Blepharitis

Because curing blepharitis is difficult, the goal of treatment is to decrease the severity of the symptoms. Severe cases of blepharitis may need to be managed by an ophthalmologist or eye care specialist.

Treatment may include:

• applying warm, wet compresses to your child's eyes for a period of 15 minutes, several times throughout the day
• instructing your child not to rub his or her eyes
• having your child wash his hands frequently
• antibiotic ointments for the eyes, which doesn’t make the blepharitis clear faster but may help to stop the infection from spreading to other parts of the eyes, or treat a secondary infection
• washing your child's face daily — including the eyes — with a wet washcloth and a gentle baby shampoo and rubbing your child's eyelids gently to help remove the crust

If your child has seborrheic dermatitis in addition to blepharitis, treatment recommendations may include:

• rubbing mineral oil on your infant’s head with a soft toothbrush, followed by a gentle shampooing
• special shampoo, as prescribed by your child's physician
• corticosteroid cream or lotion