Administer Eye Drops in Children

Your child is not feeling well and the doctor has prescribed eye drops to help her feel better. Now, it is up to you to get those eye drops in her eyes. A calm child will make it easier, but you may also have to administer eye drops to a young child or an older, nervous child. If you can, find a partner to help. Make sure everything is in place and work quickly but efficiently.[1]

Steps

Getting Everything in Order

  1. Ask the doctor why your child needs the eye drops. Be clear on what eye needs what medication and how many drops should be used. It helps to understand what medical condition the eye drops are treating. You will know what to expect when you apply the eye drops.[2][2]
    • There are many reasons why your child’s doctor could have prescribed the eye drops. Your child may have hay fever or allergies and you will have to treat your child’s itchy eyes off and on throughout the allergy season. Conjunctivitis is an infection of the tissue lining the inside of the eyelids and the sclera, the whites of the eye. You will apply the eye drops for a limited period of time, but you have to be careful not to spread the infection to your child’s other eye or to you. Glaucoma, increased pressure in your child’s eye, is a chronic disease and you likely will have to apply the eye drops for a long period of time.[3][4]
    • Your child will start to feel better sooner if her eye(s) receive the proper treatment. Your child may be having a problem with only one eye or both eyes. She may not have the same issue in both eyes. You may have to put only one medication in one eye and two medications in the other eye. It will be easier to focus on your child’s comfort when applying the eye drops if you are comfortable with exactly what you need to do.[2]
  2. Ask the doctor what side effects the eye drops can cause. Eye drops are a medication and they may cause side effects, including an allergic reaction, in your child. You want to recognize the signs so that you can stop the eye drops as soon as possible.[2]
    • The symptoms from an allergic reaction can have a lot of overlap with the symptoms from a side effect. Your child may experience redness, itching, burning, and blurry vision. These are symptoms you child may be having already from her illness; suspect a problem when your child’s symptoms get worse instead of better as time passes. Your doctor will tell you about the specific side effects the eye drops may cause. If you have any concerns about how your child is reacting to the eye drops, call your doctor. She can determine if your child needs a different type of medication.[5]
  3. Inform the doctor about your child’s other medications and her drug allergies. Tell her about all the prescription and over-the-counter medications your child is taking currently. Any medication can interact poorly with the eye drops. Your child’s drug allergies are important information for your child’s doctor to have when she is prescribing the eye drops.[2]
  4. Ask if your child needs to stop wearing her contact lenses. Your child may be old enough to wear contacts, but she may still need your help with the eye drops. Follow the doctor’s instructions.[2]
    • A general rule is that you can have your child remove her soft contacts and keep them out for 15 minutes after using preservative-free eye drops. She will have to wear her glasses for several days if the eye drops contain a preservative. If your child wears hard contacts, she can use eye drops with or without a preservative and still keep in her contacts.[5]
  5. Ask the pharmacist when the eye drops must be discarded. Every time you use the eye drops from a multi-dose bottle there is a risk of contamination. This could lead to an eye infection in your child.[2]
    • The preservatives used in eye drops discourage the growth of bacteria after the bottle is opened, but there is a limit. A multi-dose bottle should not be used longer than 4 weeks. Write the day and month you opened the bottle on the label to remind you to throw away the eye drops.
    • Preservatives are not used in the eye drops contained in single-use vials. These eye drops should be discarded immediately after use; do not save any of remaining fluid for the next dose.[6][7][2]
  6. Inspect the label and the eye drops. Read the medicine label to check the instructions and the expiration date. Shake the bottle and draw up the medication into the dropper to look for any changes the fluid’s appearance.[7]
    • The instructions on the label should be the same as what your child’s doctor told you during the office visit.
    • Do not use the eye drops if the expiration date has passed. Do not risk prolonging your child’s recovery time by using medication which may not be at full strength, or may be contaminated with harmful bacteria.
    • Shaking makes the medication uniform throughout the bottle. Discard the eye drops if you see any crystals forming or if the medication has changed colors. These changes suggest the eye drops have been contaminated. You should be able to examine the eye drops through the clear plastic of the single-dose vial.[7]
  7. Wash your hands before touching the bottle. You want your hands to be free of germs when you are touching the bottle and applying the drops to your child’s eye(s). Contamination of the eye drops and unintentionally causing an infection in your child is always a concern.[1]
    • Use soap and warm water, and scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds (about the time it takes to sing "Happy Birthday" twice). Don't forget to get under your nails and between your fingers.
  8. Choose a room that is quiet and well-lit. When the time comes, it will be easier on both you and your child if the eye drops are applied without distractions for your child and with a lot of light for you to see.[1]
    • A room filled with her toys and with the TV or music blaring will make you child want to move around or look all over the place. Your child’s is already a little afraid. Do everything you can to help keep her calm.
  9. Talk to your child if she is old enough. She may be more cooperative if she knows what to expect. Tell her the eye drops will make her feel better in the end, but that drops may make her eyes sting or make her vision blurry for a short time. Do some playacting to get her familiar with how you will apply the eye drops.[1]
    • Show your child the medicine bottle. Explain how you will take out a dropper. Make believe you are putting eye drops in your own eyes or your partner’s eyes first. Then, make believe you are doing it to your child. Praise everyone, especially your child, for staying calm.[1]
    • You can put a drop on the back of your child’s hand to let her see what it feels like. But, you want to be careful not to touch anything with the tip of the dropper.[1]
  10. Place the medicine bottle/vial on a clean tissue. Once you have drawn up the medicine into the dropper, you want to free up your hand. However, you do not want the outside of the bottle to come in contact with dirt or dust.
    • Try not to put down the dropper or the opened single-use vial. The tips must be kept as clean as possible. You must be aware of not contaminating the tip of the dropper.

Treating the Older or Calm Child

  1. Find a position that makes your child comfortable. It is best if your child has her head back and her eyes looking upward. You may have to try several positions before your child is settled and willing to stay still. It will be easier if you have a partner who can help keep your child calm.[7]
    • You can have your partner cradle the child while she is lying flat on her back. If your child is old enough, ask her to look upwards.[7]
    • Have your child in a seated position so that she can tilt her head back, making her eyes roll upwards, naturally. Your partner may need to hold a younger child’s head in this position, gently.[7]
    • If you are alone, sit on the floor with your child on your lap facing you. After you bend your knees, your thighs become a cradle. Ask your child to lean back or lie on her back so that her head is resting on your knees. Both of your hands are now free.[8]
  2. Clean your child’s eye. Use a tissue, cotton ball, or cotton swab moistened with warm water. Wipe gently from near the nose towards the ear.[1]
    • An extra layer of pus or hardened eye discharge in and around the eye may prevent the eye drops from being absorbed by the superficial tissue layers of the eye.[1][8]
  3. Pull down your child’s lower eyelid gently. When the child is looking up, this action creates a sac where you can put the eye drops. Take care not to let the tip of the dropper touch anything, including your child’s eye, eyelashes or face.[1]
    • Use a two-handed approach. Use your non-dominant hand to move the eyelid and your dominant hand to apply the drops.
    • You can encourage your child to look up by having your partner hold up a toy or by placing a toy she likes high up on something and pointing it out to her.[1]
    • If your child will not look up, you may have to use your thumb on the lower eyelid and your pointer finger on the upper eyelid to open her eye.[1]
  4. Have your child keep her eyes closed for up to 2 minutes. Encourage your child not to squeeze her eye shut. You are giving the eye drops time to bathe the eye and be absorbed by the superficial layers of the eye. While you wait, use a clean tissue to wipe away any medication that drained from your child’s eye.[5][8][2]
    • Excessive blinking or tight closing may force medicine out of her eye. However, there is absolutely no way to keep your child from blinking or squeezing if she is unable or unwilling to listen to you.[2]
    • Clear away any excess eye drops that have drained from your child’s eye.
  5. Press on your child’s inner eye for 1 minute. You want to press gently on the eye near your child’s nose. This step can prevent the medication from becoming systemic and going throughout your child’s entire body.[5][8]
    • Some children will not tolerate this pressure and it is best not to force the issue.
    • Your pressure is meant to block your child’s tear duct and to prevent the eye medication from becoming systemic. The medication in the eye drops is meant to treat your child’s eye only. It is absorbed by the thin layers covering your child’s eye. However, there is a tear duct located in the inside corner of her eye near her nose. Tears flow out of it to lubricate the eye. The eye drops can flow into the tear duct; the small blood vessels in there can carry the medication to other parts of the body.[5][2]
  6. Wait several minutes to apply a second type of eye drop. It is best to wait around five minutes. This prevents the second medication from washing away the first before it has time to be absorbed.[1][7]
  7. Reassure and praise your child. Your child will enjoy the affection and hearing about how good and brave she is. This is positive reinforcement encourages her to remain calm and cooperative the next time you apply the eye drops.[1]

