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Children's health

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Original poster

how the hell are you meant to give 22 month old eye drops..?

25 replies

driedapricots · 26/03/2012 20:08

my ds has severe conjunctivitis and the doc has given drops, which need to be given every 2 hours!! It is IMPOSSIBLE. She also said it'd clear up on its own accord, so should i even bother to keep trying?

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HugADalek · 26/03/2012 20:11

With DD I pinned her arms between my knees, then holding her steady with one hand, dripped it into the corner of her eye when closed, it seeps in as they open it and is the next best thing to directly into the eye.

DizzyCow63 · 26/03/2012 20:12

Definitely do try, I get it alot and they really do help with the itch and discomfort. DS (11 months) has conjunctivitis too and I've been putting his drops in when he is asleep, doesn't even wake him. Good luck.

blueberryboybait · 26/03/2012 20:12

Putting them in will clear it faster. I used to wrap DD tightly in a big towel so he arms were by her side then put the drops in, she soon sussed that if she kept still they went in and I didn't have to pin her down.

If you opt to skip the drops, wipe her eyes with warm salty water every couple of hours, using a clean cotton wool ball for each wipe. Make sure you keep washing her hands too as she will re rub the gunk into her eyes from her hands.

NoMoreMarbles · 26/03/2012 20:12

i would imagine the drops are for comfort rather than medicine IYSWIM if she has said it will clear up on its own that is...

does he have a nap? i would wait til he is asleep and sneak some in then...or try putting some on a clean cotton pad/muslin cloth and wiping over his eye(s) try not to use the same one for both eyes obv...

your poor DS hope his eyes are better soon.

JarethTheGoblinKing · 26/03/2012 20:14

While he's asleep. You'll have to be quick though.

coansha · 26/03/2012 20:14

You could wrap her in a towel, it's sounds a bit cruel but conjunctivitis is so Lordy rotten and contagious. I've never seen it go on its own but maybe the dr knows better. Personally would persevere with drops.

TheSkiingGardener · 26/03/2012 20:17

I'm sorry, I really understand your plight but I just have to let this out.

HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA

That was my internal reaction when I read your post. DS would run a mile, wriggle and hide rather than have eye drops.

However, even with him I think sneaking it in while asleep or even just woken up would work. But he would be grumpy about it.

messagetoyourudy · 26/03/2012 20:20

My DS1 had it fairly frequently - I did opt for the drops, I used to bribe him with chocolate buttons. Basically I got him to lie down and my DH held his arms I put the drops in the edge of his eyes and gave him chocolate straight away to take away any taste....... good luck!

BertieBotts · 26/03/2012 20:21

Long shot, but if you're still breastfeeding, breastmilk works just as well, it has some kind of enzyme in or something which eats the conjunctivitis bacteria.

I think I could still just about squirt at 2 years...

piratecat · 26/03/2012 20:23

was told to make dd shut her eyes, then pop the drops into the inner corner. when they open their eyes it will run in. it's less stressful than seeing a thing coming towards your eyeball.

Sposh · 26/03/2012 20:23

I'm not sure if it would work for a 9 month old because presumably they don't close their eyes on demand ( it's been a long time since I had babies!) but a tip fir older kids is to get them to close their eyes, put the drop in the corner then when they open their eyes it rolls in. Easy peasy!

Liskey · 26/03/2012 20:24

When DD had conjunctivitus the doctor prescribed the drops that only need putting in twice a day - he said they were far easier with children! It still took a stuggle to put them in though and DD is 2

HolyLentenPromiseBatman · 26/03/2012 20:26

Lay ds on the floor as if changing a nappy, sit down with one leg pinning his left arm/leg to the floor and the other leg pinning his right arm/leg to the floor. Once secured either open his eyes and put them in or put them in the corner of his eye and when he opens them they'll go in.

