"How Should I Handle Newborns Inverted Eyelashes?"
Neonatal trichiasis is generally caused by congenital developmental abnormalities. Depending on the severity of the condition, measures such as enhanced care, medication, and surgical intervention can be taken. The specifics are introduced below:
1. Enhanced Care: If the neonatal trichiasis is not severe, with only a few eyelashes being inverted and not causing significant eye discomfort, specialized treatment is generally not required. However, parents can use cotton swabs to gently turn the eyelashes upward, which may help improve the condition.
2. Medication: Neonatal trichiasis can potentially lead to eye infections. In cases of noticeable redness, swelling, or pain, a doctor may prescribe topical medications, such as erythromycin eye ointment or chloramphenicol eye drops, for local application.
3. Surgical Intervention: Although surgery is generally not recommended for newborns due to their young age, if trichiasis is severe and prevents the eyes from opening normally, surgical treatment may be necessary under certain circumstances.
Additionally, parents can also help improve neonatal trichiasis through eye massage. After thoroughly washing their hands, parents can use their thumbs to gently massage the lower eyelids of the baby, starting from the bridge of the nose and moving down and outward. This can cause the lower eyelids to slightly evert, allowing the eyelashes to move away from the eyeball, thereby gradually correcting the trichiasis.