How the sounding of the lacrimal canal is carried out in newborns, reviews

Why does tear duct blockage occur?

Tears are intended by nature to cleanse andmoisturizing the surface of the eyeball. Salty fluid is produced in special glands, and from there it flows into thin ducts connected to the nose and throat. If the tear ducts are blocked, the outflow of moisture is disrupted. Probing of the tear duct in newborns is prescribed because stagnation of fluid causes the development of a microbial infection and inflammation.Probing of the lacrimal canal in newborns– safe procedurePhoto: Getty Blockage of the tear ducts can be congenital or develop a few days after birth. The prerequisites for the disease are created when the baby is still in the mother's womb. At this time, the outlets of the ducts are covered with a thin film. It protects the lacrimal apparatus from amniotic fluid. When the newborn's lungs first fill with air, the film bursts. Sometimes the natural process is disrupted, and mucus plugs remain in the tear ducts. Congenital blockage is observed in 5% of all newborns. One or both eyes can be affected. At first, the body reacts to the disorder with swelling of the eyelids, redness, and lacrimation. Then the duct begins to fester, and a high temperature rises. Feeling discomfort, the child behaves restlessly, often cries.

How is lacrimal duct probing performed in newborns?

First, doctors prescribe conservative therapy - massage and antibiotic drops. If this does not help, it is necessary to wash the ducts with a probe. The procedure is performed in 4 stages:

Anesthesia. Anesthetic drops are allowed into the eyes.

Introduction of the probe. A tool resembling a thin blunt needle is inserted into the opening of the tubule, located in the inner corner of the eye.

Washing. Using a flexible tube attached to the probe, the canal is irrigated internally with a physiological solution - sterile salt water.

Checking. A cotton swab is placed in the child's nostril. A colored solution is run through the probe. If the tampon in the nose is stained, it means that the fluid flows freely through the cleaned duct.

The doctor's manipulations cause a loud noise in the babycrying. However, he does not feel severe pain, but screams from fear and discomfort. Reviews of probing the tear duct in newborns are only positive. Parents of young patients note that the procedure lasts only 5 minutes, and the results are noticeable after a week. After a month, the baby's eyes will be completely fine. Read on: