When Germs Get In Your Eye
When Germs Get In Your Eye
By Brian W. Donnelly, M.D., F.A.B.M.
When a child has an eye with redness and discharge (sometimes called “pink eye”), there is often concern about its spread to other children. Doctors are often called upon to prescribe antibiotics to effect a rapid cure, since it usually takes about 5 days for the condition to resolve without treatment. Some people have questioned the efficacy of the antibiotic approach. A recent research paper from the Journal of the American Medical Association addresses this issue.
In the study, the children diagnosed with acute infectious conjunctivitis were randomly placed into 3 groups. One group had an antibiotic eye drop prescribed, the other group had a placebo eye drop prescribed, and the third had no intervention. The researchers made sure the placebo had no preservatives, since that kind of ingredient could potentially act as a medication. They found that the children treated with the antibiotic eye drops did, indeed, get better significantly faster. Interestingly, the children treated with the placebo also had a faster return to normal than the untreated kids. In fact, there was no statistical difference between the antibiotic group and the placebo group. The placebo used was a lubricating eye drop, which suggests that maybe extra lacrimal secretions were all that the children needed to overcome the infection.
Which reminds me…
Another recent study compared the use of an antibiotic eye drop containing expressed breast milk for babies 6 months or younger with eye discharge. The results showed that both treatments were equal; breast milk was no less effective than the antibiotic. Of course, the average physician will still order an antibiotic drop. But in these days of unanticipated shortages, it is good to know about other options.
Dr. Brian Donnelly has a special interest in breastfeeding. He was the initial recipient of the Allegheny County Health Department’s Breastfeeding Advocacy Award. He is a Fellow of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine and can perform the frenulotomy procedure for tongue-tied infants who have trouble nursing. Dr. Donnelly sees patients at the AHN Pediatrics Northland office.
source http://www.thepediablog.com/2022/10/12/when-germs-get-in-your-eye/
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