Do you exclude for conjuctivitis?

**EmmaReed84** · 20-02-2014, 12:10 PM

As the titles says, do you exclude? If so, what are your reason for exclusion?

I have a little chap who currently has very sticky, yucky eyes, I have kept him and I just bathe his eyes now and then with warm cotton pads, making sure it is always clean. His eyes look very red and sore. Mum is taking him to the GP tonight.

DH has done his nut about me having him, saying it is highly contagious and I should not have him. I have explained that the HPA advised no exclusion, and that I am being very careful, cleaning it regularly and throwing the cotton pads away in the outside bin and washing my hands, also I am keeping my eye on him and discouraging him from rubbing his eyes and I am also washing his hands.

DH says I am stupid and that 'Any one in their right mind would exclude. If my kids get it, it will be your fault!'

So, what do you do?

**Tazmin68** · 20-02-2014, 12:38 PM

I have a paragraph in my health policy which states that despite HPA guidelines are non exclusion. I will exclude until treatment has commenced with regards to conjunctivitis and I exclude because it is highly contagious and that I am also a contact lens wearer and that I do not like to drive wearing glasses and getting conjunctivitis would stop me from working as I use the car while doing my job. I also exclude for untreated headlice.

HPA guidelines are just that guidelines we can put in our own exclusions.

**donnam** · 20-02-2014, 12:56 PM

Sorry but yes I always exclude as very contagious can come back after 24 hrs on treatment x

**FussyElmo** · 20-02-2014, 01:04 PM

Now I don't exclude and the advice from the doctors is that in most cases it will clear up on itself.

I have never had a case pass on to another child/adult

**Mouse** · 20-02-2014, 01:15 PM

I don't exclude for it and I don't expect it to be treated with medication either.

But if your husband is so adamant, and if you're happy to let him tell you how to run your business, then I suppose you will have to exclude

**EmmaReed84** · 20-02-2014, 01:18 PM

Originally Posted by Mouse

I don't exclude for it and I don't expect it to be treated with medication either.

But if your husband is so adamant, and if you're happy to let him tell you how to run your business, then I suppose you will have to exclude

I told him to stop moaning and that I wasn't going to exclude for it, fair enough it is contagious, but it is not D&V and I am following the guidance. I do use that a lot, especially to back me up, if I started to go 'against' guidance so to speak, for my own benefit, then I worry it would not carry the same weight with parents when I am actually following it, if that makes sense.

**AliceK** · 20-02-2014, 02:17 PM

Originally Posted by Tazmin68

I have a paragraph in my health policy which states that despite HPA guidelines are non exclusion. I will exclude until treatment has commenced with regards to conjunctivitis and I exclude because it is highly contagious and that I am also a contact lens wearer and that I do not like to drive wearing glasses and getting conjunctivitis would stop me from working as I use the car while doing my job. I also exclude for untreated headlice.

HPA guidelines are just that guidelines we can put in our own exclusions.

Exactly the same here

xx

**FloraDora** · 20-02-2014, 07:15 PM

I wouldn't exclude. I would just be extra vigilant as regards towels and cushions/ pillows/ bean bags and if rubbing washing hands as that is how it gets passed on, not just by being there.
I don't think its any more contagious than a runny nose. Although it must be more uncomfortable for the LO.

Doctors and HPA advise they can go to school, so they can go to a child minders. Is your DH a doctor? Does he know something the HPA don't?

Unless you have something in your policies / contract then I think you would be on dodgy ground excluding and likely to cause a bit of a rift between you and parents if tonight the doctor says it's ok.

**rickysmiths** · 20-02-2014, 07:20 PM

No I never have and now on recent advise I don't expect it to be medicated either. It normally clears itself in 3 days anyway. I have never had it spread to me or any other children. You just keep an eye (sorry!!) on the child and up the hand washing etc for a few days. Change the affected ones bedding and towels every day for a few days as well.

**tashaleee** · 20-02-2014, 09:29 PM

Originally Posted by Tazmin68

I have a paragraph in my health policy which states that despite HPA guidelines are non exclusion. I will exclude until treatment has commenced with regards to conjunctivitis and I exclude because it is highly contagious and that I am also a contact lens wearer and that I do not like to drive wearing glasses and getting conjunctivitis would stop me from working as I use the car while doing my job. I also exclude for untreated headlice.

HPA guidelines are just that guidelines we can put in our own exclusions.

I do exactly the same (apart from the headlice bit)

**Maza** · 21-02-2014, 04:58 PM

You have my sympathy regarding your DH, Emma! Mine always says stuff like that and makes me doubt myself and makes me think that I'm the only person in the world who would stand for this or that!

conjunctivitis is such a tough one. I caught it once from DD and I had been sooo careful. If you have a bad case it is horrible and very uncomfortable. She had it again a couple of weeks ago (not a bad case) and I didn't know whether to open or not. I kept her off school (full of a cold too) but remained open. Hubby caught it but none of the mindees did. I just couldn't afford to close. Now I feel that if they got it then I would have to stay open. To be honest, I think you should take it case by case, so to speak, and if mindee is coping then keep him, if you really feel that he should be at home send him home. I go through tons of cotton wool whenever DD gets it - could mindees mum provide you with some? Let us now if you (or DH!) catches it!

