with the fists, which young children often do when they want to sleep. This redness quickly comes off, leaving no trace, and not dangerous to health.

If the red spots on the eyelids of a newborn do not hurry to go, and the child behaves restlessly and always pulls his fingers to his eyes, the probable cause of redness and swelling of the eyelids can be the bites of bloodsucking insects (mosquitoes, bed fleas, ticks). The immune system of the newborn is still very weak, so the likelihood of developing an allergic reaction to an insect bite or analgesic, which is injected when piercing the skin, some of them.

Redness and swelling of the eyelids, as well as lacrimation can be accompanied by allergic reactions to dust, pollen, food (in infants this reaction is sometimes observed with regard to milk formulas and breast milk, if the nursing mother used food that is an allergen), medicines. Painful sensations and difficult eye movements are not observed.

If these two symptoms are attached, you can suspect an inflammatory eye disease, and the affected area can be different. If the eyelid flushes and blushes at the very edge, it is possible to talk about blepharitis with a high probability .

With this pathology, the inflammatory reaction covers the glands located at the edge of the eyelid, and its cause can be various pathologies occurring against a background of lack of vitamins (avitaminosis), helminthic invasion, parasite damage (eg, demodex mite), eye irritation with smoke or dust, and non-compliance eye hygiene. The risk factor for the development of this pathology in the future may be a lack of correction of refractive disorders.

One of the varieties of blepharitis is considered to be everything known for its strange name barley on the eye. It arises from the inflammation of the hair follicle of the cilium. In this case, the reddening of the century is not spilled, but has limited localization. With the spread of the inflammatory process to the entire eyelid, it is no longer a question of barley, but of the abscess of the century.

Redness of the eyelids in a newborn can also cause such a dangerous pathology as conjunctivitis. In this case, inflammation, accompanied by reddening and swelling of the tissues of the eyelid, does not cover the hair bulb or sebaceous gland, but the entire mucous membrane covering the inner surface of the eyelid and the eyeball.

As a result of eye injury or exposure to an infectious factor, the inflammatory process can develop on the cornea of the eyeball. Sometimes it spills over the mucous membrane and causes the child's reddening of the eyelids, swelling and other unpleasant symptoms. This is a pathology called keratitis, which is rarely diagnosed in children, but it can not be ruled out.

But dacryocystitis, characterized by inflammation of the tissues of the lacrimal sac, occurs mainly in infancy in 5 newborns out of 100. Symptoms of the disease, one of which are the red eyelids of a newborn, can be seen already in the first days and weeks after the birth of the baby.

As we see a list of pathologies and conditions characterized by redness of the eyelids in a child, it is quite extensive. Virtually all eye diseases have the property of passing into a chronic form and affecting the quality of the baby's vision. And this is an occasion for the slightest suspicious symptoms to seek the help of a specialist and begin treatment of his beloved child as soon as possible.

[4], [5], [6]

Pathogenesis

Red eyelids in a newborn is not a disease, but a characteristic symptom of various inflammatory eye diseases that can have their own causes and flow characteristics. At the heart of the pathogenesis of most diseases is the effect of irritants on the mucous membranes of the eye. Such factors, in turn, may be allergic or infectious (bacterial, less often viral) nature.

Blepharitis is a predominantly infectious disease, the most common causative agent of which is Staphylococcus aureus. This bacterium can be found on the skin or mucosa of the upper respiratory tract, both in children and in adults. It is with him that frequent cases of blepharitis develop against the background of chronic infectious pathologies of the respiratory system.

However, because of the imperfection of the immune system, the causative agent of blepharitis in newborns can also become quite harmless microorganism, the native inhabitant of the human skin - epidermal staphylococcus aureus. For the same reason, the risk factors for the onset of the inflammatory process at the edge of the eyelids can be considered hypovitaminosis, allergic reactions and irritation of the mucous eyes with caustic substances.

This pathology of the eyes, like conjunctivitis, can also be infectious or allergic in nature. Moreover, it can successfully develop against the background of already existing inflammatory eye diseases, as their complication. As an infectious factor, bacteria and viruses can act equally.

Conjunctivitis is a very insidious disease, which can have various forms. Therefore, it is very important to establish as soon as possible the cause that caused the inflammatory process, until it went deep. Red eyelids of the newborn after 2 or 3 days after delivery can be an indicator of a special form of conjunctivitis - gonorrhea.

