Breast milk is packed with antibodies that help babies fight off infection, viruses and it simultaneously provides them with all of the nutrients they need.
It’s been used for centuries for medicine, and to even treat eye infections. It makes sense to wonder does breastmilk cure pink eye? Sometimes, it does.
However, sometimes it can make things worse. Instead, you should take your baby to a doctor first.
In this article
Consider The Pros And Cons
Breastmilk possesses wonderful properties that give it the power to heal quite a few ailments. There are some instances of it quickly healing pink eye in newborns and older children.
However, there are some instances of it making cases of pink eye worse. It’s important to consider both the pros and cons of using breastmilk to treat pink eye before putting a few drops in your little one’s eye.
Pros Of Using Breastmilk To Treat Pink Eye
When you’re wondering whether you should give it a shot, you’re bound to think of all of the wonderful benefits of using breastmilk to treat conjunctivitis.
These are some great benefits to consider when you’re deciding if you want to do this.
Using Breast Milk Offers Convenience
When it comes down to comparing antibiotic drops and breastmilk, there’s no doubt that using breast milk is going to be more convenient.
All you need is your breast and possibly an eyedropper. If you aim just right, you really don’t need the eye dropper!
Cost-Effective
Using breast milk isn’t going to cost you a dime unless you need to buy an eyedropper.
If you have to pay a large portion of the cost for prescriptions, it can be a struggle to make sure that you have antibiotic eye drops. When money plays a factor, breast milk can look extremely appealing.
There Are Other Moms To Back It Up
Because breastmilk is considered liquid gold, there are quite a few moms that use it to treat a variety of illnesses and ailments. These moms have all used it to treat pink eye, and most report that it works better than medicine.
One mother stated that the eye drops prescribed weren’t working, but breast milk cleared up her child’s pink eye almost overnight! Check out the article here.
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It’s A Natural Alternative
Natural remedies do not come with the drawbacks of modern medicine. Often, there are little or no side effects. Some parents simply do not like giving their children medicine, which is understandable.
While there are risks associated with using breast milk to treat pink eye, it should be noted that breast milk is one of nature’s remedies.
Cons
While there are quite a few great things about using breastmilk for conjunctivitis, there are also a few drawbacks to consider. Even though this natural remedy was created by mother nature herself, it is not foolproof.
Consider the risks of the situation when deciding whether this is the right remedy for your little one.
Breastmilk Is Not Always Effective At Treating Pink Eye
Breastmilk is not effective at treating all types of pink eye. There is a specific type of bacteria, the same type that causes gonorrhea, that breast milk is able to treat.
However, this has led to people thinking that breast milk can treat all versions of pink eye. However, if the conjunctivitis is caused by different bacteria, breast milk will not work.
Breastmilk Has Bacteria In It
In studies performed on breast milk, it was discovered that it has plenty of bacteria in it.
While this doesn’t make babies sick, it does mean that there is the risk of causing an eye infection. It might not seem like a big deal because your little one has pink eye already, but it is.
Pink eye can be caused by several different things, from irritation to your baby having a virus or cold.
When you put bacteria into their eye, it can add to the current problem because it can then give them a bacterial infection in their eye on top of the pink eye that they already have.
There’s always going to be the possibility of making the situation significantly worse than it is.
You Don’t Know The Cause Of Your Little One’s Pink Eye
While it makes sense that something with anti-bacterial properties might kill the pink eye, that’s not always the case. There are a lot of different things that can cause pink eye.
If you have a virus, you can get pink eye. A simple cold can bring on a case of pink eye. So can a bacterial infection, blocked tear duct, and even allergies.
If you don’t know what the cause is, you don’t exactly know how to treat it. This is why it’s necessary for a doctor to evaluate your little one.
Don’t Use Breastmilk To Treat Pink Eye
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While it’s up to you to decide what is best for you and your baby, I don’t recommend using breast milk to cure pink eye. First, you don’t know if it is going to work.
Second of all, you could actually cause a bacterial infection of the eye. This can result in irreversible damage to the eye that your baby will have to live with for the rest of their life.
It’s always better to be safe instead of sorry, especially when it comes to our precious children.
I did, however, include the pros and cons so that you could make your own choice. Personally, I would call my little one’s pediatrician for this one.
However, your baby is not mine, and we can all have different opinions. Take the facts, consider whether this would be the right choice for your family or not, and do what you think is best for your baby.
In Conclusion
Technically, you can use breast milk to treat pink eye. It isn’t child abuse. Is it safe, though? Probably not. Instead, contact your pediatrician to determine the underlying cause of the pink eye and the appropriate treatment.
