Pink Eye in Babies: Symptoms and When to See a Doctor

Pink eye in babies, medically called conjunctivitis, is an inflammation of the conjunctiva, the thin membrane that covers the eyeball and the inside of the eyelids. The eye turns red, tears up, or is crusty and stuck shut after sleep. It is usually harmless, but under age 2, l'Assurance Maladie advises having a doctor look at it the same day.

Here are the symptoms, the causes, how to clean your baby's eyes, and when to call the doctor, so you know how to respond.

What is pink eye?

This inflammation widens the blood vessels in the eye, which makes the eyes look red or pink. It affects adults and children, in one eye or both. According to l'Assurance Maladie (France's national health insurance), it is not a threat to vision if there are no complications. People often say pink eye is an infection: that is true for the viral or bacterial form, but not for the allergic one.

What are the symptoms of pink eye in a baby?

The most common signs, according to l'Assurance Maladie — the white of the eye turns red, tears increase, and the eyelid swells. Clear or yellow eye discharge dries overnight and forms crusts, so baby often wakes up with crusty, stuck-shut eyes.

Your baby may also rub their eyes, be bothered by light, or be fussier than usual. These signs point to a possible cause without confirming it: only a doctor can do that.

Viral, bacterial, or allergic: causes and diagnosis

There are three main causes. Tobacco smoke, pool chlorine, or dust can also irritate the eyes.

• Viral pink eye, the most common type in children, often during a cold or in group settings. Both eyes are usually affected, with a clear discharge.
• Bacterial infection, less common. It often starts in one eye, with a thick, yellowish or greenish discharge. The bacteria involved are mostly staph and strep.
• The allergic form with itchy, watery eyes, especially in spring (pollen, dust mites).

Telling a viral infection from a bacterial germ is not always simple: it is up to the doctor to find the exact cause.

Watery eye: blocked tear duct or pink eye?

In newborns, a watery eye without redness often comes from a blocked tear duct: tears drain poorly toward the nose. According to l'Assurance Maladie, this blockage, which affects the tear ducts, often clears up on its own before 3 months. Tears that sit can still become infected.

A newborn can also be infected during birth if the mother has a genital infection (chlamydia, gonococcus, herpes). For a newborn, Pampers advises seeing a doctor right away.

How do you clean a baby's eyes with pink eye?

Cleaning soothes the eye and removes the discharge: l'Assurance Maladie advises washing the eyes with saline solution several times a day. First, make sure to wash your hands with soap.

1. Soak a sterile gauze pad in saline solution or lukewarm water. Avoid cotton, which leaves fibers behind.
2. Wipe the eye from the inside corner outward, several times a day.
3. Use a fresh gauze pad for the other eye, then throw both away.
4. Wash your hands well again, then your baby's hands.

Crusty eyes in the morning come off when you hold a warm gauze pad on them for a few moments. Wash your baby's laundry separately: towels, washcloths, and pillowcases.

How to treat pink eye in a baby and help it clear up faster

Treatment depends on the cause, and your doctor will choose it with you.

If it's viral: rinse the eyes

Viral pink eye usually clears up on its own, without special treatment, according to Pampers — you only need to relieve the symptoms by rinsing the eyes.

If it's bacterial: antibiotic eye drops by prescription

The doctor may prescribe an antibiotic ointment or drops, according to l'Hôpital de Montréal pour enfants. For an allergy, they may prescribe a suitable eye drop.

Also avoid eye drops left over in the medicine cabinet or prescribed to another family member, and home remedies. If a treatment is prescribed, follow the instructions closely: drops must be given for the full time indicated.

How long does pink eye last in a baby?

According to Pampers, pink eye usually clears up in 7 to 10 days, and sometimes within a few days for the viral form. If it does not improve after about a week, or if it comes back, it is time to see a doctor again.

Is pink eye contagious, and how do you limit spread?

Yes, when it is caused by a virus or bacteria, and it can be very contagious in daycare. The viral form spreads before the first symptoms appear and for as long as they last. Bacterial pink eye stays contagious until 24 hours after antibiotics are started, according to Pampers. l'Hôpital de Montréal pour enfants says a child can remain contagious for up to two weeks. To limit spread, wash your hands after touching their eyes and throw away used gauze pads.

The doctor often recommends keeping baby home until their eyes are treated and no longer run. If baby has been around a sick person, watch their eyes over the following days. Our article on starting daycare and baby's sleep covers this period, when minor infections multiply.

Stuck-shut eyes after sleep: how to get through the nights?

Gentle cleaning before bed and after waking up limits crusts. Pink eye can be linked to a cold: a stuffy nose then disturbs sleep more than the eyes do. Our tips for helping baby sleep with a stuffy nose apply here too. If your baby sleeps with one eye not fully closed, that is not a sign of pink eye. We explain this in our article on babies who sleep with their eyes partly open.

What a sleep sensor shows, and what it doesn't

A contactless sensor placed under the sheet, like Mothair's, tracks breathing, heart rate, and baby's movements night after night, compared with their own 7-day baseline. When a cold comes with eyes that stick shut, it can show time-stamped trends to share with your pediatrician: restless nights, and breathing changed by a stuffy nose.

It cannot see the eyes, does not diagnose your baby's pink eye, and does not replace a visit to the doctor.

When should you see a doctor for pink eye in a baby?

According to l'Assurance Maladie, a child under 2 with pink eye should see a doctor the same day, though this is not an emergency call. Get seen right away if:

• your baby is a newborn;
• the eye is swollen and the fever is above 38 °C;
• the eye seems painful, or your baby avoids light;
• vision seems blurry;
• the redness and swelling around the eye are significant.

Seeing a doctor early helps treat pink eye, avoid complications, and rule out another eye condition.

How to prevent it from coming back

To avoid another case of pink eye and keep it from spreading to the rest of the family: wash your hands often, do not share towels, handkerchiefs, or eye makeup, keep baby from rubbing their eyes, and keep away from tobacco smoke. These habits help limit all infectious forms of pink eye; for allergies, air out the house on low-pollen days and dust often.

Pink eye in babies: the essentials

Keep these key points in mind before deciding how to treat it.

• It is an inflammation of the eye, usually viral and benign.
• Under age 2, have a doctor look at it the same day; for a newborn, go as soon as possible.
• Clean the eyes with saline solution, one gauze pad per eye, from the inside corner outward.
• Viral and bacterial pink eye are contagious: wash your hands and keep linens separate.
• If the cause is bacterial, a doctor may prescribe antibiotic eye drops.