Conference moira::parenting_v3

    Right up my alley!  My son had a blocked tear duct at birth.  We
    massaged it as suggested by his pedi - just use warm water to clear the
    "gunk" out and massage it regularly.  I can't remember exactly when it
    cleared up - but I do remember another mother telling me her son's
    cleared up at about 9 mo of age.  I don't think mine was that old -
    more like 5 or 6 months old.  Your pedi will suggest you keep an eye on
    it - I believe it's a rare case that requires surgery.
    
    Good luck and keep massaging it.  That should clear it up nicely.
    
    -sandy
    

Deja vu!!!!

My Evan also had this problem.  Eventually another doctor gave us an ointment
to use, and that seemed to speed up the process, and the eye became much
better fast.  I'm sorry I can't tell you his age when it stopped.  It was
sometime less than 1 year.  I sure can remember, though, trying to take photos
at that age, though, and having to make sure his eye didn't look bad for the
photos!!!! 

     Carol

    My daughter was born with a blocked tear duct as well.  The doctors
    told us that if it is going to heal naturally, it will happen before
    she turns one year old.  Hers cleared up at 10 months.  
    
    We did get the prescription for the ointment which we used when her
    eye got really runny and red.  Otherwise, we just massaged it nightly.
    
    Blocked tear ducts are not uncommon and nature usually takes its course
    to open it up once they do some real heavy crying... :-)
    
    -Patty

    Krystin had one when she was born too.  The doctor gave us some eye
    drops which, as said before, sped up the healing process.  Her eye
    healed at about 4 months of age.  It never really got red and infected,
    just runny.
    
    Ask your doctor about these drops.  When I go home tonight I can get
    the name of the drops and post it in here tomorrow.
    
    Good luck.
    
    

    Thanks.
    
    .4 Evan has been on two types of drops (neither one I can remember).
    He is really struggling when I try to apply them.  Last night I 
    had to put him in the tub and have his older bother distract him while I
    administered the drops!  But we got it in.  His first perscription
    didn't seem to help at all.  The second one seems to work a little
    faster.
    
    .3 Crying? hmmmmm...now theres a thought.  
      
    .2 We managed to get through his first summer camping vacation with a
    semi-clear eye.  Hopefully the vaca photos will be OK.
      
    It just looks so sore and uncomfortable.  Evan is 6 months old so
    hopefully to worse is over.  
    
    Linda
    

    Meg had both ducts blocked at birth, one opened on it's own, the other
    was opened by surgery. It was done at about 1 year on an outpatient basis 
    and we were out of the hospital in a couple of hours. The doctor said
    that it could be done either as a local or general anesthesia. We were
    afraid she would move and cause damage or be really frightened, so we
    chose general anesthesia.
    
    Good Luck
    Herb

    
    My daughter was born with a blocked tear duct last year.  The doctor
    prescribed drops, I can't remember the exact name - something on the
    label about 1% opthalmic {sp?} solution.  These were the same drops we used
    for conjunctivitis for her brother. The infection cleared up after
    about 3 months.
    
    Rochelle

    One of my brother's kids had to have tear-duct "surgery," which
    consisted of the doctor passing a probe into the opening of the
    duct to push it fully open.  Local anaesthetic, at the eye dr's
    office.  It was not a big deal.  
    
    I thought he was about 6 months old when he had it, but it's a few
    years back and I could be remembering wrong.  
    
    --bonnie

    My son Griffin was born last Sept. with a blocked tear duct.  We
    massaged it daily and kept it clean with warm water and a soft wash
    cloth.  It took about 3 months to completely clear up and hasn't
    re-occured.

    It's nice to hear all the successful stories about blocked tear ducts.
    My daughter also had a blocked tear duct. I went through the massaging
    and ointment. Finally at the age of 5 they probed it (Day surgery),
    three months later it closed again. She had surgery again and this
    time they probed it and inserted a tube which you can see a loop at
    the corner of her eye. This is working great and it will stay in for
    about a year. It's nice not to see her eye running all the time.
    The eye doctor told me this happens to only a few children, 
    especially at her age. Most problems have been solved at an earlier
    age.
    
    PS