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Red eyelids in a newborn after delivery

 
, medical expert
Last reviewed: 04.07.2025
 
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A small child brings joy and happiness to the house. But hardly anyone will argue with the fact that along with the baby, constant anxiety about his health comes into the house. Well, what mother can remain indifferent, noticing red eyelids in a newborn? And if the baby also became restless, often cries, constantly rubs his eyes, how can you not worry and rush to see a pediatrician. And this will be the right decision, because such a symptom can be both a physiological feature of newborns and a manifestation of quite dangerous diseases.

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Causes red eyelids in a newborn

Seeing red eyelids in a newborn, some mothers in a panic immediately rush to look for reasons on the Internet, from their parents, friends, neighbors, without thinking about the fact that the same symptom can be a manifestation of various diseases and conditions. Sometimes it is very difficult to determine the true cause of red eyelids even in an adult, let alone 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 a newborn is very thin, so in some particularly vulnerable places, blood vessels are visible through it. Red vessels on the eyelids of a newborn are not a pathology. The skin of the eyelids is especially delicate and thin, which means that blood-filled capillaries can be easily seen through such a delicate barrier.

It is another matter if the vessels are visible not only on the eyelids, but also on the whites of the eyes. This may indicate pathologies of the vascular system of the eyes, which are usually inflammatory in nature. This symptom can be observed in iritis, uveitis, iridocyclitis and other pathologies of the vessels penetrating the organs of vision.

If a bright red or burgundy-pink shade of the eyelids was noted immediately after the birth of the baby, then the cause may be a benign neoplasm, which is classified as a mole and is called a gangioma. In such cases, not only redness is noted, but also an increase in the eyelids with a grainy pattern. Most often, after a while, the skin in the eyelid area turns pale and evens out. In some cases, the gangioma disappears on its own. If the neoplasm grows, doctors resort to surgical and radiation treatment.

If after birth, limited areas with blood streaks or red spots are visible on the baby's eyelids, a possible cause of this symptom is considered to be subcutaneous hemorrhage, which could have occurred at the time of birth.

If we are not talking about red veins on the baby's eyelids, but about local reddening of the skin, the cause may be the usual rubbing of the eyelids with fists, which small children often do when they want to sleep. Such reddening quickly disappears, leaving no trace, and is not dangerous to health.

If the red spots on the newborn's eyelids are in no hurry to disappear, and the child behaves restlessly and constantly reaches for the eyes with his fingers, the probable cause of the redness and swelling of the eyelids may be bites of blood-sucking insects (mosquitoes, bedbugs, ticks). The immune system of the newborn is still very weak, so there is a high probability of developing an allergic reaction to an insect bite or an analgesic that some of them inject when piercing the skin.

Redness and swelling of the eyelids, as well as lacrimation, may be accompanied by allergic reactions to dust, pollen, food products (in infants, such a reaction is sometimes observed in relation to milk formulas and breast milk if the nursing mother consumed food that is an allergen), and medications. There is no pain or difficulty moving the eyes.

If these two symptoms join, one can suspect inflammatory eye diseases, and the affected area can be different. If the eyelid becomes inflamed and red at the very edge, one can most likely talk about blepharitis.

In this pathology, the inflammatory reaction affects the glands located along the edge of the eyelid, and its cause may be various pathologies occurring against the background of a lack of vitamins (avitaminosis), helminthic invasion, parasitic damage (for example, the demodex mite), eye irritation from smoke or dust, and poor eye hygiene. A risk factor for the development of this pathology in the future may be the lack of correction of refractive errors.

One of the varieties of blepharitis is considered to be the well-known by its strange name stye on the eye. It occurs as a result of inflammation of the hair follicle of the eyelash. In this case, the redness of the eyelid is not diffuse, but has a limited localization. When the inflammatory process spreads to the entire eyelid, we are no longer talking about stye, but about an abscess of the eyelid.

Redness of the eyelids in a newborn can also be caused by such a dangerous pathology as conjunctivitis. In this case, the inflammation, accompanied by redness and swelling of the eyelid tissue, affects not the hair follicle or sebaceous gland, but the entire mucous membrane covering the inner surface of the eyelid and the eyeball.

