The baby's eyes are watering a lot, and there's a lot of eye discharge.
After our eyes secrete tears, they pass through a duct to the nose. This duct is called the nasolacrimal duct. If anything causes the nasolacrimal duct to become blocked, it will lead to an increase in tears, and even an increase in eye discharge.
What situations can cause a blocked tear duct? Often, it's due to nasal congestion, possibly caused by a cold or flu, or due to nasal allergies.
- Nasal congestion caused by a cold not only causes watery eyes, but is usually accompanied by sneezing, a runny nose, a cough and even a fever.
- Nasal congestion caused by allergic rhinitis is often due to the nasal mucosa coming into contact with allergens or changes in external air causing an increase in mucus in the baby's nose, leading to nasal congestion.
If these two causes of nasal congestion are excluded, what else could be causing watery eyes and a lot of eye discharge?
This could be the situation with a newborn baby's nasolacrimal duct. Inside the nasolacrimal duct, there is a thin membrane. Often, this membrane tears within the first few weeks after birth, allowing the nasolacrimal duct to be clear. If the membrane doesn't tear, it can cause nasolacrimal duct obstruction, preventing tears from draining into the nose.
In this situation, you can try giving the baby some gentle massages, lightly massaging up and down on the bridge of the nose, between the eyes. Do this about 4-6 times a day for 3-5 minutes each time, and this may help to unblock the tear duct. Sometimes, even when the baby is 7-8 months old or even 1 year old, the blocked tear duct may still not improve. In this case, you will need to see a doctor to check if a tear duct probing surgery is necessary.
Baby's hiccups
It's actually very common for babies to hiccup. Often, it can happen because they're drinking their milk too quickly, or they've had too much to eat. Generally, there's no need to worry, and it's not a sign of any major health issues.
When a baby is hiccuping, what can parents do? In fact, you could try making the child cry. How can you make them cry? Parents can try lightly flicking the soles of their feet a few times. When they feel a little pain, they will usually cry loudly. Another method is to feed the baby some warm water or milk, which can also help relieve their hiccups.
Baby spitting up
Spitting up is a very common issue in babies, with one in every two babies experiencing it on average. This is primarily due to the underdeveloped sphincter between the oesophagus and the stomach. The spitting up usually improves significantly as the baby grows, typically between three to six months old. With appropriate support from parents, the situation can be eased.
How can this be done? You can adjust your baby's feeding position, the amount of milk, and even the feeding speed. You can also burp them one to two times during feeding, which can help improve infant reflux. Most cases of infant reflux do not require concern. However, if your baby is spitting up significantly more than usual, or if each instance of spitting up is forceful and amounts to a large volume, or if the reflux affects nutrient absorption and weight gain, it is then recommended to see a doctor as soon as possible for a check-up.
Colic
Colic is also a common problem in newborn babies, and there isn't actually any specific reason behind it. We estimate it's due to the immature development of the nerves that control intestinal peristalsis.
What impact does this have on the children? They might have tantrums due to stomach pain, potentially crying inconsolably. This often happens at night or in the middle of the night and is very common, affecting about 10-40% of babies, especially around 3-4 months old. However, this situation usually subsides as the child grows to about six months old. Parents should note that a baby's crying isn't always due to colic. It's also important to consider other issues like needing a nappy change, being hungry, or other illnesses that might cause a baby to cry intensely or be upset. If you notice your baby crying persistently, with a bloated tummy and appearing uncomfortable, it is recommended to consult a doctor for a check-up.
Discover the reasons why they often cry and are in a bad mood. If pathological causes are ruled out, and it's purely due to infant colic, how can it be managed? Parents can try to comfort them, gently massage their tummies in a clockwise direction, or pick them up and gently pat them to soothe them. They can also hold the baby with their tummy close to the parent's chest to give them a greater sense of security, which can also help alleviate their colic.
Baby's bowel movement issues
Parents often bring their children and ask questions about their stools. How many bowel movements per day are considered healthy? Actually, it varies for every baby, especially as breast milk and formula can affect their different bowel movement frequencies. However, if a baby's bowel movements suddenly increase significantly from their usual amount, and the stool is more watery than before, or even contains mucus and blood, then you really need to pay attention. Please take your child to see a doctor as soon as possible, as they may have gastroenteritis or even a more serious condition.
