A leading optometrist in the Upper West Region, Dr. Zakaria Al-hassan Baluri, has cautioned parents and caregivers against the widespread practice of using breast milk to treat eye infections in children, stressing that it contains no antibiotics and may worsen the condition.
Speaking to the media after a tour of the new Bliss Eye Care office building at the Wa Municipality on Monday, November 24, 2025, Dr. Baluri revealed that many children are brought to the clinic with severe eye complications after parents attempt home remedies driven by long-held traditional beliefs.
He explained that misinformation and cultural practices continue to influence the habit of applying breast milk to children’s infected eyes.
“But we don’t know any antibiotic in breast milk. Most of what is happening to the children is due to infection, and breast milk has no antibiotics to treat it. So definitely, what are you putting in? You are doing nothing. Rather, it will cause more havoc,” he warned.
Dr. Baluri described the practice as one of the major challenges facing eye health in many communities, noting that it delays proper treatment and often leads to more serious medical consequences.
According to him, caregivers frequently rely on traditional remedies before seeking professional care, by which time infections may have spread or caused irreversible damage. He called for intensified public education to correct harmful beliefs and encourage early medical intervention.
He urged parents to seek help from qualified eye specialists whenever children exhibit signs such as redness, discharge, itching, or difficulty seeing.
“Early recognition and early treatment are key. The eye is delicate, and once damage is done, reversing it is often difficult,” he emphasised.
Dr. Baluri also highlighted the need for community-based sensitisation to dispel myths around eye care, pointing out that many people still attribute eye diseases to spiritual causes rather than medical conditions requiring professional treatment.
With cases of preventable eye infections on the rise, he appealed to health authorities, media actors, and community leaders to intensify awareness campaigns to protect children from practices that could threaten their eyesight.
