Three-month-old babies with tearing and other uncomfortable symptoms are usually the result of congenital tear duct obstruction, impaction, conjunctivitis and other causes.
Congenital tear duct obstruction is mostly caused by developmental abnormalities. The lower end of the tear duct valves do not degenerate properly at birth, resulting in an incomplete tear duct, which prevents the tears from draining through the tear duct into the nasal cavity and pooling in the eyes, thus forming the manifestation of watering eyes. Children with this condition can be treated with massage of the lacrimal sac area and tear duct exploration to relieve the discomfort.
Trichiasis is also associated with congenital developmental abnormalities. Abnormal growth of eyelashes can irritate the surface tissues of the eye, leading to discomfort such as photophobia, tearing, and eye pain. Children with conjunctivitis may also experience conjunctival congestion, photophobia and tearing due to inflammation.
It is recommended that children with frequent tearing be seen by a physician for evaluation and treatment.