Newborn Blocked Tear Duct? A Step-by-Step Guide to Massage (Plus What to Watch For)
Babies aren’t born with fully developed plumbing. Tears need to drain from the eye down through a tiny tube (the tear duct) into the nose. In newborns, that tube often has a thin membrane blocking the exit. The massage helps pop that membrane open naturally.
Before the massage, you can hold a warm (not hot!) damp washcloth over the eye for 2 minutes. This helps loosen the crusty debris and makes the massage more effective.
For 90% of babies, the duct clears up on its own by the time they turn 1 year old. However, with consistent massage, you will usually see improvement within a few weeks. You will know it is working when the eye stops looking watery and the yellow gunk disappears.
Newborn Blocked Tear Duct? A Step-by-Step Guide to Massage (Plus What to Watch For)
Babies aren’t born with fully developed plumbing. Tears need to drain from the eye down through a tiny tube (the tear duct) into the nose. In newborns, that tube often has a thin membrane blocking the exit. The massage helps pop that membrane open naturally. blocked tear duct newborn massage
Before the massage, you can hold a warm (not hot!) damp washcloth over the eye for 2 minutes. This helps loosen the crusty debris and makes the massage more effective. Newborn Blocked Tear Duct
For 90% of babies, the duct clears up on its own by the time they turn 1 year old. However, with consistent massage, you will usually see improvement within a few weeks. You will know it is working when the eye stops looking watery and the yellow gunk disappears. In newborns, that tube often has a thin
