Periorbital Cellulitis: How to Care for Your Child

Your child has periorbital cellulitis (also called preseptal cellulitis), an infection of the eyelid and area around the eye caused by bacteria (a type of germ). They were treated in the hospital with antibiotics and are now ready to go home. Watch your child at home to make sure the infection continues to get better and doesn't spread. Follow these instructions to care for your child.

• Be sure your child takes the antibiotic exactly as prescribed. If they skip doses, the infection may get worse. And if they stop the antibiotics early, the infection may not be fully treated and may come back.

• If your child is uncomfortable from pain, and your health care provider says it's OK, you can give acetaminophen (Tylenol^® or a store brand) OR ibuprofen (Advil^®, Motrin^®, or a store brand). Don't give ibuprofen to babies under 6 months old. Follow the package directions for how much to give and how often.

• Follow up as instructed so your health care provider can make sure the infection is healing.

• Your child gets a fever.

• The redness, swelling, and pain don't get a little better every day.

• Your child's eye heals completely, but then they get redness and swelling of the eyelid again.

Your child:

• has pain when moving the eye, trouble moving the eye, double vision or other changes in vision, or bulging of the eye

• has worsening redness or swelling of the eyelid

• seems to be getting sicker

What causes periorbital cellulitis? Although the cause is not always known, it may happen after a:

• scratch or bug bite around the eye

• cold (upper respiratory infection)

• sinus infection

What problems can happen? Rarely, periorbital cellulitis can lead to a deeper infection of the eye called orbital cellulitis. Orbital cellulitis causes pain with eye movement, bulging of the eye, and vision changes. Without treatment it can lead to vision problems and blindness.