As a result of an eye injury or exposure to an infectious factor, an inflammatory process can develop on the cornea of the eyeball. Sometimes it spreads to the mucous membrane and causes redness of the eyelid in a child, swelling and other unpleasant symptoms. We are talking about a pathology called keratitis, which is rarely diagnosed in children, but it also cannot be ruled out.

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

As we can see, the list of pathologies and conditions characterized by reddening of the eyelids in a child is quite extensive. Almost all eye diseases tend to become chronic and affect the quality of the baby's vision. And this is already a reason to seek help from a specialist at the slightest suspicious symptoms and begin treatment of your beloved child as soon as possible.

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Pathogenesis

Red eyelids in a newborn are not a disease, but a characteristic symptom of various inflammatory eye diseases, which may have their own causes and course characteristics. The pathogenesis of most diseases is based on the effect of irritating factors on the mucous membranes of the eye. Such factors, in turn, can be of an allergic or infectious (bacterial, less often viral) nature.

Blepharitis is a predominantly infectious disease, the most common pathogen of which is Staphylococcus aureus. This bacterium can be found on the skin or mucous membrane of the upper respiratory tract, both in children and adults. It is with it that frequent cases of blepharitis development are associated against the background of chronic infectious pathologies of the respiratory system.

However, due to the imperfection of the immune system, the causative agent of blepharitis in newborns can be a completely harmless microorganism, a native inhabitant of the human skin - epidermal staphylococcus. For the same reason, hypovitaminosis, allergic reactions and irritation of the mucous membrane of the eye with caustic substances can be considered risk factors for the appearance of an inflammatory process on the edge of the eyelids.

Such eye pathology as conjunctivitis can also have an infectious or allergic nature. At the same time, it can successfully develop against the background of existing inflammatory eye diseases, as their complication. Both bacteria and viruses can equally act as an infectious factor.

Conjunctivitis is a very insidious disease that can have different forms. Therefore, it is very important to establish the cause of the inflammatory process as quickly as possible, before it goes deeper. Red eyelids in a newborn 2 or 3 days after birth can be an indicator of a special form of conjunctivitis - gonorrheal.

Another name for the pathology is gonoblenorrhea. Its causative agent is gonococcal infection. The risk factor for the development of this disease in newborns is the presence of this causative agent of venereal diseases in the mother's body. The fetus, passing through the birth canal, can catch this infection, which will subsequently cause a severe inflammatory disease of the eyes, in which the eyelids become very red and swollen.

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

All the above-described pathologies develop in the same way. The irritating effect of allergic or infectious factors causes increased tissue sensitivity to external influences. An inflammatory process develops, characterized by hyperemia and tissue edema. As the inflammation spreads, the penetrating ability of the mucous membrane increases and bacteria can penetrate into the tissues, where the result of their vital activity is the formation of pus.

In dacryocystitis, the anatomical features of newborns come to the fore. The fact is that while the fetus is in the womb, its nasolacrimal canal is blocked by a thin film - a membrane, which protects the baby's respiratory tract from amniotic fluid. At the moment of birth or during the first days, the membrane ruptures on its own, allowing the contents accumulated in the nasolacrimal canal to escape. Tears now periodically clean the lacrimal canal, preventing dust, bacteria, and allergens from accumulating there.

If the film remains intact, stagnation in the lacrimal sac can lead to inflammation. Bacteria that enter the nasolacrimal canal remain there for a long time, causing purulent contents to appear, as in the case of other inflammatory eye pathologies (blepharitis, barley, conjunctivitis).

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Symptoms red eyelids in a newborn

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

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

In case of blepharitis, the following symptoms are considered:

  • peeling of the skin and the appearance of yellowish crusts along the edge of the eyelid in the eyelash growth zone; if the crusts are removed, small wounds can be found underneath them,
  • loss of eyelashes in the affected area,
  • itching, burning and pain on the skin in this area, which can be judged by the child's behavior, who begins to be capricious, constantly cries, and constantly reaches for his eyes with his hands
  • narrowing of the eye slit due to swelling of the eyelids and a feeling of heaviness when opening the eyes.

A red upper eyelid in a newborn indicates that the inflammation is localized in the upper part of the eye. However, in most cases, redness and swelling gradually spread to the lower eyelid.