**tas** · 21-02-2014, 07:27 PM

If oozing goo I exclude for this and for any other contagious infection, I really don't want to bathe anyone's mucky eyes

**vickylou** · 21-02-2014, 08:56 PM

I exclude as a few years ago I caught it off a lo, even with rigorous hand washing. I got it really bad and had to go to A&E! ! Was so so painful. And I ended up having to close for 4 days.

I have just heard from a friend who has it, waited 3 days to go to Gp, cleaning it with boiled water, went day before yesterday got antibiotics, but it kept getting worse, now not only has conjunctivitis but also an infection of the eyelid and if new antibiotics don't work in 24hrs will have to go to eye hospital!!. So I don't think it's to be taken lightly, our school doesn't exclude and at the moment one of my minded lo's has had it 3 times as it just keeps going round & round. One of my parents is a teacher and they exclude for 24hrs. I think this is sensible but that's my opinion.

**Blueeyedminder** · 21-02-2014, 11:18 PM

Causes red eyes, often with swelling, weeping or visible pus. The infection is readily spread, and affected children should not use communal towels. Strict attention to hand washing reduces spread (see section 2). Children with active infection (pus) should be risk assessed on an individual basis regarding exclusion. Discussion with your local HPU can help with the decision making.

**The Juggler** · 22-02-2014, 11:54 AM

i exclude for it. I didn't used to and then all my family got it, went on holidays and couldn't go in the pool for first 3 days. I exclude until all the gunk has dried up.

**CH1957** · 22-02-2014, 02:02 PM

Originally Posted by FussyElmo

Now I don't exclude and the advice from the doctors is that in most cases it will clear up on itself.

I have never had a case pass on to another child/adult

We had it here last week. Started with one LO on Tuesday, Mum didn't tell me LO had it and then text mid-morning to say 'oh by the way, Axx has conj. I'll get her some drops at lunchtime', on the Thursday another LO came down with it and on Saturday I got it!!!! It was the worse case I have ever encountered! On Sunday it looked like I'd done 10 rounds with Mike Tyson my eyes were so swollen I couldn't see and they were just weeping goo constantly (sorry TMI) I started the drops on Saturday, took them for 5 days then stopped and it has come back. I have been so vigilant with handwashing etc for myself and LO's that I am now thinking I'll change my policy to exclude until 24 hours of treatment - I don't ever want that again, it was horrible!!!

**nikki thomson** · 22-02-2014, 02:57 PM

I never have excluded for it before but the lo I look after who is just 2 yrs old got it a few weeks ago, it didn't clear up in a couple of days so he had drops for it, it wasnt even particularly gunky just very red sore eyes really, anyway a few days later my son who is 10 got it grrrr, and he had to have 3 days off school as his eyes were so sore and gunky.
I have now said to Los mum if he gets It again I'm not having him as I don't want my son having to have time off school for something like this it's a real pain.

**kat27** · 22-02-2014, 03:21 PM

I never used to exclude, then one child had it and it did get passed on to my daughter. From then i ammended my policies and i now exclude untill it has cleared. Our local nursery wont take children in with it either.

**FloraDora** · 22-02-2014, 10:35 PM

Originally Posted by kat27

I never used to exclude, then one child had it and it did get passed on to my daughter. From then i ammended my policies and i now exclude untill it has cleared. Our local nursery wont take children in with it either.

It's not the child's fault that conjunctivitis spreads, it's the fact that it was allowed to......there are clear health and hygiene guidelines...and we must follow them, not do a blanket ban...

We are playing right in to the hands of agencies if we do not stick NHS guidelines. Parents need childcare, they understand that if their child is poorly then they will have to find alternative childcare but if the doctor and the health advice is that, with good hygiene arrangements, they are ok to go to a childcare facility it is not fair on them if we decide we won't because we haven't in the past ensured that it hasn't spread.
This is another reason why it would suit the government for all CM's to become part of an agency...where we would have to stick to the health advice.

On the other hand if it is clearly in your policies that you would not take a child with conjunctivitis then parents would not be able to argue otherwise, even though all other professional advice says otherwise.

**The Juggler** · 22-02-2014, 11:37 PM

Originally Posted by FloraDora

It's not the child's fault that conjunctivitis spreads, it's the fact that it was allowed to......there are clear health and hygiene guidelines...and we must follow them, not do a blanket ban...

We are playing right in to the hands of agencies if we do not stick NHS guidelines. Parents need childcare, they understand that if their child is poorly then they will have to find alternative childcare but if the doctor and the health advice is that, with good hygiene arrangements, they are ok to go to a childcare facility it is not fair on them if we decide we won't because we haven't in the past ensured that it hasn't spread.
This is another reason why it would suit the government for all CM's to become part of an agency...where we would have to stick to the health advice.

On the other hand if it is clearly in your policies that you would not take a child with conjunctivitis then parents would not be able to argue otherwise, even though all other professional advice says otherwise.

hon, it is impossible to ensure that a young child does not wipe it's eyes and wipe them on toys/surfaces no matter how good your hygiene. I also exclude for HFM because young children get so ill with it