Baby eye discharge and squint: how to clean a sticky eye, and when to see a doctor

Most baby eye discharge comes from a blocked tear duct, and you can clean it at home with cotton wool and cooled boiled water. SGH says the tear pipe widens as your baby grows, and the stickiness clears by itself. Red, sticky eyes in the first month are different: the NHS wants those seen urgently. If your baby's eyes look crossed, NUH says early squinting should settle by 6 weeks.

How to clean a sticky eye, step by step

1. Wash your hands with soap and water. HealthHub tells parents to wash their own hands and the child's often when an eye is infected.
2. Boil some water and let it cool right down. SGH and the NHS both use cooled boiled water.
3. Wet a piece of cotton wool and squeeze out the extra so it doesn't drip.
4. Wipe gently over the closed lid and lashes to lift off the crust, as the NHS describes. Don't rub or pick at it.
5. Take a new piece of cotton wool for the other eye. The NHS says one piece for each eye.
6. Throw the used cotton wool away and wash your hands again.
7. Massage the inner corner if a blocked tear duct is the cause. SGH says to wash your little finger with soap and water, then gently stroke the inner corner downwards, towards the nose.
8. Keep your baby's towel and pillowcase separate if the eye is red. HealthHub says to change them often and not share them.
9. Check the eye every day. NUH says to get medical help straight away if the discharge turns very sticky or there's any swelling.

What you see, and what it usually means

Match what you see with the usual cause. When nothing fits, a GP or polyclinic doctor can take a look.

Blocked tear ducts and when they clear

Tears drain from the eye into the nose through a small pipe. SGH explains that a baby's pipe is tiny and blocks easily, so tears and dried mucus collect at the inner corner. It can look like an infection, but SGH says it's usually less serious.

SingHealth says a newborn may have a wet eye at one to two weeks old, sometimes with discharge. The blockage usually opens by itself within four to six weeks after birth. Massaging the inner corner, over the tear sac, may speed this up. If the eye keeps watering despite massage, an eye doctor can flush and probe the duct to open it. SingHealth says this is usually done before the first birthday.

In the meantime, NUH's advice is to clean your baby's eyes regularly and massage the inner corner. Raise it at each check-up so the doctor can see whether it's clearing.

Pink eye, infant care and preschool rules

HealthHub calls conjunctivitis a common eye infection that spreads to others. Look for red, itchy or gritty eyes that water, with whitish or yellowish discharge that crusts during the night. It usually hits both eyes, the NHS adds. Whether it needs drops is the doctor's call, and for a child under 2 the NHS says treatment needs a prescription.

Infant care and preschool follow ECDA's Code of Practice. Every child gets a temperature and health check on arrival. Staff also watch for conjunctivitis, which the code describes as red eyes. The return rule is strict. A child with an infection goes back only once the medical certificate has run out and no symptoms are left, and if you and the centre disagree, the centre can ask you to see a doctor first.

The NHS says UK children needn't stay home unless they feel very unwell, but centres here follow the code. So ask your doctor for an MC, and keep your child home until it ends and the eyes are clear. At home, HealthHub's advice is to wash hands with soap often and keep your child's hands away from the eyes. For the other bugs that go round centres, see why children keep falling sick at childcare.

Squint: when your baby's eyes should line up

A squint, or strabismus, means the eyes don't point the same way. KKH says one eye may turn in, out, up or down while the other looks straight ahead. Some squinting is expected early on. NUH says babies can't focus at birth, so they may squint, and this should resolve by 6 weeks.

Plenty of babies here look cross-eyed when they aren't. KKH explains that many Asian children have a flatter nose bridge and a skin fold over the inner corner of the eye, which makes straight eyes look turned in. KKH calls this a pseudo-squint, and it needs no treatment. It usually fades as the face grows.

A true squint needs a doctor. KKH says that goes for every child whose eyes look misaligned. You might notice the eyes not working together, or your child closing one eye or tilting the head. KKH advises a full exam by an eye specialist when squint runs in the family. KKH adds that babies born premature carry a higher risk. Early treatment matters because a squint can lead to a lazy eye, where vision in that eye doesn't develop properly. NUH puts that risk window at birth to six years. Our month-by-month milestones guide tracks focusing and other early skills.

