Child with conjunctivitus....advice pls

[NaggyNat]

Hi, a child came today and wasnt herself, and when she was here for a while her eye became really watery, red and gungy. She told me her eye was sore. Dad was out of the area and came to get her. I told him it was conjunctivitus and she couldnt attend tomorrow. He tried to get sympathy saying he needed to work etc etc. I said I couldnt take her. I have a feeling he is going to try his luck tomorrow (got her 7-5 tomorrow) and he will say her eyes cleared up and she is fine......even if her eye has cleared up, how long after is she contagious for???? Any one know? xx

[Straws]

There is no exclusion, I recently had a child with it no one else caught it, as long as you make sure they wash hands use seperate towels etc, and they have started with medication I wouldnt worry.

NHS advice
It is widely accepted that it is not desirable to exclude children from schools or childcare centres with other mild infectious illnesses (such as the common cold). There is no more reason to exclude children with infectious conjunctivitis than to exclude a child with a common cold

Straws xx

[tashaleee]

How old is the child? If they understand about not touching their eyes then it is not so contagious for everyone else but if they are pre-school then its a different matter....

I actually do have a policy for this and I do exclude - all my parents are aware of this before their child starts as it can be very contagious (and if I personally catch it there are serious repercussions on my own health)

[Mookins]

hope ive attached the right bit

x x x

[NaggyNat]

She has just turned two and shes been touching her eye even when I try to explain that she shouldn't and no medication has been started as dad picked her up too late to get to the doctors. If she was older then I wouldn't be so concerned.

Its a difficult one but where I have so many children tomorrow I didnt want to risk it.

Thanks everyone xx

[miffy]

I exclude for conjunctivitis too until the child has been treated and there's no discharge.

Miffy xx

[Amaranth]

One of my pre-schoolers had this just before Easter and I did not exclude but within a couple of days one of my other pre-schoolers had it and has now passed it on to her mum too!

I am now going to re-do my policy on conjunctivitis and state that I will exclude pre-schoolers due to them not being of an age to understand about cross infection and not touching their eyes.

[onceinabluemoon]

I exclude until discharge has gone

(I'm allergic to the antibiotics they use to treat it so find it hard to get rid of if I catch it, parents made aware of this at sign up)

[little_gems]

how funny i've had this today as well. Went to met mum at school with lo saw the eye looked a bit funny and said you doint think its conjunctivitus do u???
The doc's is just over the road so i said lets just check as i dont want you to get into work for me to call u back out. Doctor checked it and it was!!!

Mum completly understood about me not taking lo.

[NaggyNat]

Fab thank you! LO is due at 7am and I hope dad doesnt try his luck and bring her...hubby said he will probably wash her eye out to make it look OK and leave her....not gonna happen!

Have a lovely day everyone xxx