Another name for pathology is gonoblenaire. Her pathogen is gonococcal infection. The risk factor for this disease in newborns is the presence of this causative agent of sexually transmitted diseases in the mother. The fetus, passing through the birth canal, can catch this infection, which subsequently will cause a severe inflammatory eye disease, in which the eyelids strongly redden and swell.

In keratitis, the risk factors for the development of the inflammatory process are trauma to the horny layer of the eye or eye damage by bacteria and viruses.

All the pathologies described above develop along one path. The irritating effect of allergic or infectious factors causes an increased sensitivity of tissues to external influences. An inflammatory process develops, for which hyperemia and edema of tissues are characteristic. As the spread of inflammation increases the ability of the mucosa to penetrate and bacteria can penetrate into the tissues, where the result of their vital activity is the formation of pus.

With dacryocystitis, the anatomical features of newborns come to the fore. The fact is that as long as the fetus is in the womb of his mother, his nasolacrimal canal is blocked with a thin film - a membrane, which protects the baby's airways from hitting their amniotic fluid. At the time of the birth of the baby or during the first days, the membrane self-tearing, giving the output accumulated in the nasolacrimal canal content. Tears now periodically clear the tear duct, not allowing dust to accumulate there, to bacteria, allergens.

If the film remains intact as a result of stagnant phenomena in the area of the lacrimal sac, an inflammatory process may develop. Bacteria that enter the nasolacrimal canal linger there for a long time, provoking the appearance of purulent contents, as in the case of other inflammatory pathologies of the eyes (blepharitis, barley, conjunctivitis).

[7], [8], [9], [10], [11], [12]

Symptoms of the red eyelids of a newborn

As we have already said, the reddening of the eyelids in infants can have physiological and pathological causes. If the non-pathological redness of the eyelids is not accompanied by the appearance of other suspicious symptoms that cause anxiety and crying in the baby, eye diseases have more than one symptom, by which one can understand approximately what the parents are dealing with.

With blepharitis, barley, conjunctivitis red eyelids and eye swelling in the newborn are considered only the first signs of the disease, for which it is very difficult to say which part of the eye is affected. Later, they are joined by more specific symptoms, indicating not only the nature of the pathology, but also its localization.

With blepharitis, such symptoms are:

• peeling of the skin and the appearance of yellowish crusts along the edge of the eyelid in the eyelash growth zone; if the crust is removed, under them you can find small wounds,
• loss of eyelashes in the affected area,
• itching, burning and pain on the skin in this area, which can be judged by the behavior of the child, which begins to be capricious, constantly crying, all the time stretching handles to the eyes
• narrowing of the eye gap due to the swelling of the eyelids and the feeling of heaviness when opening the eyes.

The red upper eyelid of the newborn indicates that the inflammation is located in the upper part of the eye. However, in most cases, redness and swelling gradually shift to the lower eyelid.

Barley can flow in mild form, when reddening and slight swelling of the eyelids is the only symptom, or have a more severe course with the formation of a dense pustule that eventually grows in size until it breaks and pus flows outward. Barley is characterized by the appearance of a sensation that a foreign body has entered the eye, and a strong itch in the place of the abscess.

If the barley grows large, hyperthermia and enlarged lymph nodes, indicating a strong inflammation and a purulent process, are added to the existing symptomatology.

Barley can be either single or multiple. If the foci of inflammation are several, reddens and swells almost all the eyelid. This phenomenon is called an abscess, and it is characterized by: increased photosensitivity and lacrimation, sensation of interference in the eye, secretion of purulent contents from the eye.

The same symptoms are also characteristic for inflammation of the mucous membrane of the eye. If a newborn is diagnosed with conjunctivitis, his behavior changes greatly. The child becomes capricious, but the tears from his eyes flow not only during crying, but also when the kid is calm (lacrimation is intensified by exposure to cold or bright light). The kid constantly frowns, if you take it out, he can turn away or rub his eyes with his fists and cry.

Already later, the main symptoms are reddening and edema of the eyelids, the release of pus and its accumulation in the inner corners of the eyes. The eyes of the baby at the same time strongly turn red and itch, under the eyes can form pouches and bruises. The nasal is embedded, from it mucus (snot) is actively allocated, the child can begin to sneeze and cough. Cough can be both dry and wet.

If conjunctivitis is contagious, it is often accompanied by a cough and a fever, which is different from an allergic disease.

