Questions in The Maternal and Child Health Forum are being answered by medical professionals from Henry Ford Health System , consistently ranked one of the best hospitals in America. My 4year old daughter frequently has dark puffy circles under her eyes, she is not a very good eater, but her pediatrician doesn't seem too concerned since she is growing. Dark circles under the eyes reflect slowing of blood flow in the veins which drain the upper portion of the face and enter the skull through the inside corners of each eye.
Fluid also leaks from the blood vessels into the surrounding tissue.
Both of these things are especially likely to occur in the regions beneath the eyes, which thus becom dark and often swollen or puffy. Fluid in the sinuses adjacent to the nose and eyes is the principal culprit. Pressure in these sinuses slows blood flow in nearby blood vessels. Dietary deficiency is not a primary explanation of this condition. Colds are frequent among young children.