Tears are made under the eyelids and drain through the tear ducts into the nose. When a baby is born with a blocked tear duct, the tears can't drain into the nose. The duct may be too narrow or have a web of tissue blocking it. The tears get backed up and come out the eyes. The eyes may get crusty and irritated.

If a blocked tear duct doesn't get better by the time a baby is 1 year old, an ophthalmologist (eye doctor) can do surgery to open the blocked duct.

• Massage your baby's blocked tear duct 2–3 times a day:

    1. Wash your hands with soap and water and dry with a clean towel. Be sure your nails are trimmed short.

    2. Place your index finger where the tears come out and massage firmly downward for 2–3 seconds. Do this 10 times.

• Use a clean washcloth dampened with warm (not hot) water to remove any crusting around the eye.
• Follow up with your health care provider as instructed.

• Your baby's eye is red, swollen, or draining pus.
• Light seems to bother your baby.
• A bluish bump develops around the eye.
• The tearing and crusting drainage get better, then come back again.
• Your baby still has a lot of tearing and crusting at 1 year of age.

Can a blocked tear duct lead to other problems? Some blocked tear ducts get infected. This causes yellow or green mucus to drain from the eye, redness and swelling of the eye, and sometimes a fever. Health care providers prescribe antibiotics to treat tear duct infections.

How does the eye doctor open a blocked tear duct? There are different ways to open a blocked tear duct, including:

• using a thin wire (called a probe) to clear the duct; this is most common
• placing a stent (tiny tube) into the duct to hold it open
• inflating a tiny balloon inside the duct to widen it