Reducing the Risk of Pink Eye - Valley News Live - KVLY/KXJB - Fargo/Grand Forks

Pink eye is a very contagious virus that can be passed easily, especially among kids. In fact, pink eye is one of the top reason kids miss school or daycare, but there are things you can do to reduce your risk.

Whether its a toy, or a camera, kids will try to put anything and everything in their mouths.

Linda Alexander is the owner of Luke Miracle's Group Daycare and she says keeping the kids are safe and healthy is her top priority... and her daycare has been pink eye-free for years.

"Pretty much everything that can be touched by a child... we wipe it down," Alexander explains.

Germs spread easily when kids are in close quarters especially at schools and daycares, and pinkeye is one of the most contagious. A child can get bacterial or viral pinkeye from an infected child coughing or sneezing or touching toys that are contaminated.

It's uncomfortable and your child may wake up with red or pink eyes, or their eye may be stuck together because of discharge.

She says the key to success is simple... Washing hands. "The thing I stress to my staff is wash your hands, after every diaper change, we wear gloves... but still, wash your hands."

They use gloves to change diapers and change the sheets on each child's crib daily.  If she thought a child did have pink eye, they would be sent home and asked to get a note from the doctor.

If it's the kind of eye irritation that's not contagious... "It also could be allergies, so we tell the parents to go get a statement from the doctor saying that they don't have pink eye."

In most cases, pink eye can be treated with eye drops and lasts only a few days, but it's important to keep that child isolated until it goes away. Newborns have a very high risk of developing pinkeye, which can lead to serious problems if left untreated.