A stye can be mild, with redness and slight swelling of the eyelids being the only symptom, or more severe, with the formation of a dense pustule that increases in size over time until it bursts and the pus flows out. Stye is characterized by the sensation that a foreign body has entered the eye and severe itching at the site of the pustule.

If the stye becomes large, hyperthermia and enlarged lymph nodes are added to the existing symptoms, indicating severe inflammation and a purulent process.

Barley can be either single or multiple. If there are several foci of inflammation, almost the entire eyelid turns red and swells. This phenomenon is called an abscess, and it is characterized by: increased sensitivity to light and lacrimation, a feeling of obstruction in the eye, and the release of purulent contents from the eye.

These same symptoms are also characteristic of inflammation of the mucous membrane of the eye. If a newborn is diagnosed with conjunctivitis, his behavior changes dramatically. The child becomes capricious, but tears flow from his eyes not only during crying, but also when the baby is calm (lacrimation increases under the influence of cold or bright light). The baby constantly squints when taken out into the light, may turn away or rub his eyes with his fists and cry.

Later, the main symptoms are joined by redness and swelling of the eyelids, discharge of pus and its accumulation in the inner corners of the eyes. The baby's eyes become very red and itchy, bags and bruises may form under the eyes. The nose becomes stuffy, mucus (snot) is actively secreted from it, the child may begin to sneeze and cough. The cough can be either dry or wet.

If conjunctivitis is infectious in nature, it is very often accompanied by a cough and fever, which is how it differs from an allergic disease.

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

The first signs of dacryocystitis are constant lacrimation. A little later, parents may notice red and swollen eyelids in the newborn, swelling and bruises under the eyes, and a narrowing of the eye slit (there is a feeling that the baby is constantly squinting). Then, pus may appear in the corners of the eyes, as with conjunctivitis. Its discharge can be provoked by lightly pressing on the lacrimal sac.

Any of the inflammatory eye pathologies can affect one or both eyes, easily spreading from one organ of vision to the other. Often the disease begins in one eye, the child, due to the parents' negligence, actively rubs it and transfers the infection with his hands to the other eye.

As we can see, redness of the eyelids in newborns can be observed with various pathologies. And even additional symptoms cannot give parents who are not educated in matters of eye diseases a clear picture of the existing disease. To make an accurate diagnosis, a consultation with a specialist is needed.

It is also important to understand this point. Almost any inflammatory pathology of the visual organs can have not one, but several forms depending on the pathogen. It is clear that the approach to treating diseases of bacterial, viral and allergic nature can differ significantly. Therefore, self-medication 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 that untimely or incorrect treatment of inflammatory pathologies can have, which parents are told about by the red eyelids of their newborn son or daughter. And the reasons for these consequences in most cases are the inattention of parents and placing great hopes on folk treatment.

Any inflammation in the body has a negative impact primarily on the functioning of those organs that were affected by a bacterial or viral infection. Thus, any inflammatory pathology localized in the visual organs can negatively affect their functionality.

Take blepharitis, for example. This pathology does not seem as dangerous as conjunctivitis or keratitis, because the inflammation covers the eyelid only at the very edge. However, if the disease is treated carelessly and effective antibacterial or antiviral treatment is not started in a timely manner, the inflammation will quickly spread to the conjunctiva and cornea, and one or two more similar ones will join the initial diagnosis.

Conjunctivitis is a pathology that can actively spread both from the outside and from the inside. This is especially true for infectious pathology, which for good reason has such a rich symptomatology, similar to cold pathologies. If the disease is not treated, the purulent process and the spread of inflammation to the nearby layers of the cornea of the eye can play a cruel joke and significantly worsen the child's vision. In severe cases, conjunctivitis and keratitis are quite capable of completely depriving the baby of the ability to see the world.

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

If you look closely, the decrease in visual acuity is a fairly common complication of any inflammatory eye pathologies, the treatment of which has not been given due attention. But the greatest danger is still posed by those forms of eye diseases that are accompanied by the formation of pus. This is facilitated by the location of our organs of vision.

The human eye is located in the head area in close proximity to the brain. Thus, the oozing of pus into the eye socket is fraught with the bacterial component entering the cranial cavity. Bacterial and viral infections can cause inflammation of the organs and tissues inside the skull. This leads not only to a significant deterioration in the child's vision, but also to such life-threatening diseases as inflammation of the brain membrane, called meningitis, and blood poisoning (aka sepsis).

