Chicken pox to exclude or not to exclude???

[tori4]

Older sibling has chicken pox - although the LO I look after doesn't as of yet !!

Do I exclude or not??

I have pregnant mum
Plus family with 18 mnth siblings n 3yr who will be in contact

[The Juggler]

you can't exclude a child who isn't ill honey. However, I'd let the other parents know that chickenpox is around.

[tori4]

But if I know they may have it - and have vulnerable children am I not following safeguarding procedures to stop the spread of infection?

I'm usually a 'we all get it' kind of person but with so many vulnerable people close I dnot know what to do ;-)

[tulip0803]

Agree with juggler if the child does not have it you cannot exclude. You could ask Mum not to bring in but I think that you would be on dodgy ground if you charged them as per sickness policy as the child is not sick (I take it you do not have in your policies and procedures that you exclude children when another member of the family is sick.). If they are going to get it they have already been contagious in your setting as the incubation period is 10-20 days before spots appear. The mindee may not get it for a week or two or not at all.

It can be quite difficult to catch My DD2 has not had it and she is now 10 - DS had it at 10 and DD1 was the very last child to get it in nursery it was going round for 4 months!

You can only advise other parents (observing confidentiality) it is then down to the other parents if they want to send their children.

[tori4]

I have 'suggested' to mum day off on Monday (as triplets day)

Ok on Tuesday as other child already had it but home 15mins early so she is not here when pregnant family arrive.

I have informed all other families (confidentially) that's its abt and I will dbl up on hygiene procedures.

It's daft cause if she didn't have elder sibling we would be none the wiser :-/ plus she was here Friday and the rest of last week so like u said possible already spread it.

Plus she will b at nursery with triplets brother later in the week anyway - I guess they d'not exclude for sibling illness

I'm hoping this way will keep everyone happy :-/

[Koala]

I can understand you feeling you have to stop the spread of infection and you are right but in this case I would not exclude lo as they do not, to your knowledge, have chicken pox, I would advise pregnant mum and little ones in fact all parents that a sibling of a child attending your setting has chicken pox and leave it up to them as to what they want to do. It is their call whether they wish to quarantine themselves and not your responsibility. Don't take responsibility for something you cannot control. :thumbsup:

[shortstuff]

I agree with the others. One of my mums has just had a baby and twice during her pregnancy I had chicken pox here. She made the decision to keep her lo home for 3 weeks each time.

[FussyElmo]

I think you are trying with the best intentions trying to control something that you cant.

A> lo may never get chicken pox
B> triplets may get chicken pox in 3 months and give it to the lo
c> pregnant mum may work with someone who gets chicken pox
d> triplets brother may get it but not the triplets
e> only one of the triplets get it
f> they all get with 2 weeks apart each case and you have a nervous breakdown from the stress :laughing:


The possibilities are endless. So warn everyone but open your setting as normal.

[Simona]

Chicken pox is highly contagious 1-2 days before the rash appears and once visible until crusted over
We need to exclude children who have it and if one of our children has it we should exclude the cared for children
We should also inform our mothers in case they are pregnant

I am not sure why we are trying to change what has always been a disease where exclusion is required...this is not down to individual interpretation...
we must follow the Health Protection Agency guidelines...or Public Health England as it is now called...as we would for excluding children with vomiting and diarrhoea

Clear information here

HPA - General Information (http://www.hpa.org.uk/Topics/InfectiousDiseases/InfectionsAZ/ChickenpoxVaricellaZoster/GeneralInformation/)

[Mouse]

I agree with what the others have said.

You cannot exclude a child when they are not ill. It you are worried about other children/parents, it should be them who are staying away.

I would carry on having the child as normal, but explain to mum that he will have to stay away at the first sign he does get CP.

I would tell the other parents that CP is going round and leave it up to them to decide whether or not to keep their children away.

If the children attend other settings or have been in contact with any other children, they could get CP from anywhere. It's not something you can really have any control over.

[Tealady]

You can't exclude if a child isn't ill.

Advise parents that it's around. It's then up to those who don't want to contract it to stay away.

[Mouse]

Chicken pox is highly contagious 1-2 days before the rash appears and once visible until crusted over
We need to exclude children who have it and if one of our children has it we should exclude the cared for children
We should also inform our mothers in case they are pregnant

I am not sure why we are trying to change what has always been a disease where exclusion is required...this is not down to individual interpretation...
we must follow the Health Protection Agency guidelines...or Public Health England as it is now called...as we would for excluding children with vomiting and diarrhoea

Clear information here

HPA - General Information (http://www.hpa.org.uk/Topics/InfectiousDiseases/InfectionsAZ/ChickenpoxVaricellaZoster/GeneralInformation/)


But the minded child doesn't have it. Their sibling does.

[Simona]

But the minded child doesn't have it. Their sibling does.

Apologies Mouse...I worded my reply badly
It was meant as a general comment to remind our duties to exclude and because of the mention of pregnant mum as chicken pox is contagious before the spots appear

[KatieFS]

I don't think you can exclude a child who has Jo symptoms.

[KatieFS]

Whoops!

No symptoms!!

I would warn other parents confidentially there may be chicken pox present in families they have option to stay away.
Once child has symptoms then exclude. Could be a few weeks until anything happens, if indeed the sibling does get it!
Xx

[tigwig]

I would just like to add to this that a few years back my son had cp. I obviously informed my parents and they all chose to still send their children. However one parent whose child attended full time did still send her child but wasnt happy. She even said to me that my own child should have been excluded from the setting (ie be looked after by my mum) to minimise the risk of her child catching it! I was naturally quite upset at this and felt I had done something wrong even though my ds was only 18mths ish and the parent was still sending her child every day. I actually phoned Ofsted and told them the situation and asked if I should have closed all together or excluded my ds from the setting. They were very firm in replying of course not! You cannot exclude your own child its his home! They advised I put it in writing to all parents that by choosing to send their children there was obviously a risk they would catch it and that the parents fully understood that and knew their child would still have to be excluded as per my sickness policy should they get it. All parents signed, even the one who had been arsy about it. Of course all mindees did then catch it but it was there choice to still attend and the illness was out of my control.

[happyfeet2013]

Yep last year my daughter got cp

I immediately informed parents and left it up to them to make decision re whether to send their child or not

If they didn't I understood and did not charge

If they did I got them to sign a disclaimer stating the facts and covering my self basically

Most parents were five they rather has their children get it young outbid the way then
One family kept children off until period of contagious was over