16-day-old kittens have an eye sealed shut

I took in a mama cat and her litter of seven kittens a couple weeks ago from a mechanic shop. Two of the kittens have issues with their eyes that I'm concerned about. All their eyes were opening at about 10 days, but two days ago I noticed that two of the kittens only had one eye open and the other eye is sealed shut with what looks like a scab or crusty mucus. I'm assuming both eyes should be open at this point, which is why I'm concerned. I'm not sure if both eyes ever completely opened before looking this way since the kittens all look very similar and it's a bit difficult to keep track of who's who.

I was able to get a couple of pictures of one of the kittens. They haven't been exposed to any other cats since they were about 3 days old. They are also being kept inside in a box I set up for them and their mom. No other signs of illness that I can determine, and no drainage from the open eye. Any suggestions on what it could be or what I should do? Thanks.

Thank you for taking this cat and her kittens in.  

Both eyes should be open.  The one eye being shut and a crust / scab suggests to me these 2 kittens have an eye infection.  If they do it is very important they are seen by a vet ASAP, the longer this is left the more risk there is to permenant eye damage and further illness.  

Very important - do not try to open the eyes your self, this could cause severe damage to the kittens' eyes.

Hopefully if you explain to a vet that you found the cat with kittens they might treat the situation sympathetically and not charge their normal fees.  Esp if there is a vet who works with any local cat rescue.

Eye infection for sure that they were exposed to before you got them. You will need Terramycin or Neomycin eye ointment from a vet. Comes in a tube and is smeared across the open eye. It will heal it quickly. One tube will treat all the kittens.

In the meantime, take a warm damp cloth and hold it over the crusty eyes until it softens. Then gently wipe the crust and the eye should open.

Let us know how it goes!