Eye checks in Singapore, from birth to preschool

The routine well-baby visits are your first chance to raise eye worries. NUH lists them at 2 weeks, 6 weeks to 2 months, then 4, 6, 12 and 18 months, with growth, development and a physical check each time. Bring the Health Booklet and tell the doctor anything you've noticed, with a photo if the eyes looked odd in one.

NUH's eye specialists suggest sight tests at birth and six months, then yearly until about seven or eight. If crossed eyes worry you before then, they say see a GP or eye doctor earlier. For preschoolers, HealthHub says HPB runs yearly eye tests. One is a 3D vision test that can pick up a squint, and children who don't pass are referred to HPB's Refraction Clinic.

For a specialist, start with your GP or polyclinic. NUH's paediatric eye team takes referrals from both, and private patients can book without one. Short-sightedness is the most common eye condition in Singapore children, NUH says. Our childhood myopia guide covers it.

Breast milk in the eye: what the sources say

Some grandparents and confinement nannies suggest a few drops of breast milk for a sticky eye. None of the eight sources behind this guide recommends it. SGH and the NHS clean with cotton wool and cooled boiled water, and when an eye is infected, the doctor chooses the treatment. If a helper or relative cares for your baby, show them the steps above in the first week. Our newborn care basics guide covers the rest of the daily routine.

When to see a doctor

Most sticky eyes can wait for a GP or polyclinic visit. These signs need a doctor sooner:

• Red, sticky eyes in a baby under 30 days old. The NHS says get an urgent appointment.
• Discharge that turns very sticky, or any swelling. NUH says seek medical attention immediately.
• Red, itchy or gritty eyes with whitish or yellowish discharge that crusts overnight. HealthHub says take your child to a doctor.
• Watering or discharge that doesn't stop, which HealthHub lists as a reason to see a doctor.
• A white or unusual-looking pupil, sometimes spotted first in a photo, as HealthHub notes.
• One eye that often turns, or a head that's always tilted to one side. Both are on HealthHub's list.
• Eyes that still look crossed after 6 weeks. NUH expects early squinting to settle by then, and KKH says any child whose eyes look misaligned should see a doctor.

A GP or polyclinic handles most eye problems and can refer you on. If a newborn's eye is swollen, or red and sticky, and your clinic is closed, go to KKH Children's Emergency or NUH Children's Emergency. Call 995 in an emergency. If your baby also has a fever, read when to worry about a baby's fever.

Frequently asked questions

Is baby eye discharge normal?

Often, yes. SGH says it's usually a blocked tear pipe, which is less serious than an infection and clears as your baby grows. It needs a doctor when the eye turns red or swells, or when a baby under 30 days old has red, sticky eyes.

How long does a blocked tear duct last in a baby?

SingHealth says it usually opens within four to six weeks after birth, and massage may help it along. If the tearing carries on despite massage, an eye doctor can flush and probe the duct, usually before age one.

Is a baby eye squint normal in the first months?

In the first weeks, yes. NUH says newborns can't focus yet and may squint, and this should resolve by 6 weeks. After that, or if one eye clearly drifts, see your GP or polyclinic.

How can I tell a pseudo-squint from a real squint?

Often you can't by looking. KKH says a pseudo-squint comes from a flat nose bridge and a skin fold covering the inner corner, while the eyes themselves are straight. Your doctor can usually tell the two apart and refer you to an eye specialist if needed.

Can my baby go to infant care with pink eye?

Not until the medical certificate runs out and the symptoms have gone, under ECDA's code. Centres check every child on arrival and watch for red eyes. Ask your doctor for an MC, and check with the centre before your baby goes back.

Should I put breast milk in my baby's eye?

None of the hospital or health sources we used recommends it. They clean with cooled boiled water on cotton wool. If you think the eye is infected, see a doctor for treatment.