Treating the Younger or Upset Child

  1. Get a blanket or towel to wrap your child. You can keep arms and legs from flying everywhere or stop your child from trying to run away from you. It will help if you have a partner who will help keep your child calm.[7][2]
    • This technique works best if your child is younger than 3 years old. However, you still can see if your slightly older and upset child will give it a try.[7][2]
    • Putting drops in open eyes works better, so try the above method first. If it does not work, proceed with this method.
    • Swaddling is known to calm infants.[9] A small child will wiggle less and may find the light pressure comforting, especially if your partner is cuddling her as well.
  2. Clean your child’s eye. Use a tissue, cotton ball, or cotton swab moistened with warm water. Wipe gently from near the nose towards the ear.[1]
    • An extra layer of pus or hardened eye discharge in and around the eye may prevent the eye drops from being absorbed by the superficial tissue layers of the eye.[1][8]
  3. Position your child and wait for her to close her eyes. It is likely your young or nervous, older child will not be very cooperative. You may have to try several positions. Wrapping your child in the blanket should not prevent you from getting your child into position.[7]
    • You can have your partner cradle the child while she is lying flat on her back.[7]
    • Have your child in a seated position with her head tilted back. Your partner may need to hold your child’s head in this position, gently.[7]
    • If you are alone, sit on the floor with your child on your lap facing you. After you bend your knees, your thighs become a cradle. Ask your child to lean back or lie on her back so that her head is resting on your knees. Both of your hands are now free.[8]
  4. Place the eye drop in the corner of your child’s closed eye. If you cannot use the open-eye method (or you have tried it and it didn't work), apply the drops to closed eyes. Use the corner closest to the nose. Make sure you do not touch your child’s eye, eyelashes, or face.[1][7]
    • This does not work as well as when you place the eye drops in your child’s lower eyelid, but there may not be another option when your child is young or very upset. However, you can try the open-eye method first. Some even very young children will respond well to it.[7]
  5. Tell your child to open her eyes. Encourage very young children to open their eyes by showing them a favorite toy or a video on your phone. Normal blinking will let the eye drops flow into the eye. If she is too afraid to open her eye, rub her eyelids gently to bathe the eye. Use a clean tissue to wipe away any excess medication around the eye.[7][8] [5][2]
    • Excessive blinking or tight closing may force medicine out of her eye. Help your child to follow your instructions as much as she can.[2]
    • Clean away any excess eye drops that have drained from your child’s eye.
  6. Press on your child’s inner eye for 1 minute. You want to press gently on the eye near your child’s nose. This step can prevent the medication from becoming systemic and going throughout your child’s entire body.[5][8]
    • A young or nervous child may not tolerate this pressure, but it is best not to force the issue.
    • Your pressure is meant to block your child’s tear duct and to prevent the eye medication from becoming systemic. The medication in the eye drops is meant to treat your child’s eye only. It is absorbed by the thin layers covering your child’s eye. However, there is a tear duct located in the inside corner of her eye near her nose. Tears flow out of it to lubricate the eye. The eye drops can flow into the tear duct; the small blood vessels in there can carry the medication to other parts of the body.[5][2]
  7. Wait several minutes to apply a second type of eye drop. It is best to wait around five minutes. This prevents the second medication from washing away the first before it has time to be absorbed.[1][7]
  8. Reassure and praise your child. Your child will enjoy the affection and hearing about how good and brave she is. This is positive reinforcement could encourage her to remain calm and cooperative the next time you apply the eye drops.[1]

Reaching the End Successfully

  1. Clean up well and prevent infection. This means washing your hands with soap after you are done using the eye drops. The tip of the dropper should be cleaned with a cotton ball soaked in rubbing alcohol.[1][2]
    • If your child has an eye infection, you want to prevent the spread of infection throughout your household. Also, you do not want to get the medication, which is not supposed to be swallowed, in your mouth.
    • It's important to keep the dropper tip clean and free from germs for future use. Rinse off the dropper with water to make sure there is no residual alcohol when you use it again.
  2. Store the medication in a safe place. This means keeping the bottle out of the reach of your child and other children in house. Ask your pharmacist if the bottle needs to be stored in a specific place like refrigerator or out of direct sunlight to help it maintain its effectiveness.[7]
    • Your child may be very curious about the medicine bottle once you use the eye drops on her. Remind her it is not to be touched.
  3. Call your doctor if your child’s symptoms get worse or do not improve. Don’t hesitate to call if you feel like something is just not right with your child. You know her best.[8]
    • Call your doctor immediately if your child’s eyelids becoming very red and swollen, she has increasing eye pain, her vision stays blurry for a long time, or if your child begins acting very sick. Most children will play even if they are not well; a child feeling too weak to move around is worrisome.[8]
    • Call your doctor if an infection has not cleared up after 3 days or if your child develops an earache.[8]


Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2873669/
  2. ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 http://www.aboutkidshealth.ca/en/healthaz/testsandtreatments/givingmedication/pages/eye-drops-how-to-put-in.aspx
  3. ↑ https://nei.nih.gov/health/cornealdisease
  4. ↑ http://www.aapos.org/terms/conditions/55
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 http://patient.info/doctor/eye-drugs-prescribing-and-administering
  6. ↑ http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/dry-eyes/expert-answers/artificial-tears/faq-20058422
  7. ↑ 7.00 7.01 7.02 7.03 7.04 7.05 7.06 7.07 7.08 7.09 7.10 7.11 7.12 7.13 7.14 7.15 7.16 http://www.gosh.nhs.uk/medical-information/medicines-information/how-give-your-child-eye-drops
  8. ↑ 8.00 8.01 8.02 8.03 8.04 8.05 8.06 8.07 8.08 8.09 8.10 http://www.summitmedicalgroup.com/library/pediatric_health/hhg_eye_yellowdis/
  9. ↑ https://medcom.uiowa.edu/health/how-to-calm-your-fussy-baby/
Retrieved from "https://kipkis.com/index.php?title=Administer_Eye_Drops_in_Children&oldid=349660"