How To Massage Infant Tear Duct May 2026
Place your index finger (or your pinky for better precision) at the inner corner of your baby’s eye, right next to the bridge of their nose. You are looking for the medial canthus —the small bump where the upper and lower eyelids meet.
In many newborns, the very bottom of that “drainpipe” is still sealed by a thin, residual membrane that didn’t fully open before birth. The tears have nowhere to go, so they back up, pool in the eye, and eventually turn into the goopy discharge you are wiping away. how to massage infant tear duct
Welcome to the art of the tear duct massage. Think of your baby’s tear drainage system as a tiny drainpipe. Tears are produced in the gland above the eye, wash across the surface, and then drain away through tiny holes in the corner of the eye (puncta), down a narrow duct, and out into the nose. Place your index finger (or your pinky for
There is nothing quite as disarming as looking into your newborn’s eyes. They are vast, curious, and clear. But sometimes, those beautiful eyes tell a different story—one written in crusty yellow discharge, persistent tears that spill down the cheek, or sticky lashes glued together after a nap. The tears have nowhere to go, so they