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Diagnostics red eyelids in a newborn

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

If suspicious symptoms appear, the child's parents should immediately contact their local pediatrician, who, if necessary, will prescribe additional consultations and examinations with other doctors, in this case, an ophthalmologist.

The final diagnosis in any case is made by a pediatric ophthalmologist, who, in addition to examining the eyes of the little patient, interviews the parents, studies the anamnesis, conducts biomicroscopy, and sends for laboratory tests (cytology of discharge from the eye). Special laboratory tests help to clarify the diagnosis, i.e. to determine the causative agent of the disease: bacteriological, and if the infectious factor is not detected, also virological and immunological.

If an allergic nature of the disease is suspected, allergy tests are carried out, laboratory blood tests are performed for eosinophils and immunoglobulin, and dysbacteriosis and the presence of worms are excluded.

If there is a suspicion of obstruction of the lacrimal canal, a contrast radiography of the lacrimal ducts or a special test with contrast agents may be prescribed. In the latter case, the patency of the nasolacrimal canal is determined by the time it takes for the contrast agent to pass through it, which is instilled into the eye and should appear no later than 10 minutes later on a cotton swab inserted into the nasal passage.

An important role in diagnosing a disease, the symptom of which is red eyelids in a newborn, is given to differential diagnostics. Still, this symptom is not specific and can be observed in various inflammatory eye diseases. But in this case, the decisive moment in prescribing treatment is not so much the name of the pathology, but its nature. For example, there is no point in treating allergic or viral conjunctivitis with antibiotics. Such treatment can only cause complications in various organs of the baby, disrupt the microflora of the body, completely destroy the immune system, but in no way defeat the disease. The same can be said about the treatment of bacterial pathology only with antihistamines, which are successfully used in the treatment of diseases of an allergic nature.

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Who to contact?

Treatment red eyelids in a newborn

Many parents, seeing red eyelids of a newborn, get confused and start to panic. Their anxiety is understandable, because for loving parents the health of the long-awaited baby is more important than their own life. But panic in this case is unacceptable, because it does not allow logical thinking and action.

The question of what to do if a newborn has red eyelids is a rhetorical answer: of course, show the child to a doctor, especially if other suspicious symptoms have appeared that make the child uneasy. After examining the child and making a final diagnosis, the doctor will prescribe treatment that corresponds to the existing pathology, and not a universal recipe that helped your great-grandmother.

Each inflammatory pathology of the visual organs requires its own approach to treatment. However, there is a common point that helps to successfully treat various types of the same pathology:

  • Inflammations of bacterial origin are treated with antibiotics that are active against a specific pathogen (most often these drugs have a broad spectrum of action, are made in the form of eye drops and ointments: chloramphenicol, tetracycline, albucid, etc.),
  • eye diseases of an allergic nature cannot be treated without taking antihistamines (Fenistil, Suprastin, Tavegil, Cetrin), however, sometimes inflammatory eye diseases in children can go away without the use of drugs if the allergen is identified and removed,
  • viral etiology of inflammatory pathologies of the visual organs implies the use of antiviral agents or so-called immunostimulants (drops "Interferon", ointments "Oxolin", "Terbofen", "Zovirax", etc.).

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

It is important to remember that the instruments used to treat a newborn (a pipette, a container for preparing antiseptic and anti-inflammatory compounds) and auxiliary means (a bandage, cotton wool) must be sterile. The pipette must be boiled before the first use and after each subsequent use.

Any medications: ointments, drops, eye wash solutions should be used only as prescribed by a doctor. If there are already any medications at home that were previously used to treat eyes in adults or older children, you should definitely consult a specialist about the possibility and appropriateness of their use in treating a newborn. Not all "adult" medications can be used in pediatric practice without consequences, and the dosage for babies and adults is usually not the same.

What can be done when the first symptoms of the disease appear, if it is not possible to visit a doctor immediately? First, you need to take all measures to prevent the child from touching his eyes with his hands. It is clear that the itching and pain will bother the baby a lot, and he will try to relieve the unpleasant symptoms in his own way with his hands, in fact, only aggravating the situation and transferring the infection from one eye to the other. It is better to swaddle the baby so that he cannot reach his face.

