Why does a 6-month-old baby's eyes get crusty?

In a 6-month-old baby, eye crustiness is most commonly caused by:

Most common: Blocked tear duct

Approximately 5-20% of babies may have an incompletely opened tear duct from birth. In this case, tears cannot drain properly from the eye, accumulate, and form white/yellowish crust when they dry. The white of the eye is usually clear, with buildup only around the lash line and inner canthus (corner near the nose).

Second most common: Conjunctivitis (eye inflammation)

• Viral: Usually accompanies upper respiratory infection; watery discharge, eye redness
• Bacterial: Yellow-green, thick, sticky discharge; eyelids may be stuck together in the morning, white of the eye is noticeably red

More rarely:

• Foreign object (eyelash, dust)
• Allergy (itching and watering are more prominent)

When to see a pediatrician?

• If the white of the eye is red or swollen
• If the crust is yellow-green and sticky, especially if it's in one eye only
• If fever accompanies it
• If the baby is rubbing their eye or showing light sensitivity
• If it doesn't go away with home cleaning within 2-3 days

To clean crust: dip a clean gauze into boiled and cooled water, using separate gauze for each eye, always wipe from inside to outside in a single motion.