Why Is My Infants Eye Tearing So Much?
Why Is My Infant’s Eye Tearing So Much?One of my infant’s eyes is constantly tearing. Should I be concerned?Answer: Constant tearing of your infant’s eyes should be taken seriously. Most often, the culprit is nasolacrimal obstruction, commonly known as blocked tear duct. Blocked tear duct occurs in up to 20 percent of newborns. Tears are created by the lacrimal gland to keep the eyes clean and moist. Normally, the tears drain through small holes, called puncta, located in the corners of the upper and lower eyelids. From the puncta, tears drain into the common lacrimal sac and into a drainage system called the nasolacrimal duct. A blocked tear duct occurs when this drainage system is blocked or has not opened properly. In infants, this drainage system may not be completely mature at the time of birth, causing the duct to be more narrow than usual. If the drainage system is disrupted, tears have nowhere
