What is tear duct obstruction?
In about 10% of normal newborn babies, the duct that drains the tears from the eye to the back of the nose is blocked at the bottom of the duct. Some babies will open up by themselves or with massage, and some require a probing procedure to open up the duct. Many babies require washing the eyelids with half strength baby shampoo or topical antibiotics for intermittent or chronic infections until the duct opens up.
