Swelling under the eyes of a child may indicate the presence of diseases of internal organs or be a natural physiological state. If you understand what is their cause, it will be easier to take control of the situation and see a doctor before it is too late to change something.
Swelling under the baby's eyes
Causes of edema under the eyes of a child
Bags appear due to the accumulation of fluid under the eyes. In infants, this may not indicate a disease. The reasons why the eyelids can swell are both pathological and physiological. In the first case, we are talking about a disease. In the second - about the natural state. Puffy eyes in a baby after birth can be caused by injuries and a number of other circumstances.
Important! Puffiness under the eyes has nothing to do with the tumor. These are different concepts.
Physiological
If a child has swelling under the eye, the reasons may be as follows:
- Prolonged crying or screaming. If the baby is left unattended for a long time, then tears accumulate in the eye area, which creates the effect of edema. They do not have time to wash away through the lacrimal canal.
- Large amount of liquid. The baby does not need to be given extra water. In most cases, breast milk is sufficient to provide the baby with fluid. In mixtures, the amount of water is strictly defined, it cannot be exceeded.
- Teething.
- Difficulty falling asleep and posture during sleep when the baby's head is below the torso.
- Hereditary factors. In this case, bags under the eyes are not signs of edema, but are a phenotypic feature that does not need to be paid attention to.
The baby's eyes are swollen
In these cases, you should not worry. The bags pass by themselves after some time.
Pathological
Swollen eyelids can also be a sign of health problems. A baby up to a year old is able to look painful. There are possible reasons that require treatment:
- Inflammatory processes. Bags can indicate the presence of conjunctivitis, barley, herpes, and other infectious diseases. Then a number of accompanying symptoms are observed, such as high fever, burning, itching, watery eyes.
- Viral diseases. If your baby develops a cold, it can also cause fluid to build up in the eye area.
- Inflammation of the internal organs. Bags under the eyes can indicate kidney or liver problems, other problems with the organs of the gastrointestinal tract, or disorders of the cardiovascular system.
- Hypothyroidism This is a dysfunction of the thyroid gland, puffy eyes is one of the most common symptoms of this disease. At the same time, the child may feel lethargic, poor appetite. The disease is especially dangerous for babies, since it can lead to a deterioration in their development.
- Anemia. A symptom in which the level of hemoglobin in the blood decreases, as a result, the organs receive insufficient oxygen.
Also, swelling of the eyelids can cause an allergic reaction. Therefore, you need to carefully look at what the baby eats, what foods his mother eats, and also if there are any allergens in the air.
Eye injury
Babies should be closely monitored as eye trauma can cause swelling. For example, a baby may fall out of bed.
Swelling of the eyelids in a child
This phenomenon occurs quite often when the baby grows up a little. If the baby inadvertently bumps his head on something, this also leads to bags under the eyes. Therefore, parents need to constantly monitor the child, avoiding injury.
Other factors
Swelling can be triggered by factors that are not physiological or painful:
- Improper nutrition. If the diet includes an excessive amount of salt, it is necessary to reduce its intake. Often, an excess is obtained when the mixtures are not prepared correctly. If the baby is breastfed, the mother should limit the consumption of smoked meats, salted foods. Also, you do not need to add some salt to complementary foods for babies 6 months and older.
- Wrong daily routine. Overwork can also cause swollen eyelids.
- Poor lighting is very stressful for the eyes. Consequently, they get more tired.
Important! Basic child care can greatly minimize the chance of under-eye puffiness.
Associated symptoms
On a painful character swelling of the eyelids may indicate concurrently manifested signs:
- Kidney disease: too infrequent or frequent urination, darkening or clouding of urine.
- If there is shortness of breath, fatigue, plaque on the tongue, the cardiovascular system is poorly functioning.
- Lethargy, decreased muscle tone, poor appetite, difficulty breathing - hypothyroidism.
- Swelling of the face (including the nose) and tongue, coughing, hoarse breathing is a particularly dangerous type of allergy called Quincke's edema.
Important! In the latter case, you need to call an ambulance. If Quincke's edema is not treated, the consequences can be very serious.
What to do for parents
The set of reasons is so large that parents often do not know what action to take in a particular case.
Accumulation of fluid under the eyes
Doctor Komarovsky's recommendations
The well-known pediatrician Yevgeny Komarovsky recommended that when swelling appears, a standard urine test, and, if possible, an ultrasound examination of the kidneys. If there was no pathology, then it is easy to assume that this is a hereditary factor. The doctor said that he does not think it is realistic to drink milk to such an extent as to cause an excess of fluid around the baby's eyes.
Revision of the diet
Often, bags under the eyes of a baby appear after the introduction of complementary foods. It's just that parents violate the rules for the introduction of products. It is important to try first to give small amounts of simple foods (for example, cereals or pieces of fruit), then gradually introduce foods that are heavier for digestion into the diet.
Council. It is worth starting to give the baby meat on time. If the baby is having difficulty absorbing it or does not want to eat, you need to consult a doctor.
Proper hygiene
To avoid getting infections, you must try so that the baby does not rub his eyes with dirty hands. You also need to regularly wash them with cotton pads.
Which doctor to seek help
If you suspect that something is wrong with the child's health, then you need to contact a pediatrician. Symptoms such as weakness, lack of appetite, diarrhea and vomiting, swelling of the face, impaired mental and physical development, and fever should be alerted. In most cases, you don't need to worry.
