Blocked Tear Duct Newborn Massage ((better)) May 2026

For 90% of babies, the duct clears up on its own by the time they turn 1 year old. However, with consistent massage, you will usually see improvement within a few weeks. You will know it is working when the eye stops looking watery and the yellow gunk disappears.

If you look at your newborn and notice one eye (or both) constantly looking wet, goopy, or crusty, your first instinct might be panic. Is it an infection? Is it pink eye? blocked tear duct newborn massage

Before the massage, you can hold a warm (not hot!) damp washcloth over the eye for 2 minutes. This helps loosen the crusty debris and makes the massage more effective. For 90% of babies, the duct clears up

Babies aren’t born with fully developed plumbing. Tears need to drain from the eye down through a tiny tube (the tear duct) into the nose. In newborns, that tube often has a thin membrane blocking the exit. The massage helps pop that membrane open naturally. If you look at your newborn and notice

While massage is safe, you need to know when to stop the home remedy and seek a doctor.