Newborn Blocked Tear Duct? A Step-by-Step Guide to Massage (Plus What to Watch For)
Babies aren’t born with fully developed plumbing. Tears need to drain from the eye down through a tiny tube (the tear duct) into the nose. In newborns, that tube often has a thin membrane blocking the exit. The massage helps pop that membrane open naturally.
The good news? There is a very simple, safe technique you can do at home to help clear it up: . Here is exactly how to do it.
Take a deep breath. In the vast majority of cases, that sticky yellow discharge is simply a (medically known as nasolacrimal duct obstruction ). It is incredibly common in newborns, affecting up to 20% of babies.