5madthings · 26/03/2012 20:27

oh we had this recently, my dr also prescribed the drops or was it an ointment that only needs to be put in twice a day, they did the metion the every two hour ones and i pointed out i have 4 other kids and school runs etc to do so i coudnt be doing with every 2 hrs. as it was i had to pin dd down and then put it in the corner of her eye, she would then close her eyes and that and reopening them meant it sort of spread around her eyes, it worked within a few days.

chocoroo · 26/03/2012 20:27

DD seems to be prone to conjunctivitis. We had a nightmare getting the drops in but once she started nursery they taught us a great trick which involved putting drop on her nose, next to the corner of her eye while holding her on her side then rolling her on to her back so the drop rolled into her eye. It's really helped us.

PQ77 · 26/03/2012 20:29

There is a conjunctivitus product which comes as a gel - much more expensive so it's not prescribed as a first option, but I did get it when I went back to the dr in desperation and said this drop application business is NOT working. With the gel you can kind of go for the smush it in the eye approach.

5madthings · 26/03/2012 20:30

pq77 i think that is what we had, it is much easier to use i agree, still took holding down of dd (15mths) but much easier to put in!

PQ77 · 26/03/2012 20:34

Found the packet - choramphenical is the active ingredient. Does sound similar 5madthings! This was 4 x day instead of 2 hourly.

5madthings · 26/03/2012 20:37

yes four times a day and that was what we had, it came in a little tube? i think we still have some upstairs, it was much easier to squirt into the corner of her eye and then it spread in her eye when she closed it and opened it again :)

LetsKateWin · 26/03/2012 20:39

My friend's DD has it at the mo and she has been using cow's milk which has really helped so maybe you could try that if you can't get the drops in

cheekyginger · 26/03/2012 21:41

Hi Driedapricots, how are you getting on?

You've had lots of good responses about putting it in the corner when his eyes are closed or when asleep.

I have to say i had to go and find out more info about the pp comment about cows milk!!! Thats a new one, never heard that before. Managed to find a website and had to put a link to it. Bit hippie-ish to but each to their own.

Good luck

Original poster

driedapricots · 28/03/2012 16:30

thanks all..sorry only just back in here to see all these responses, thanks! it seems to be slowly clearing on it's own and haven't even attempted to use them since posting - i might try the towel/sleeping thing..although pharmacist said not to do it when they're asleep..but hell, he also said every 2 hrs so clearly has no idea of the difficulties! bertie - you could still squirt at 2 years???!!! WOW

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FloweryBoots · 28/03/2012 22:23

I posted something very similar a week or two ago, it's not a fun time is it?! No idea if the drops really went into my 19 month olds eyes - he would screw his eyes up and screem as soon as he saw me even get the drops out of the fridge after the first couple of doses and no matter how we tried to keep his arms/hands out of the way, he always managed to rub his eyes before opening them. Hopefully he rubbed the drops in! I bathed his eyes between drops too (also cue MUCH screeming) and tried breast milk but did give up on that as it was just too many things to get in his eyes! If trying the breastmilk thing I really recomend expressing some into a cup or similar and 'dropping' into the eye with a syringe - I could not squirt in direct from boob, my aim was well off! His eyes were an awful mess at first (well after a couple of days just bathing, before drops prescribed), not just gunky but very swollen and blood in the gunk but we did get it cleared completly in 7 or 8 days and they were loads better after just a couple so I do think the drops were worth the difficulties. Good luck!

bonzo77 · 28/03/2012 22:35

MY DS aged 24 months is now amazing at eye drops. Here's how we did it.
Part one: force: child on floor on back. straddle child, head between your knees (so he can't turn away), arms pressed to his sides with your calves (so he can't grab you or cover his eyes). Not actually sitting on child's legs but enough pressure to prevent kicking, getting up etc. Then hold eye open with one hand and put drops in with other. Repeat with other eye.

Part two: reward with chocolate buttons, one per eye.

Repeat every 2 hours as instructed, promising and giving extra buttons if toddler makes less fuss.

DS now asks me for "eyes mummy", knowing that he gets buttons after. If I mention "eyes" he will lie on the floor and sort of squint at me in preparation. Handy as he has now had conjucntivitis 3 times this year.

Original poster

driedapricots · 29/03/2012 20:19

blimey, you really mean business bonzo !! to be honest i've not tried again and now 5 days in it seems to be clearing up on it's own..but all very handy advice for next time..as i'm sure that's a case of when rather than if

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