urgent help please!

[vict17]

I'm probably over reacting but 8 month ds has a very crusty eye - green glop all round it, half closed. Phoned gp and is all booked up but receptionist said she would phone me after asking gp if he should be seen. Does any one know what i should do? clean eye with cotton wool? Leave it alone?

[Flum]

Probably clean eye with cooled boiled water very gently. Thats what I would do. But I'm guessing.

I think sticky eyes in babies quite common. Mine had it a few months ago. Just went away on its own after a couple of days.

[popsycal]

sounds like conjunctivitus
can you get to a chemist?
if they offer drops, ask instead for a cream/gel thing - much easier to put in than drop

bathe with cotton wool and tepid water - one piece of cotton wool per wipe, wiping from nose corner of eye to outer corner

does that make sense?

hope he is ok

[beansmum]

I wouldn't have thought cooled boiled water would do it any harm, or saline solution?

[LIZS]

Use cotton wool with tepid, boiled water to wipe the crust gently away, from inside corner to outer. Use a separate one each wipe to avoid spreading it and wash hands, face cloths, towels etc thoroughly. Think I've heard you can use breast milk too, if you happen to still be feeding him, but I'm sure someone else could confirm.

[Bunglie]

It sounds like 'sticky eye'. I do not know if treatment has changed in 20 years but I used to boil a little bit of water and put it in a teralized cup and add a few grains of salt, then when it is cool just gently wipe the eye once with each peice of cotton wool going from the corner (near the nose) to the outside.
It sounds like an infection if the discharge is green and he might need some antibiotic cream, so yes definitly get to the doctor as you can never be too careful especially with eyes in my opinion.

I must add my info is old, so I am sure another mumsnetter is more up to date.

I hope he is better soon, but 'sticky eye' is very common.

[tortoiseshell]

Yes I've heard that about breast milk too. be really careful not to touch his eye then yours - it is nasty!

[HelloMama]

its sounds like some sort of conjunctivitis. I would clean the affected eye with cooled boiled water, being careful to avoid the other eye so not to spread the infection. You could do this as and when necessary today as its unlikely to do any harm. Just try to get to see the GP ASAP to get some antibiotic eye drops which will clear it up once and for all. If you can, try to stop your DS from touching and scratching the eye so as not to spread the infection and make sure you wash your hands well after cleaning the area. HTH. Don't worry.

[Branster]

popsycal has said exactly what I had in mind. and yes make sure you use a new cotton wool piece for every new wipe.

[vict17]

thanks everyone - i'll go and wipe it and hopefully gp's surgery will ring soon

[vict17]

still waiting for gp to ring (think he's out on call) both eyes are red and gloopy now. Still wiping them. Would it be connected to teething at all as his nappies have gone a bit yucky?

[popsycal]

i dont think it would be connected with teething

[PuffTheMagicDragon]

As others have said, more than likely conjunctivitis. Ds2 kept getting this last winter, every time he caught a cold or snuffle from ds2, it turned into conjunctivitis. Antibiotic eyedrops from the gp sorted it out v quickly and this winter (cross fingers) he hasn't had the same problem (he's 17 months now).

The cooled boiled water on cotton wool was also recommended and worked well until the crustiness went.

[PuffTheMagicDragon]

Sorry, meant to say the drops were much better than the cream I was prescribed the first time. This was difficult to administer to a wriggly baby! The drops were quicker and less fiddly, so I'd recommend asking for drops rather than cream if you do need antibiotics.

[Polgara2]

I would second getting the drops - if dr offers you cream say no, no, no give me the drops!!! Can you tell I've been there?? Very stressful getting small baby to have cream in eye for you and them!!! You will need to get them off doc though, chemists won't give anything for babies. Should clear it up quickly (if you can get it in of course .

[vict17]

thanks! We've been given drops luckily so hopefully it will clear up soon. Poor ds, he's got a bad cold, horrid nappies and red and sore eyes