How To put Eye Drops in Children

Eye drops deliver medicine and fluids to your child’s eye. Eye drops may be used to treat dry eye syndrome, allergies, infections, and other eye conditions.

Eye drops may also be used during an eye exam. Young children may have trouble letting you put drops in their eyes. Learn these important steps to clean your child’s eyes and give eye drops.

What are the risks?

• Burning or itching sensations.
• Tears.
• Redness.
• Allergic reactions.
• Swollen eyelids.
• Blurry vision.
• Infection.

How to give eye drops

Preventing infection

• Before and after giving eye drops, wash your hands with soap and water.
• Clean your child’s eyes, if necessary. Use a warm washcloth to wipe your child’s eyes. If you have to wipe each eye, use a different area of the washcloth for each eye.
• Do not touch your child’s eye or eyelid with the end of the dropper. You may hold the dropper within one inch (2.5 cm) of your child’s eye.
• Before and after giving the drops, use a clean facial tissue to wipe the dropper or use clean water to wash off the dropper.

Giving your child eye drops

• Have your child sit or lie still.
  • If your child cannot stay still, ask for help from a family member or friend. You might have to hold your child.
• Use a rolled towel or pillow to support your child’s head and neck, if needed.
• Allow refrigerated drops to warm up to room temperature, if this applies. Roll the closed bottle between your hands to warm it.
• Shake the contents of the bottle before removing the cap, if directed.
• Repeat the following steps for each eye, if needed.
  • Ask your child to open his or her eyes and to look up.
  • Gently pull down the lower rim of your child’s eyelid.
  • Into the lower rim, drop the recommended number of drops.
  • Ask your child to blink a few times to spread the drops.
  • Use a facial tissue or a clean cloth to blot away any of the liquid or tears that fall on your child’s face.

Contact a health care provider if:

• Your child’s eyes become itchy.
• Your child’s eyelids swell.
• Any symptom that the eye drops were supposed to treat gets worse.
• Your child has pus or watery mucus coming out of his or her eye or on his or her eyelashes.
• Your child has a new crust on his or her eyelashes or near his or her eye.

Get help right away if:

• Your child’s eyes hurt.
• Your child’s vision changes suddenly.
• Your child loses partial or total vision in one eye or both eyes.

Summary

• Eye drops deliver medicine and fluids to your child’s eye.
• Eye drops may be used to treat dry eye syndrome, allergies, infections, and other eye conditions.
• Before and after giving eye drops, wash your hands with soap and water.
• Young children may have trouble letting you put drops in their eyes. If your child cannot stay still, ask for help from a family member or friend.