ds2 getting conjunctivitus :(

[knicknack]

Ds2 is 6 months and Has just today started to get a sticky eye which is getting worse quickly after a nap won't be able to get him seen until tomorrow with it being sunday but what can i do to stop it getting worse? I have eyedrops from a while back when ds1 (3) had caught it from nursery but I'm guessing they won't be safe to use??

anyone?

Are you bf him?

I wouldn't use the eyedrops, you're meant to discard them 1m after opening

My GP told me use 1 part Johnsons baby shampoo to ten parts water as an eye wash, but I dunno how safe/effective it is.

If you are not bf him, use cooled, boiled water. Use a fresh piece of cotton wool each time to wipe the eye, from the corner to the outside of the eye

Yes am bf him so i actually put breastmilk in his eye? I have now discarded the eyedrops i'm terrible for holding onto things we don't need/ should be thrown
And lemonadedrinker - your gp suggested you put shampoo in his eye??? that's shocking

I've heard that breastmilk helps, I tried it with mine but ended up getting drops from the doctors. A pharmacist also told me to use shampoo, diluted, to wipe the eye - if you use baby shampoo it won't sting. Saying that I couldn't bring myself to do it!

I second cooled boiled water. You can add a tiny bit of salt to it too (only a tiny tiny bit though). Hot compresses held against the (closed) eye also help.

Btw, obviously with hot compresses they need to be warm, but not hot enough to scald if held on the eye for a few mins. I usually wring out a cloth in just boiled water and wave it around until it feels cool enough to put next to an eye.

A weak solution of baby shampoo is a perfectly good and frequently used cleaning solution for eye hygiene in cases of infection. Not shocking at all! The GP did not suggest neat regular shampoo - which would, of course, be unreasonable.

Right I have tried breastmilk now ds1 wondered what the hell i was doing! it seems to have cleared up but he obviously has been awake since his nap and me cleaning it up. If it returns tonight i shall just use a compress and perhaps more breastmilk until the doctor can see us. Thanks for the help everyone! and i was just shocked at ANY shampoo in a babies eye but it seems it's fairly common practice! you learn something new everyday. (I could never bring myself to do it either though).

Have just got over it with both of mine. Sterile, only sterile gauze, and cool boiled water as often as possible. Also, freshly mad tea if not cool boied water. Do NOT put milk into the eye, it'll help the infection spread faster, milk is good for growing bacteria.

Obviously a bit late now, but if it is bacterial conjunctivitis you can now buy ointment and drops over the counter. I managed to get some for DD last Sunday when her eyes became gunky and green. That however was the easy part - trying to get her to stop screwing up her eyes in a hysterical heap was another matter! It did clear up with the little I managed to get in.