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Abigail 11:21 AM 09-11-2012
How do you know if a child has pink eye? If they are already here everyone else probably will get it. I know to wash my hands and avoid touching my face and have already printed out a handout to give to parents tomorrow if it comes out to be pinkeye. I texted the parent to give them a heads up that I had been wiping yellow-green discharge from their child's eye all morning. This child does not have a fever but has been coughing a lot during nap times yesterday and today. I was told that if it is pink eye that they get medication and can come back since it will just do it's round. What else should I do or not do? I've never had illness in my daycare since I opened in January. Thanks!
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sharlan 11:23 AM 09-11-2012
If you've been wiping out gunk from the child's eye, that's pink eye. I would call the parent to come pick up and take the child to the dr.

We had it not too long ago. Only 2 of my kids got it, but I got it, too. I washed all the toys in bleach and sprayed everything down with Lysol.
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Abigail 11:44 AM 09-11-2012
Sharlan, I took away many of the toys already and all the washable things are in the wash which the kids will not get back until everyone is healthy. The child who might have it leave just after nap so I'm not having them pickup early. The child was here 4 hours before I noticed anything so everyone has been exposed. My employee has been home yesterday and today with her Kindergarten child who was diagnosed with pink eye this morning after not feeling well. I'm not sure if her child brought it here after school on Friday or what. I've heard it can take 3-5 days to surface. Do you allow them back after they take medicine? I just worry because I'm pregnant and I do have an infant daycare child who might have been exposed as well.
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Breezy 11:55 AM 09-11-2012
It's says in my handbook that they can't come back untold their eye is clear of discharge.
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Abigail 12:03 PM 09-11-2012
Breezy is it the discharge that spreads it even if they are on medication for it?
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Breezy 12:35 PM 09-11-2012
Depending on whether its bacterial or virus yes I do believe so. As far as I've been told!
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Nickel 12:54 PM 09-11-2012
When my child was in daycare if they had any crusty drainage from the eye I was turned away at the door and told I needed a doctors note. I can't tell you how many times it was actual due to sinus problems and not pink eye. That being said, that does NOT seem the case with your little one. First, I wouldn't be wiping the crust out of her eye. Because now that is on your hands. So anything you touch now has that germ on it and someone else can get it. I would have the parents come right away and get her and she would have to have a doctor's note to return. The doctor will tell you if she can come back tomorrow but I am pretty sure they have to be on the medication for 24 hours before returning to school. If the drainage is actaully green it could be an actual eye infection and not pink eye, so either way they need to take her to the doctor. The otc meds do NOT work and she needs an RX regardless. But if she wipes her eye and touches anything someone else can get it. And it's not fun. But just saying, oh well, now everyone has it isn't the way to go. In the future I wouldn't admit her with eye drainage period. They no one else would get it (well, hopefully)
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MyAngels 01:01 PM 09-11-2012
According to the AAP, it's not necessary to exclude for pink eye. They are saying it should be handled like the common cold.

That being said, if the child who has it is at the "everything in their mouth, rubbing their eyes" stage I would probably exclude for a day or two. If it was an older child I probably would not.
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daycare 01:04 PM 09-11-2012
Im same as the above.

the child must be on medication for at least a full 24 hours and must be free of any form of discharge.

I state the same with eye gook as I do nose drips. Depending on the age of the child and developmental abilities, each child will be assessed on an individual basis. Factors of consideration include the developmental level of your child in congruence with my ability to limit the spread of germs.

The younger your child, the more difficult it is to keep the spread of germs down. For example: hand to face contact, mouthing of toys, uncontrolled nasal discharge, uncovered sneezing, discharge from eyes or coughing etc.
(Also when caring for an ill child, the ability to provide high quality care to all of the other children is jeopardized)
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Nickel 01:05 PM 09-11-2012
Originally Posted by MyAngels:
According to the AAP, it's not necessary to exclude for pink eye. They are saying it should be handled like the common cold.

That being said, if the child who has it is at the "everything in their mouth, rubbing their eyes" stage I would probably exclude for a day or two. If it was an older child I probably would not.
Wow, really? I'm surprised since it requires medication to clear it up? Or am I totally wrong? It's been a few years since I've had anyone in my family have pink eye, so I guess things changed, but I am surprised. Now I have to do some research
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MyAngels 03:07 PM 09-11-2012
The newest guidelines came out in 2009 I think. The publication is "Managing Infectious Diseases in Child Care and Schools."

Many states have their own guidelines, which often go contrary to the AAP, so it would be a good idea to check those out before making any decision on whether to exclude or not.

I'm surprised at the number of things that are no longer considered excludable by the AAP. In the end I always use my own best judgment on these things, anyway .
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Nickel 03:14 PM 09-11-2012
Originally Posted by MyAngels:
The newest guidelines came out in 2009 I think. The publication is "Managing Infectious Diseases in Child Care and Schools."

Many states have their own guidelines, which often go contrary to the AAP, so it would be a good idea to check those out before making any decision on whether to exclude or not.

I'm surprised at the number of things that are no longer considered excludable by the AAP. In the end I always use my own best judgment on these things, anyway .
Wow. I am surprised. I guess it's better to send your child to school ill then to take time off work? Sometimes I wonder who writes these things.

Me personally, I don't want pink eye. It itches, it irritates, it doesn't feel good, and it can spread back and forth for what seems like forever. No thank you. Besides that, who wants to keep washing gook out of someones eye. eeeew!
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Abigail 08:27 AM 09-12-2012
Well I did not wipe the gunk with my hand and go play with other kids......I used a tissue and washed my hands immediately. Who wants a child to have to sit and wait for mom/dad with gunk all over? Come on, I have some standards of quality care whether they're healthy or sick and I would expect someone to do that for my child.

My point was the child had been here with little goop in the beginning and I wiped it a few times it was not much. Then after nap the child woke up and it was bad so the child went home and is not here today. So I am cleaning toys and not letting many toys out until I know that everyone is healthy. I did my best, I just wanted to know whether it was pink eye and I guess it was so it was a learning experience for me.

I asked around to other providers and no one excludes around here except if the child cannot participate but they need to be on medication. It really comes down to a providers preference. We'll just see if I did a good enough job to keep it away from the others.
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itlw8 09:38 AM 09-12-2012
I follow state guidelines that means they are seperated from the group until the parent can pick them up . They must stay home until hey have been on the drops 24 hours.

I got it last spring and the dr told me I needed to stay away for 24 hours. It was Friday so I did not have to close.
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