Not sure if your child’s red eye, discharge, swelling, or fever needs medical care? Get clear next-step guidance based on the eye symptoms you’re seeing right now.
Tell us whether you’re seeing redness, crusting, swelling, pain, fever, or trouble opening the eye, and we’ll provide personalized guidance on when to call the pediatrician.
Eye infections and irritation can look similar at first, especially in babies, toddlers, and young children. Mild redness or crusting may improve with simple care, but some symptoms are more urgent. If your child has eye pain, swelling around the eye, fever with eye symptoms, thick discharge, or trouble seeing or keeping the eye open, it may be time to call the doctor. This page is designed to help parents understand child eye infection symptoms and decide when medical advice is needed.
If your child has a red eye with yellow, green, or persistent thick discharge, especially if the eyelids are stuck shut, contact your pediatrician for guidance.
Call the doctor if the eyelid or skin around the eye looks puffy, red, warm, or increasingly swollen, particularly if only one eye is affected.
An eye infection with fever in a child can need prompt medical review, especially when fever happens along with swelling, pain, or a child who seems more ill than usual.
Pain is not typical of simple irritation. If your child says the eye hurts, avoids light, or cries when the eye is touched, call the doctor.
Blurred vision, a child refusing to open the eye, or difficulty tracking objects should be evaluated promptly.
If redness, discharge, or swelling is getting worse quickly over hours instead of improving, it’s a good reason to seek medical advice.
In babies, call the doctor for eye discharge that keeps coming back, redness that spreads, swelling, fever, or a baby who seems uncomfortable or hard to soothe.
Toddlers may rub the eye, resist cleaning, or struggle to explain pain. Call if symptoms last more than a day or two, worsen, or come with fever or swelling.
Pink eye can cause redness, tearing, itching, and discharge. If symptoms are severe, one eye is very swollen, or your child seems unwell, contact the pediatrician.
Call if your child has eye pain, swelling around the eye, thick discharge, fever with eye symptoms, trouble seeing, trouble opening the eye, or symptoms that are getting worse instead of better.
Not always. Redness and discharge can happen with viral or bacterial conjunctivitis, irritation, or allergies. If the discharge is thick, persistent, or paired with swelling, pain, or fever, it’s a good idea to call the doctor.
For babies, call promptly for fever, eyelid swelling, spreading redness, heavy discharge, trouble opening the eye, or if your baby seems unusually sleepy, fussy, or hard to comfort.
Eye swelling is more concerning when it affects one side, gets worse quickly, looks red or warm, happens with fever, or makes it hard for your child to open the eye.
Yes, especially if symptoms are severe, your child has pain, vision changes, fever, significant swelling, or symptoms are not improving. A pediatrician can help determine whether home care is enough or treatment is needed.
Answer a few questions about the redness, discharge, swelling, pain, or fever you’re seeing, and get clear guidance on when to call the doctor.
Answer a Few QuestionsExplore more assessments in this topic group.
See related assessments across this category.
Find more parenting assessments by category and topic.
When To Call Doctor
When To Call Doctor
When To Call Doctor
When To Call Doctor