Conjunctivitis, can't treat so how long will DS be out of festive fun?

[MilkyChopsKid]

DS (nearly 4) is refusing eye drops despite bribery, coaxing, seeing DD have them without too much trauma or a rear-guard enforcement squad. His eye is red and gungy so I don't think I can take him to the parties and other festive things. Is it really two weeks of gunge if untreated as suggested on the NHS website?

I've got antibiotics from the chemist and have been putting drops on a pad and wiping his eye during today but it is no better. Any other suggestions to improve things quickly?

I was feeling at bit about the things he is going to miss but I guess santa isn't bothered about contagious diseases .

Is it a bacterial infection? Has it been swabbed? Could be viral.

Failing this I woukd pin down, sorry. Harsh mummy :)

Bathe eyes in salt water. Dissolve 1 teaspoon of salt in one pint of boiled water. My DCs have never let me put eye drops in but have always been happy with this and it really does work.

My dc are allowed in nursery with conjunctivitis I would keep him away from parties etc.

Wait until he's asleep and pop them in then.

How do you do the eye bath, Marrow? I like the idea.

You don't "need" to quarantine him according to nhs these days but i would pin him down and get those drops in too

yup, another for pinning down and just doing it.

It depends on which child I am doing it to! Dd is happy to stand and just let me wipe eyes with cotton wool which has been soaked in the solution. Obviously use a fresh piece of cotton wool for each eye. I try and drip as much of the saline in the eye as possible.

With DS he lies with his head on one side and on a towel. Use cotton wool which is dripping in the solution and wipe eye gently trying to get as much saline in them as possible. Then swap sides for the other eye.

Ah OK. I thought there was some sort of eye-sloshing-bowl contraption going on. But your method sounds much better! Will try on DD. Can you store the saline solution in the fridge or something? She won't let me do eye drops, but wiping a few times a day would be fine I think.

Thanks for all the useful info, will try salt water during the day and some drops tonight.

If all else fails I would pin him down and get the drops in. I'd also have the chocolate buttons on stand by. I know it's harsh but it will make him better.

Could you get him to lie on the floor with his head in your crotch area (sorry, this sounds awful!) and place his arms under your legs? You sit on the floor with your legs slightly open. I do this with my (admittedly younger) DD and it works a treat for getting eye drops in. She keeps her eyes shut and I keep her there until she opens them and the stuff goes in. It works really well and has become my modus operandi for anything eye-related. If he resists, maybe you could get someone to hold his legs?

I agree with the sleeping.

Wait until he is sound and put a few drops in the inside corner of each eye. Enough will seep in under the eyelip.