Picked baby up with congealed pus and snot

[Jamessmun]

Hi all,

I sent my baby boy into nursery this morning knowing he wasn’t 100%. He got an eye infection on both eyes at the weekend, started antibiotics on Monday and had a bit of a runny nose. I spoke to the nursery and they said as long as he’s been on antibiotics for 48hrs it was fine to come along as normal. He’d been on them for three days.

Apparently he was fine in the morning (I’d given him calpol first thing) but after lunch he turned for the worst. I got a phone call from them at 1530 and left work to collect him. When they brought him out he had congealed pus around his eyes and dried snot essentially all over his face. They said he was crying a lot and really sleepy, but didn’t have a temperature so they won’t give calpol despite him being obviously sick and distressed. I got him home and he essentially passed out in my arms, I took his temperature and it was now 38.8C. I was starting to panic.

I sat with him on the kitchen floor while he slept and after an hour he woke up and took a bit of water and calpol. I was so worried we called 111 and were about to go to A&E. Literally with our coats on to leave he woke again and reached out for a banana. He then ate and perked up massively. The calpol had kicked in!

Please tell me if I’m being unreasonable but:

1. Why couldn’t they clean his eyes and nose through out the day?
2. Do all nurseries refuse to give calpol despite being asked to do so?
3. How could our temperature readings be so different 15 mins after I picked him up?

I feel if he’d been with me, he’d never have been in that state and they just didn’t take proper care of him or am I expecting too much?

Thanks

You're a complete idiot for sending him to nursery in the first place. Why would you do that?!

I sent my baby boy into nursery this morning knowing he wasn’t 100%.

Yes it would have been nice if they'd cleaned him up, but it sounds like YWBVU to send him to nursery if you had to calpol him up first.

Honestly, if a child is ill enough to require Calpol in the morning, they shouldn’t go to nursery (or school) IMO.

You don’t mean pus around the eyes though, so you? You mean conjunctivitis?

Sorry but no way should he have been there in the first place.
They shouldn't let a child get in a state no, but they are there for childcare, not to nurse a sick child.

Yes, it is normal for nursery to only give prescribed medication.
How old is he? My DD went from very ill send by GP and given antibiotics, to running around the next morning to being in hospital on IVs by the afternoon. Little ones can often appear well when they are not so if you are in doubt at all then get him seen again.

It's understandable you're upset when your LO is unwell but there really isn't anything unusual in this situation. Colds and eye infections are very common ailments in young children. The staff probably have to be very careful around babies' eyes, both to avoid irritating them and to avoid passing the infection on - eye infections are extremely contagious. As for snot, babies' noses run pretty much constantly from October to April and they're not going to spend all day wiping noses. As you probably know as a parent, you wipe it off then it starts dripping straight away. My 5 yo still comes home from school with snot wiped across her cheeks.

The nursery will have a medication policy, ask to see it. It is quite common that Calpol will only be given if they have identified a fever.

Also, with conjunctivitis-type infections, the eyes have to be carefully bathed in warm water, not really the job of the nursery.

You shouldn't have sent him in.

There will be a medication policy and no temperature means no calpol.

You are the one you should be angry at in this situation.

He was probably getting annoyed about having his face wiped constantly if he was poorly!

Children should only be in childcare if they are able to cope with the normal day.

1. They probably have been wiping his nose all day, the toddler I look after has a cold at the moment, her nose has been running like a tap. I've been wiping her nose regularly but within five minutes she has got snot smeared across her face.
2. The nurseries I have worked in have had very strict protocols for administering calpol (and other otc medication) usually only if temp is over a certain level.
3. Different thermometers can give different readings, depending on where you take the temperature (armpit, mouth, ear etc). Also small children can develop high fevers very quickly (they drop just as quickly too!)

You shouldn’t have sent him in.

They’ll have a policy re calpol. If no temp no calpol is what is on the policy then that’s what they’d do.

They likely wiped his nose and eyes all day but he was snotty.

Honestly I don't think they have done anything wrong. You sent him knowing he was unwell, I can see why they don't give calpol unless they have a temperature and I know how snotty and gross my daughter can get in a few minutes so I doubt they didn't clean him up all morning.

I think you shouldn’t have sent him in knowing he wasn’t well. It sounds like he needed to be at home getting one to one care, not being in a busy nursery. I hope he feels better soon.

Thanks all. You’re right he shouldn’t have been there at all. I feel just awful. In my defence he didn’t have a temperature in the morning, I gave him calpol for pain relief because of his eyes and I spoke to the nursery beforehand and they said it was fine. He will most certainly be home with me tomorrow. It’s all a learning curve.

Hello. My LO has had conjunctivitis (with AB) and they wash his eyes with warm water throughout the day but he still.akways has another over him...as he gets it everywhere. My nursery also won't give Calpol unless he has a temperature. As far as different readings...their temperatures can spike so quickly.

Hope he feels better soon x

I hope he feels better soon