My daughter is three months old and she has this yellowish gunk in her eyes. what is it? how can i help her? after she takes a nap and she tries to open her eyes, she can't because there is so much of this yellowish gunk that its glues her eyes shut. it h

An : An infant with this type of problem needs to be seen by an ophthalmologist to differentiate between pink eye or an obstructed tear drainage duct which have very different treatments.

It : It is possible that the diagnosis is pink eye, but this can be a sign of or lead to bigger problems. An eye doctor should examine her to help you figure out what is going on, because pink eye can lead to serious illness in an infant. Once pink eye or conjunctivitis is ruled out, the diagnosis of blocked tear duct (nasolacrimal duct obstruction) would be considered. Warm compresses and massage of the tear duct can make this go away. Again, you should take her to an eye doctor to make sure that pink eye is treated if that is the problem.

If : If this is an acute condition, it can be from a conjunctivitis. Pink eye is a common form of conjunctivitis in children. It is a self limiting viral infection but often requires antibiotics to prevent bacterial co-infection. If this is a chronic condition then it is probably secondary to naso-lacrimal duct blockage. Either way, she will need an evaluation for a treatment.