Keratitis most often occurs as a consequence of the above-described disease. The most intense redness is observed in the corners of the eyes near the eyeball. The child feels a strong pain, therefore often cries, does not want to eat, frowns. Tears from his eyes flow almost constantly. The most specific symptom of the pathology is a slight opacification of the corneal layer of the eye (it becomes insufficiently transparent).

The first signs of dacryocystitis are constant lacrimation. A little later, parents can notice the red and swollen eyelids of a newborn, the appearance of swelling and bruising under the eyes, a decrease in the eye gap (there is a feeling that the baby is constantly screwing up). Further, in the corners of the eyes, as with conjunctivitis, pus may appear. Provoke its release can be a slight pressure on the lacrimal sac.

Any of the inflammatory pathologies of the eyes can cover both one and both eyes, easily swapping from one organ of vision to another. Often, the disease begins on one eye, the child, by oversight of his parents, actively rubs and transfers the infection with his hands to the other eye.

As we see, the reddening of the eyelids in newborns can be observed with various pathologies. And even additional symptoms can not give uninformed in matters of eye illness to parents a clear picture of the existing disease. To make an accurate diagnosis, you need to consult a specialist doctor.

It is important to understand and such a moment. Practically any inflammatory pathology of the organs of vision can have not one, but several forms depending on the pathogen. It is clear that the approach to the treatment of diseases of a bacterial, viral and allergic nature can be markedly different. Therefore, self-treatment without an accurate diagnosis often not only does not lead to improvement, but can also cause dangerous complications affecting both the eyes and other important human organs.

Complications and consequences

It's time to talk about the unpleasant consequences of untimely or incorrect treatment of inflammatory pathologies, which parents are told by the red eyelids of their newborn son or daughter. And the causes of these consequences are in most cases the parents' inattention and placing high hopes for alternative treatment.

Any inflammation in the body adversely affects primarily the work of those organs that have been affected by a bacterial or viral infection. Thus, any inflammatory pathology, localized in the field of vision, may adversely affect their functionality.

Take, for example, blepharitis. This pathology does not seem as dangerous as conjunctivitis or keratitis, because the inflammation covers the eyelid only at the very edge. Nevertheless, if it is careless and timely not to begin effective antibacterial or antiviral treatment, the inflammation will quickly spread to the conjunctiva and the cornea, and another or two similar ones will join the initial diagnosis.

Conjunctivitis is a pathology that can get active spreading both from the outside and from the inside. Especially it concerns an infectious pathology, which knowingly has such rich symptomatology, similar to catarrhal pathologies. If the disease is not treated, a purulent process and the spread of inflammation to the nearby layers of the cornea can play a cruel joke and significantly impair the child's vision. In severe cases, conjunctivitis and keratitis are fully capable of completely depriving the baby of the ability to see the world.

All the pathologies described above are also dangerous because they quickly pass into a chronic course, when any unfavorable conditions against a background of reduced immunity can cause a relapse of the disease. But chronic diseases themselves can reduce the defenses of the body, opening the way to new and new diseases.

If you carefully understand, then reducing visual acuity is a fairly frequent complication of any inflammatory eye pathology, the treatment of which has not been given proper attention. But the greatest danger is still those forms of eye diseases, which are accompanied by the formation of pus. This is facilitated by the location of our organs of vision.

The person's eyes are located in the head area in the immediate vicinity of the brain. Thus, pushes pus in the eye socket is fraught with the ingress of the bacterial component into the cranial cavity. Bacterial and viral infection can cause inflammation of organs and tissues inside the skull. Hence not only a significant deterioration in the eyesight of the child, but also life-threatening diseases like the inflammation of the brain membrane called the minigitis, and the infection of blood (it is also sepsis).

[13], [14], [15], [16], [17], [18], [19]

Diagnostics of the red eyelids of a newborn

When it comes to the health of our children, self-diagnosis should be the last thing that caring parents can ask. It is clear that the grandmothers, mothers and other relatives of the newly-made parents of the beautiful child will give plenty of advice on how and from what to treat the baby, considering that their life experience is quite enough. In fact, adherence to the good advice of loved ones does not always lead to getting rid of the disease without sad consequences.

In case of suspicious symptoms, the child's parents should immediately contact the district pediatrician who, if necessary, will prescribe additional consultations and examinations from other doctors, in this case the oculist.

The final diagnosis in any case puts the oculist, who, in addition to examining the eyes of a small patient, conducts a survey of parents, studies anamnesis, biomicroscopy, and directs them to laboratory studies (the cytology of discharge from the eye). Specify the diagnosis, i.e. To determine the causative agent of the disease, special laboratory tests help: bacteriological, and if the infectious factor is not detected, also virological and immunological.

