My 5 day old bebe has conjunctivitis

[Ladylove]

I would love some relief advice my DD2 is five days old and when we checked out of hospital on Tuesday she had perfect eyes (as in none of that mucousy gunk newborns can get). Then this morning I noticed what I thought was just a touch of that 'gunk' in one eye but by evening it had progressed to yucky yellow discharge oozing out and a puffy eyelid. She doesn't seem distressed by it. But every time we clean it with warm water and a clean cotton ball the puss is back within 5-10 minutes. So much for such a tiny eye! Called the health line tonight but because DD2 was asleep they wouldn't offer any assessment or advice as she needed to be awake to be 'assessed'. Do I need to take her to a GP as she is so new? Or see how it rides over the next couple of days? Is she too young for a really dilute saline solution?

Thanks in advance

[~clover~]

Try breast milk squirt a bit in every feed & clean as you are with warm salty water.

Breast milk has antibacterial properties. It's an amazing healer x

[CinderToriella]

Dd1 had a gunky eye , I used breast milk and it was gone within a few days

[Andie78]

I tried breast milk with my son but didn't have any luck. We bought some baby eye wipes '(little eyes' or something like that) from the chemist. Cleared pretty quickly. I warmed them slightly before use.

[Heaven]

DD3 had gunky eyes for a while. My midwife said to boil some water and add salt and use it to clean her eyes when it had cooled. Soak cotton buds in it and do one wipe per cotton bud going from the inside of the eye out. And squirt breast milk in it every time you feed.

[Mrs O'M]

Ds had this in hospital and we couldnt leave for a few days because of this. We did the breast milk thing which didnt seem to work for us. The nurses gave us some gauzes which we soaked in warm water then instead on getting the gunk out by wiping the eye from the inside to outside we were advised to go from the outside in from underneath the bottom lid. Sounds wierd but the theory behind it was instead of wiping gunk through the eye the reverse process might help eliminate the excess gunk you couldnt see. It worked for us and withing 24 hours he was much happier.

[HotI]

sometimes the duct on the inner side of the eye can take a little while to clear itself. breastmilk squirts and wipe the eye like Heaven described. i also gently massaged the duct on the inner side of the eye along the nose. mchn should be able to show you how. i don't think you need a dr.

[~Kim~]

Agree with the PPs. Do you have domecillary follow up? Community health centre visits? Could you ring them and ask? Or even just touch base with your GP and ask if you're worried?

[Ladylove]

Thanks so much everyone. Looking better this morning. Still some gunk but it is not automatically regenerating as I wipe it away.

Kim - ETA - yes I forgot we need to organise her 10 day check up with the CHN. Will book today

[AnyDream]

Yes get it checked, but I think it's fairly common for young bunnies to have gloopy eyes, something to do with the duct being underdeveloped. I remember having to wipe DD1's eyes for a while, too. But definitely get it checked out to rule out infection.