What causes runny nose and watery eyes in a child?
Patient: My 8 month old has had a runny nose (clear mucous) and watery eyes (no redness) for the last three days. She doesn t appear to be fussy or uncomfortable. I do hear the congestion in her nose when she is breathing. Does this sound like a cold, or an allergy? Doctor: Hello,  This sounds like a reaction to pollen and changing weather. But in general, we don't consider babies to have true seasonal allergies until they are a bit older. You have to live through a few seasons of pollen before you can have a true immune allergy response. But, pollen is an irritating molecule and babies little noses and little eyes can get irritated and make mucous just upon exposure to varying levels of pollen (or dust, or animal dander, smoke). If there is no fever or cough then she probably doesn't have a cold.  Hope I have answered your question. Let me know if I can assist you further.  Regards, Dr. Lisa Baker, Pediatrician