When suspected of the allergic nature of the disease, allergic tests are performed, laboratory blood tests for the content of eosinophils and immunoglobulin, exclude dysbacteriosis and the presence of worms.

If under suspicion of obstruction of the lacrimal canal, contrast radiography of the lacrimal canal or a special sample with contrast agents may be prescribed. In the latter case, the patency of the nasolacrimal canal is determined by the time it passes through the contrast medium, which is buried in the eye and should appear no later than 10 minutes on a cotton swab in the nasal passage.

An important role in the diagnosis of the disease, the symptom of which are the red eyelids of a newborn, is assigned to differential diagnosis. Still, this symptom is not specific and can be observed with various inflammatory diseases of the eyes. But in this case, the decisive moment in the appointment of treatment is not so much the name of the pathology, as its nature. For example, it makes no sense to treat allergic or viral conjunctivitis with antibiotics. Such treatment can only complicate the various organs of the baby, disrupt the microflora of the body, finally destroy immunity, but not defeat the disease. The same can be said about the treatment of bacterial pathology with antihistamine drugs alone, which are successfully used in the treatment of allergic diseases.

[20], [21], [22], [23], [24], [25]

Treatment of the red eyelids of a newborn

Many parents, after seeing the red eyelids of a newborn, are lost and begin to panic. Their excitement is understandable, because for loving parents, the health of the long-awaited baby is more valuable than its life. But panic in this case is unacceptable, because it does not allow you to think logically and act.

The question of what to do if the newborn has red eyelids, the answer is rhetorical: of course, show the child to the doctor, especially if there are other suspicious symptoms that cause the child's anxiety. The doctor, after examining the child and setting the final diagnosis, will prescribe a treatment corresponding to the existing pathology, and not a universal prescription that has helped your great-grandmother.

Each inflammatory pathology of the eyes requires their approach to treatment. However, there is a common point that helps successfully cure various types of the same pathology:

• inflammations of bacterial nature are treated with antibiotics that are active against a particular pathogen (most often these drugs have a wide range of effects, are made in the form of eye drops and ointments: levomycetin, tetracycline, albucid, etc.)
• eye diseases of an allergic nature can not be treated without taking antihistamines (Fenistil, Suprastin, Tavegil, Cetrin), although sometimes inflammatory diseases of the eyes in children can pass without the use of medicines if an allergen is detected and removed,
• the viral etiology of inflammatory pathologies of the organs of vision implies the use of antiviral agents or so-called immunostimulants ("Interferon" drops, Oksolin ointments, Terbofen, Zovirax, etc.).

Since the treatment of eye patients is carried out mainly with the help of special drops and ointments, before using them, it is necessary to prepare a glazik for the treatment procedure by wiping it with antiseptic solutions (furacilin solution, light pink composition from water and potassium permanganate, as well as natural medicines: welding, mint broth, infusion of chamomile, etc.).

It is important to remember that the instruments used for the treatment of a newborn (pipette, container for the preparation of antiseptic and anti-inflammatory compounds) and auxiliaries (bandage, cotton) should be sterile. A pipette should be boiled before the first use and after each subsequent use.

Any medicines: ointments, drops, solutions for eyewash should be used only as directed by the doctor. If at home there are already some drugs that were previously used in the treatment of the eyes in adults or older children, it is necessary to consult with a specialist and the possibility and appropriateness of their use in the treatment of a newborn. Not all "adult" drugs can be applied without consequences in pediatric practice, and the dosage for infants and adults is usually not the same.

What can be done with the appearance of the first symptoms of the disease, if there is no possibility to visit the doctor immediately? To begin with, you need to take all measures so that the child does not touch the eyes with handles. It is clear that the itch and pain will be very troubling to the baby, and he will try to alleviate unpleasant symptoms in his own way, actually only aggravating the situation and transferring the infection from one eye to another. It would be better to swaddle the baby so that he could not reach his face.

As with any other disease, the child needs to provide bed rest, fresh air (by airing the room), the lack of drafts. It should be ensured that in the room where the child is, the air was at room temperature. Heat and cold can only aggravate the situation.

Usually, redness and swelling of the eyelids in childhood are associated with barley and, on the advice of "experienced" people, they hasten to apply dry heat to the affected eye (usually in the form of a boiled egg). This should not be done, because even with barley, it is possible to adjust the heat only for the ripening of the barley that has begun to ripen at the height of the disease, and not at its beginning. And if we consider that heat is not used at all in other inflammatory pathologies (and we still do not even know the exact diagnosis), such treatment can only cause dangerous complications instead of easing the baby's condition.

