Conjunctivitis

Yesterday during our Christmas celebration, my brand new daughter, Patty, developed a severe case of conjunctivitis. One of my sisters, who has five children, told me to gently wipe her eye with a warm cloth to keep it clean until I could call the pediatrician. Being insecure, I consulted some websites which confirmed what she said and also mentioned that the infection usually clears up on its own within a week. However I also noted that using cotton balls and throwing them after each use was more sanitary. Some of the websites explained that one form of conjunctivitis was caused by the baby scratching his/her eye and transferring bacteria. Well I had filed her nails, but she was still scratching at her eyes a lot, so my husband covered her hands with mittens. I was extremely worried all night and considered just going to the emergency room, but we kept gently wiping with warm water to keep the debris out of her eye. Lo and behold by 9:00 this morning, her right eye was clean and clear. It's now 4:00 in the after noon and there is not a slimy eye booger in site. WHEW!