Lisa (Nigele) or anyone: Tips for administering eye drops?

[Karenn]

Colin was practicing walking today and he took a tumble. I tried to catch him, but my thumbnail landed in his eye! :( I took him to the ped. and fortunately, I didn't scratch the cornea, just the white of his eye. The ped. said to give him antibiotic drops for a couple of days to fend of possible infection. Any tips on how to get a 11 month old still long enough to put drops in his eyes? When I had an eye infection a couple months back, *I* could hardly hold still long enough! :) Thanks!

[Marisa6826]

Have him lay back and with his eyes closed, put the drops in the corners closest to his nose. When he opens his eyes, the drops will flow in.

This is how we put drops in my husbands eyes!

Good luck

-m

[nigele]

Karen,

Poor little guy! I am SO glad his cornea wasn't scratched, though!

Tom had 10 eyedrops a day for several weeks and he quickly learned what was happening when I layed him down - and he did everything he could to get away. Here are a couple of suggestions for you:

Lay him between your legs on the floor and "pin" down his arms with your legs. That leaves both of your hands free to open his eyelids (lift the top and bottom) and administer the drop (he can't push your hands away if they are pinned down.) If he is scrunching his eye shut and thrashing his head, this won't work! It is amazing how strong their eyelid muscles are!! On to plan B...

While still pinning his little arms down, distract him with a toy that has lights and sound, and one that you can operate with one hand. Hold it up in the air and away from the eye that needs the drops. He will open his eye to peek and you might be able to get the medicine in. And do not be gentle with the eyedrop bottle - it is a nightmare trying to gingerly squeeze out one drop when you are in a rush before Colin gets away. *****A baby's eye will only hold one drop so even if you have to squirt half the bottle at his eye to get some medication in there, you cannot overdose! So squeeze that bottle hard while his eye is open!

If this doesn't work, you can squirt the drops in the corner of his eye and turn his head, hoping the drops will fall in but this can cause bacteria on the skin to roll into the eye. Also, if he is fighting it, he will not open his eye when he feels the drop hit the corner and the drop will just roll over his closed eyelids toward his ear.

Just hang in there - it's not an easy thing to give a baby eyedrops and I don't know who it was more traumatic for - me or Tom! Please let me know if you have any more questions, I'd be more than happy to help.

And I hope Colin's eye heals soon!

[Karenn]

Thanks Lisa and Marisa! The first dose went OK, but I think he'll be on to me the next time so I may have to use some of Lisa's tricks. Fortunately, we only have to do it twice a day for 2-3 days. I can't IMAGINE doing it more frequently or longer! Lisa, you're amazing!

Karen