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 Ask Dr. Jana
Sneezing, Stuffy Nose, and Eye Matter in a Newborn | | | QUESTION | | | Dear Dr. Jana,
My baby is 15 days old. He has nasal congestion, sneezing, and matter in his eyes. I called the pediatrician and he gave me a prescription for eye drops. He said my son was too young to have a cold and told me not to bring him in until his second month check-up. Please advise. Thank you.— Linda in Georgia | | | ANSWER |
June 15, 2001 | | | Dear Linda,
The first thing I would like to tell you is that I think it is always important for parents to feel comfortable with their child's doctor--especially parents of a newborn. You should not hesitate to be persistent about questioning your son's doctor or asking for your son to be evaluated (by a new doctor, if need be) when it comes to his health.
As for your son's sneezing, stuffy nose, and the matter in his eyes--I can tell you that these are rather common symptoms in newborns and quite often harmless. For many newborns, you can consider sneezing to be just another one of the prominent newborn reflexes. When it comes to having a stuffy nose, it is most common that a newborn sounds stuffy and congested because he has a such a small nasal passageway and is most likely not sick nor bothered by the situation.
That said, young babies most definitely can have colds that cause increased mucus, congestion, and difficulty breathing. In addition to your baby sounding congested, it also is important to know whether or not he has a fever, if he is able to eat okay, and how he is acting in general. A newborn with a fever will not nurse or take a bottle well and will often act like something is wrong. If you suspect that your son has a fever, he should be evaluated by his doctor.
Eye discharge at this age has more than one potential cause. Quite often young infants can have a partially, or on occasion fully, blocked tear duct. This is a condition known as dacrostenosis. When the duct, which is located in the middle corner of each eye (nearest the nose), is not fully functional, it can cause eye matter to collect in and around the infant?s eye (or eyes). However, given your son's young age, there are other potential causes for this condition--primarily infections--for which he should be evaluated sooner rather than later, especially if his eyes are red or swollen, the discharge is getting much worse, or he has any other signs of being sick (such as not eating well, having a fever, or becoming more sleepy).
I'm glad you turned to us to ask your questions. I hope all goes well and that your son's symptoms are found to be of no significance.— by Laura Jana, M.D., F.A.A.P. |
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