to send dd to school despite conjunctivitis

[Mammaka]

...... hang on before you unleash ....

DD (6) woke up on Sunday with eyes stuck together and yukky. So I went to the pharmacy and got drops, and saw improvement by bedtime.

Monday morning eyes stuck together but once wiped they looked clear. I took ds to school, had dd with me and explained that she had conjunctivitis. HEADTEACHER told me that school policy is that kids must be treated and only go to school if medic says it is OK. So I took dd home and spent half an hour trying to get through to my GP. Eventually nurse practitioner called me back and said keep on with the eyedrops / cleaning with cotton wool if required and she could go to school as long as it wasn't weeping.

All day Monday they were a bit puffy but not oozing or bothering her.

Tuesday they were a bit crusty first thing but then cleared up and I didn't even bother with eyedrops as didn't seem necessary. So I took her to school.

9.45am get a phone call demanding that I collect her because her eyes seem a little pink. I explained that I had consulted with the nurse, given eyedrops when required and didn't think there was any need unless she was complaining, which they said she wasn't. I also said that I thought this was all in line with school policy.

To which I was told that the school had a duty of care to tell me the child seemed unwell and that I really ought to collect her. Also got a lecture on the risk of it being passed onto other children etc.

So I picked up dd and we spent the day shopping and playing as there is not the slightest thing wrong with her. Eyes possibly still a bit pinker than usual but nothing more than that, no weeping, no crusting etc etc.

When I collected ds the headteacher appeared and said ummm do you think she will be ok to come in tomorrow, hmm perhaps she should stay off a bit longer? I didn't get the chance to say snything else as he just wandered off.

I am furious to have followed the supposed school policy and then basically been told that actually that is irrelevent if the eyes seem pink to the teacher. I am livid at being called in to collect her for no bloody reason. And I really didn't appreciate being lectured by the form teacher either.

She is bloody well going in tomorrow morning, and I am thinking of sending in a leter too asking them to stick to their own sodding policies and stop messing parents about.

AIBU? Please tell me before I make a total arse of myself.

I think you should do as the school ask, tbh. But yes, clarification of their policy would be good.

I know at our nursery and school you have to keep them off with this until it is cleared. The school could have been clearer BUT YABU to take her in if she is infectious, if they are still pink keep her off if not send her in.

My DC arent school age but the nursery policy is that if the conjunctivitis is still requiring active treatment ie eye drops every 4 hours and the eye being cleaned, then the child should be kept at home.

If they are pink is she still infectious? I thought it was only if they were still oozing ie she might wipe her eyes and then touch a toy and then pas it on etc.

Ok so it sounds like the consensus is what the school are doing is fine - the only problem was what the doofus HT told me in the first place was total tosh.

My DS had this a couple of weeks ago, although it wasn't very bad. I asked my doc if he was safe to go to the creche and she said now there is no reason to keep them off. As long as you are treating it properly (my DS only needed cleaning with cotton wool and water). I know they used to send you home years ago (I remember being sent home with it) but my doc said they don't need to stay off now.

The most recent advice from the Health Protection Agency is that children do not need to miss school with conjunctivitis unless there is an outbreak of several cases:

www.hpa.org.uk/web/HPAwebFile/HPAweb_C/1194947358374

Also, many GPs do not prescribe antibiotic drops in the first instance as research shows that they do not help to clear conjunctivitis up quicker than bathing in cool boiled water.

There are 3 other kids who had it last week, so not sure if that constitutes an outbreak. 3/30 probably enough to have the school worried.

Mind you, their cases seem to have been much worse as they have all been off for well over a week now, still weeping and oozing badly, so obviously a different league to what dd has got.

My ds had this and when we went to the dr I asked if he should stay off nursery. She said they don't recommend it now. I checked at nursery and they will still have the child if they are having treatment for it. I think there must be a lot about at the moment. My mum works in a chemist and they keep running out of the drops and friends from different parts of the country all say they have come into contact with it.

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AFAIK at the school I work at eyes must not be weeping or need drop treatment duringschool hours. A bit pink would be fine I should think.

I got sent home from work, when working in a prison, with conjunctivitus and told I couldn't return until it was all clear.

our school/nursery policy is that so long as there is a treatment in place they can come in. our nursery staff are quite good at spotting certain ailments, and they spotted dd's conjuctivitus last year before they had even started to weep (just very pink)! so only one morning off for her, and ds1 didnt even have to have a day off school as the doctor gave me a bottle of drops for both the boys just in case they ended up getting it (which they did).

YANBU, no, but I can see the school's point, especially as if I understand correctly, the medical practitioner in question decided on the basis of a phone conversation that it was OK for your daughter to go back, when the school staff had actually seen her eyes.

It's true that you're absolutely fine with conjunctivitis, unfortunately it's also so contagious that the school wasn't BU either.

In all honesty, the U person was the nurse making the judgement call by phone.

Thanks everyone. This morning her eyes were still a bit pink but the slightest bit gooey or crusty so I sent her in. Headteacher saw us on the way in and commented that she looked fine and was OK to stay at school. I think my hard stare and look of determination may have helped. No comment from the form teacher so hopefully she agreed it is OK. Haven't had a phone call so far ......