As with any other disease, the child needs to be provided with bed rest, fresh air (by airing the room), and no drafts. It is necessary to ensure that the air in the room where the child is located is at room temperature. Heat and cold can only worsen the situation.

Parents usually associate redness and swelling of the eyelids in childhood with barley and, following the advice of "experienced people", rush 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, heat can only be applied to ripen the hatched barley at the height of the disease, and not at its beginning. And if we take into account that with other inflammatory pathologies, heat is not used at all (and we do not even know the exact diagnosis yet), then such treatment can only cause dangerous complications instead of alleviating the baby's condition.

Since photophobia is one of the symptoms of many inflammatory eye diseases, you should not take your baby out into bright light or turn on intense lighting, which will only increase the anxiety of the little patient.

As a first aid, you can try wiping the baby's eyes with an anti-inflammatory composition based on plant components: a decoction and infusion of calendula or chamomile, black or green tea, decoctions of mint, cornflower, as well as dill and parsley, which are permanent residents of our summer cottages and gardens. But wiping is a strong word, because the skin around the eyes of newborns is so thin that instead of wiping, you need to make compresses 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 medicinal composition.

When dabbing a sore eye, do not move randomly from one corner of the eye to the other. The direction of the hand movement should be from the outer edge of the eye to the inner. This will prevent the spread of infection throughout the eye, since most often the problem is localized in the area of the inner corners (closer to the nose).

In no case should you use various pharmaceutical drugs without a doctor's prescription. Firstly, without knowing the exact diagnosis, you cannot assume how appropriate it is to use this drug. And why stuff the child with unnecessary drugs? Secondly, the baby is small and it is unknown how his body will react to the drug you have. It will be better if the doctor himself carries out the procedure of instillation or washing the eyes of a newborn for the first time or you do it yourself under the supervision of medical personnel.

Regarding dacryocystitis, it can be said that its treatment is not much different from other pathologies, except that along with antiseptics and antibacterial solutions, a special eye massage is additionally prescribed, which helps remove pus from the lacrimal sacs and stimulates the spontaneous opening of the lacrimal ducts. Such treatment is usually carried out up to 2 months of age. If the lacrimal ducts still remain closed, the child is sent for their probing - an operation that is carried out under local anesthesia very quickly and does not cause harm or discomfort to the baby.

Prevention

Inflammatory eye diseases in newborns, one of the symptoms of which is red and swollen eyelids, are dangerous to health at any age. And what can we say about a baby, in whom many vital systems have not yet been fully formed. The task of parents is to provide full care for the child, which will help to avoid these and many other diseases that lie in wait for the baby on the way to adulthood.

Proper care of a baby involves performing simple actions that should become a habit for caring mothers and fathers:

  • hygiene of the baby's face and body: you need to regularly wash the baby with water without chlorine, make sure that his hands are always clean,
  • make sure that the baby touches his eyes with his hands as little as possible, and do not do this yourself unless necessary,
  • when handling a child's face and body, you must first wash your hands with soap,
  • carefully observe changes in the child's mood, behavior and well-being; if anxiety or unclear symptoms appear, you should try to find out what they are associated with by consulting a pediatrician about this,
  • Fresh air is not only useful for a small child, but also necessary, but walks should be taken in good, calm weather; severe cold, high humidity, wind are not the best conditions for walks in the open air,
  • It is important not only when to go for a walk, but also where; it is better to do this in a park, away from cars and people; during a cold epidemic, you should try to avoid public places and prevent your baby from communicating with sick people,
  • if the child does catch a cold, acute respiratory viral infection or other respiratory pathology, it is necessary to take all measures to treat it, preventing its transition to a chronic form and the development of concomitant pathologies (for example, blepharitis or conjunctivitis),
  • You should not encourage contact between a newborn and pets unless you are absolutely sure of their health (absence of parasites, fungal diseases, etc.),
  • You need to carefully monitor your baby's vision, because the degree of assimilation of visual information and the full development of the child depend on it; if possible, it is advisable to regularly visit not only a pediatrician, but also an ophthalmologist.

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

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Forecast

Like other inflammatory pathologies described in the article, eye diseases, for which a characteristic symptom is red eyelids in a newborn, do not like delays. At an early stage, all of them are treated, and quite successfully. But the prognosis for 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 the disease will be, the less likely complications are and the higher the chance of a quick recovery.

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