The article is professionally consulted by Master of Science, Medical Doctor Phan Ngoc Hai - Pediatrics - Neonatology Department - Vinmec Da Nang International General Hospital. Dr. Hai has worked at the Neonatal Department of Da Nang Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital and Hoan My Da Nang Hospital. His strengths are general pediatric examination and treatment, neonatal examination and treatment, and pediatric resuscitation.
Breast milk is the best source of nutrition for infants and young children, offering unparalleled immune protection. Many mothers believe that putting breast milk in the eyes can effectively treat eye infections such as conjunctivitis. There is a lot of anecdotal evidence for this use of breast milk, but no scientific evidence has been proven.
1. What is conjunctivitis?
Conjunctivitis refers to inflammation of the inner lining of the eye, which may or may not involve swelling. Symptoms include swelling and redness of the eyes. The main cause of conjunctivitis is a viral infection, also known as pink eye. Pink eye has a high transmission rate and often causes outbreaks in schools.
Viral conjunctivitis usually resolves on its own without any treatment. Bacterial conjunctivitis is less common and is usually treated with antibiotic eye drops. Additionally, conjunctivitis in young children can be caused by allergies or irritation from other external factors (such as shampoo).
2. Are there any studies on breast milk and eye infections?
A few studies are related to this issue, but all focus on eye infections and tear duct obstruction in infants rather than directly on using breast milk in the eyes to treat conjunctivitis in children.
Note that colostrum has been used in the studies below. Colostrum is the first milk produced in the first few days after birth. Colostrum contains more antibodies.
Study 1: Conducted in India, 51 newborns had colostrum applied to their eyes for 3 days compared to a control group of 72 other newborns who received no treatment. 35% of the control group and 6% of the colostrum group had eye infections in the experiment. Colostrum seems to outperform in preventing eye infections in newborns, though the study design raises several concerns.
In the 4 years before the study, the hospital had about 5% conjunctivitis cases. So why did the control group have an eye infection rate of up to 35%? This is not transparent. The colostrum group was placed in the southern wing of the hospital and mostly delivered by cesarean section. The control group was placed in the northern wing and mostly delivered vaginally. Moreover, the study did not demonstrate the safety of applying colostrum to newborns' eyes.
Study 2: It is an in vitro study on eye infections in 22 Nigerian infants. The infected baby's eyes were wiped with gauze, and the bacteria on the gauze were added to various antibiotics, colostrum, or mature breast milk. The main bacteria found in the study were staphylococcus and enteric bacilli. The diagram below shows the sensitivity of the bacteria to three main antibiotics, colostrum, and mature breast milk.
For example, staphylococcus was inhibited 100% by Gentamicin, 50% by colostrum, and not inhibited by regular breast milk. What does this study show us? Breast milk’s effectiveness against eye infections varies by bacterial type, with colostrum showing greater efficacy. However, the study only focused on 2 types of bacteria, although there are many causes of eye infections, and it did not focus on viral infections. Moreover, this is an in vitro study, meaning it was conducted in a laboratory because bacteria develop completely differently on a specimen compared to a child's eye.
Study 3: A small retrospective study conducted in Spain, comparing breast milk and antibiotic drops in treating tear duct obstruction in newborns. The results showed that tear duct obstruction was resolved faster in the breast milk group compared to the antibiotic group.
3. Can breast milk treat eye infections in young children?
Currently, there is insufficient evidence supporting the use of breast milk to treat eye infections in children. The studies above show that using breast milk appears to be safe and effective in bacterial eye infections and tear duct obstruction. Applying colostrum to the eyes is more effective than mature breast milk. However, the children in the studies above were newborns, and there are no studies on older children. In vitro studies differ greatly from in vivo studies conducted on humans.
Additionally, most conjunctivitis in children is viral conjunctivitis, which usually resolves on its own within a week without any treatment. There are no studies on applying breast milk to the eyes of children beyond the newborn age, and no studies on viral conjunctivitis.
For any eye infection in your child, promptly consult a pediatrician or ophthalmologist for appropriate treatment. Neonatal conjunctivitis can lead to severe eye damage, including blindness.
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