Being one of the most notable body parts, the eyes of the baby capture a lot of attention from new parents. Every little thing with the eyes tends to get noticed immediately. This section covers some of the most common conditions that can affect the eyes of a newborn. Fortunately, most of these conditions are harmless and do not pose any permanent problem for the baby.

Bleeding

As a result of the tremendous pressure exerted on a baby's head during her journey through the birth canal, many babies end up with minor leaks of the small blood vessels in the eyes. This may sound scary and dangerous, but it is entirely harmless. You may notice a bright red spot with irregular edges in the white part of the eye, sometimes directly adjacent to the iris. The red patch is usually small, but it can also be quite large, covering most of the white. This can happen in one eye or both.

The bleeding never affects the baby's vision. It is completely painless, and the redness generally disappears in less than two weeks. Nothing can be done to make the redness go away sooner. Regardless of how it looks, it is never a serious problem. You do not have to do anything to it to make it go away. If you are still concerned, you can specifically ask the pediatrician to check the bleeding during the baby's first exam.

Eye Mucus

In many babies, parents may notice a sticky, yellowish discharge from either one of the eyes or both. This can happen soon after birth or after a few weeks. Usually, the eye that has the discharge is watery, and the eyelid may become slightly swollen as well. The baby does not behave in a way that indicates he feels unwell.

This condition occurs when the small tube that drains tears from the eye is temporarily blocked. Everyone's eyes are equipped with this small drainage system. Eyes constantly produce tears to moisten and lubricate the eyeballs, and this small amount of tears drains into the nose via small tubes that connect the eye and the nasal passage.

Just like the rest of the baby, these small drainage tubes are tiny compared to their counterparts in adults. They often get clogged or blocked. The blockage may come and go over a period of several months. Parents can help unclog these ducts by massaging the area between the bridge of the nose and the eye with a clean towel soaked in warm water. Take care not to apply pressure directly to the eye, as that can damage the delicate eyeball.

Many parents believe this is a sign of eye infection, and, unfortunately, many health-care professionals perpetuate that belief by treating the condition with antibiotics. True infection of the eye does happen in newborn babies, but it is rare compared to this relatively common condition. As long as the eye discharge does not occur simultaneously with redness of the white part of the eye, you can be confident that there is no infection present.

On the other hand, if you notice that the whites of your child's eyes are bloodshot and you also find copious, thick discharge from the eyes, you should contact your doctor immediately. If the mother has a history of certain STDs, her infection may have spread to the baby's eyes during labor and delivery. If these infections go undetected and untreated, the baby may lose her eyesight.