What can I do about baby's sticky eye?

Health visitor Dawn says: Sticky eyes are common in newborn babies, as the baby's tear ducts are immature and become blocked easily, so the yellow matter you can see can't drain away very well.

WHile they mature, it's best to clean them you baby's eyes with cotton wool dipped in sterile or cooled, boiled water. Wipe the eye from the nose side to the ear side and discard the cotton wool - don't go over the same eye with the same piece of cotton wool - and use a new piece for each eye.

Do this before every nappy change, and after washing your hands.

If you're breastfeeding, you could also try expressing a small amount of breastmilk onto a cotton wool ball and wiping over the eye as the antibodies in your milk may fight any lurking infection.

If your baby's eyes do not improve after three or four days, see your GP for advice.

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