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View Full Version : Excludig children-sickness



JumpingJacks
20-12-2012, 03:38 PM
Hi all I'm after a bit of advice. I'm also wondering if many CMs exclude all children needing calpol/ibuprofen? Please excuse me if I waffle currently nursing tonsillitis and head is not working great today!

The reason I'm asking is that sickness has been horrendous in my house this winter. Myself and my daughter have been ill for about 6 weeks on and off.

At present my sickness policy is inline with the eyfs. Children can attend if they need calpol but have to return home/be collected if they aren't well enough to join in with the daily routine and activities and require extra care that takes effects the care of other minded children.

I exclude inline with the hpa guidelines.

The matter of concern is related to viral infections vs bacterial infections. Doctors here don't routinely swab for infections to find out of infections are viral or bacterial. They just advise parents what they think and to come back in 48 hours if no better. From personal experience 9/10 of cases coming in to my house, go on to need antibiotics to clear the infection as its bacterial.

One parent inparticular has to take her lo to the doctors fairly regularly for tonsillitis. Phones up after saying its viral so she can come back. Gives her calpol/ibuprofen etc and permission for me to do so. Low and behold with in the next few days my daughter or I go down with it.

Having been to the doctors myself this morning requesting clear cut answers, it's so hard for them to give any guidelines, just as the hpa guidelines state no exclusion. However as the gp said its highly contagious but they could pick it up anywhere.

Hygiene practice is very good here and all children are very good with hand-washing etc. there is physically nothing more i can see that i can do other than exclude children who have it?

I appreciate mum has to work but so do I and I've Lost a good 8 days this month alone due to my daughter and myself both picking it up of a mindee.

I don't mean to moan, but I'm getting to the point where it's getting ridiculous and I can't keep putting my daughter through this.

Any advice? Please be gentle with me

AgentTink
20-12-2012, 03:58 PM
I know exactly how you feel. I got fed up with one family telling me the doctor said viral, and that the child would be back later on in the day, although child each time clearly unwell, and would then spread his infection to me and others in the setting. .

Just because a doctor says something is viral, this does not mean a child is well. Or a doctor means is that they have some infection but antibiotics will not sure it so all a doctor will advise is rest, calpol and water. In my opinion a child who is viral needs to be at home to help them recuperate. I have now got the following two paragraphs in my sickness policy

6. If a child is seen by a GP and is given anti-biotics then they will be excluded for the setting for a minimum of 24 hours, however this could be longer depending on what illness your child has. I will follow advice given by the Department of Health in regards to exclusion periods. No child should return to the setting until they are well again.

7. If a child is seen by a GP and is diagnosed with a viral infection and is not given anti-biotics, this does not mean that your child is well enough to attend my setting. The same guidelines as above will take effect that your child should not return to the setting until they are fit and well. A viral infection is just as contagious as a bacterial infection, however the only reason your child is not prescribed anti-biotics is because they are unable to kill virus’s. Most GP’s will advise anyone with a viral infection to drink plenty of fluids, rest and take pain relief to keep symptoms down.

Feel free to copy anything that may suit your business.

nikki thomson
20-12-2012, 04:12 PM
I agree, just because its viral doesn't mean its not A) contagious and B) there not ill, all it means is anti biotics arn't needed. Prime example is our school, it's a small village school with only 100 pupils, last week over 50 children were ill with an awful viral flu type illness, some really really poorly been off for nearly 2 weeks, one child couldn't bear weight and was rushed to hospital, the virus had got into his nervous system, he's much better now but that was viral is the point I'm making.
If the child's Ill, there ill regardless of what it is and shouldn't be in your setting is my opinion. X

JumpingJacks
20-12-2012, 04:13 PM
I know exactly how you feel. I got fed up with one family telling me the doctor said viral, and that the child would be back later on in the day, although child each time clearly unwell, and would then spread his infection to me and others in the setting. .

Just because a doctor says something is viral, this does not mean a child is well. Or a doctor means is that they have some infection but antibiotics will not sure it so all a doctor will advise is rest, calpol and water. In my opinion a child who is viral needs to be at home to help them recuperate. I have now got the following two paragraphs in my sickness policy

6. If a child is seen by a GP and is given anti-biotics then they will be excluded for the setting for a minimum of 24 hours, however this could be longer depending on what illness your child has. I will follow advice given by the Department of Health in regards to exclusion periods. No child should return to the setting until they are well again.

7. If a child is seen by a GP and is diagnosed with a viral infection and is not given anti-biotics, this does not mean that your child is well enough to attend my setting. The same guidelines as above will take effect that your child should not return to the setting until they are fit and well. A viral infection is just as contagious as a bacterial infection, however the only reason your child is not prescribed anti-biotics is because they are unable to kill virus’s. Most GP’s will advise anyone with a viral infection to drink plenty of fluids, rest and take pain relief to keep symptoms down.

Feel free to copy anything that may suit your business.

Thank you! It is so hard. I hate letting parents down but I can't continue like this it's ridiculous!

Thank you for your advice :)

k1rstie
20-12-2012, 04:17 PM
Hopefully you will be getiing some time off soon, so fingers crossed when your kids return to your setting all the germs will have passes on (maybe to their friends and family?!!!!).

Wishing you a germ free start to next year JumpingJacks

jackie 7
20-12-2012, 05:15 PM
I too I didn't on 24 hours at home with antibiotics. No one knows how a child will react. Also I will not give calpol etc to control a temp unless parent on way. Many parents say no didn't need to give calpol but you find out when it wears off.

JumpingJacks
20-12-2012, 06:01 PM
I agree, just because its viral doesn't mean its not A) contagious and B) there not ill, all it means is anti biotics arn't needed. Prime example is our school, it's a small village school with only 100 pupils, last week over 50 children were ill with an awful viral flu type illness, some really really poorly been off for nearly 2 weeks, one child couldn't bear weight and was rushed to hospital, the virus had got into his nervous system, he's much better now but that was viral is the point I'm making.
If the child's Ill, there ill regardless of what it is and shouldn't be in your setting is my opinion. X

Thank you Nikki, my daughter caught tonsillitis from a mindee, ended up with 2 courses of antibiotics, rushed to a and e for vomiting blood as it was so severe, also had no strength to hold herself up and walk, which at 4 years old you wouldn't expect. As her immune system was down she then got d and v and a nasal infection! So ended up on a third set of stronger antibiotics for a week

Has been a complete nightmare.

Have made a decision to exclude children who aren't well enough to attend with out calpol and ibuprofen. (Unless its something like teething or reaction to jabs.)