Since in many inflammatory eye diseases one of the symptoms is photophobia, do not take the baby to a bright light or include intense lighting that will only increase the anxiety of the small patient.

As a first aid, you can try wiping your baby's eyes with an anti-inflammatory compound based on herbal ingredients: decoction and infusion of calendula or chamomile, black or green tea, mint leaves, cornflower, and permanent residents of our dachas and fennel and parsley. But rubbing is strongly said, because the skin around the eyes of newborns is so thin that instead of rubbing you need to make lotions using a sterile bandage and cotton wool. For each eye, you need to take separate pieces of cotton wool and bandage and preferably a separate container with the drug composition.

Dipping a sick eye does not need to randomly move from one corner of the eye to the other. The direction of movement of the hand should be from the outer edge of the eye to the inside. This will prevent the spread of infection throughout the eye, because most often the problem is localized in the area of internal angles (closer to the nose).

Use a variety of drugstores without doctor's appointment in any case impossible. First, without knowing the exact diagnosis, it is impossible to assume how expedient the use of this tool. And why once again stuff the child with unnecessary drugs? Secondly, the baby is small and it is not known how its organism reacts to the drug you have. It will be better if the first time the procedure of instillation or washing the eyes of the newborn is conducted by the doctor himself or you will do it yourself under the supervision of the medical staff.

In occasion of dacryocystitis, one can say that his treatment is not much different from other pathologies, except that along with antiseptics and antibacterial solutions, an additional special eye massage is prescribed, which helps remove pus from lacrimal sacs and stimulates the independent opening of lacrimal canals. Such treatment is usually performed up to 2 months of age. If the tear ducts remain closed, the child is sent for probing - an operation that is performed under local anesthesia very quickly and does not cause harm or discomfort to the baby.

Prevention

Inflammatory eye diseases in a newborn, one of the symptoms of which are considered red and swollen eyelids, pose a health hazard at any age. And what about babies, who have not even finally formed many vital systems. The parents' task is to fully care for the child, which will help to avoid these and many other diseases that lie in wait for the crumbs on the way to growing up.

Proper care of the baby implies the implementation of simple actions that must become the habit of caring mothers and dads:

• hygiene of the face and body of the baby: you should regularly wash the baby with water without chlorine, make sure that his handles are always clean,
• to control, so that the baby, as rarely as possible, touched the hands of the eyes, and without the need to do it himself,
• by manipulating the face and body of the child, you must first wash your hands with soap,
• carefully monitor the changes in mood, behavior and well-being of the baby, if you have anxiety or unclear symptoms, you should try to find out what they are connected with, having consulted in this regard with the pediatrician,
• fresh air for a young child is not only useful, but also necessary, but walks need to be done in good quiet weather; strong cold, high humidity, wind - not the best conditions for walking in the air,
• it is important not only when to walk, but also where; it is better to do it in the park, away from cars and people, during the epidemic of colds, one must try to avoid public places and prevent the child from communicating with sick people,
• if the child nevertheless has caught a cold, ARVI or other respiratory pathology, all measures should be taken to treat it, preventing the transition to a chronic form and the development of concomitant pathologies (eg, blepharitis or conjunctivitis),
• Do not encourage newborn's contact with pets if you are not sure about their absolute health (absence of parasites, fungal diseases, etc.)
• you need to closely monitor the sight of the baby, because this affects the degree of mastering visual information and the full development of the child; if possible, it is desirable to visit regularly not only the pediatrician, but also the ophthalmologist.

Carrying out simple requirements for caring for the child will help parents avoid many troubles, although no one can give a 100% guarantee that the baby will not get sick. If nevertheless it was not possible to prevent the disease, it is necessary to take measures for its treatment as soon as possible, having turned for help to the medical institution.

[26], [27], [28], [29], [30]

Forecast

Like other inflammatory pathologies described in the article of eye disease, for which a characteristic symptom are the red eyelids of a newborn, do not like procrastination. Not at an early stage, they are all treated, and quite successfully. But the prognosis of recovery in any case depends on the attentiveness and efficiency of the parents. The sooner they notice changes in the baby's condition and begin the treatment recommended by the doctor, the easier it will be to have the disease, the less likely the complications and the higher the chance of a quick recovery.

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