HOW TO KNOW WHEN TO KEEP YOUR CHILD HOME FROM SCHOOL
When should your child stay at home? Is he/she really sick?
Use the following checklist
· Fever – A temperature of 100 or above is considered a fever, and the child must stay home until fever free for 24 hours. However, if their temperature is between 99 and 100 in the morning, the chances are that it probably will go up later. Your temperature is usually lowest in the morning. If the child also has illness symptoms, then you might want to keep him/her home. Keep your child home if he/she had a fever the night before, even if the fever is gone in the morning. Wait until there is no fever for 24 hours before your child returns to school. (If you think or know it is the flu, then keep them home for at least 7 days or more until no symptoms for 24 hours.)
· Vomiting or diarrhea – Keep the child home if vomiting or diarrhea within the past 24 hours.
· Stomach ache – If it is accompanied by a fever, nausea, vomiting, and/or diarrhea then keep the child home. Contact your pediatrician right away if there is pain accompanied by limping, walking bent over, favoring one side or a reluctance to move. This could indicate a more serious problem. However, if the child complains of a vague “tummy ache” and no other symptoms, especially only on school days, this could be anxiety about school or an excuse to stay home. You should send the child to school.
· Coughing – A child can attend school if he/she only has a mild lingering cough after a cold or from allergies, asthma. However, a hard, constant severe cough is tiring for the child and can disrupt a classroom. Also, if the cough is accompanied by a fever, then your child should stay home. (If you think or know it is the flu, then keep them home for at least 7 days or more until no symptoms for 24 hours.)
· Sore throat and cold – If the child has a runny nose accompanied by a red throat, and swollen, tender glands or a fever, then he/she should stay home. (If you think or know it is the flu, then keep them home for at least 7 days or more until now symptoms for 24 hours.) If Strep throat, keep home until they have been on antibiotics for at least 24 hours and no fever.
· Rash – Many rashes are associated with contagious illness, diseases. A child with a rash should stay at home until seen by a doctor. The child may return to school if he/she has a doctor’s note stating the rash is not contagious. (If Impetigo, must stay home for at least 48 hours on treatment)
· Red runny eyes – If the white part of the eye is inflamed, and looks pink, and there is yellowish or green drainage from the eye, or the lids are crusty or stuck together (especially in the morning), keep your child home. Call your doctor for a consultation, as it could be an eye infection – conjunctivitis (“pinkeye”). If Conjunctivitis- keep home at least 24 hours from start of treatment)
· Chronic complaints of illness – If your child chronically feels ill during school days, especially on Mondays and after holiday weekends or vacations, but feels fine on weekends, it probably is not serious. It could be related to anxiety or stress at school or at home. If your child is eating well, does not have a fever, isn’t vomiting, diarrhea and has no rash, then send him/her to school.
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If your child has an old scrape, insect bite, poison ivy rash or splinter that occurred at home and needs treatment, please treat it before coming to school in the morning. It is not the school health office’s purpose to treat injuries or conditions that occur at home. This takes away from your child’s valuable academic time in class. When the office is busy, this could mean 15-20 minutes out of class. Please instruct your child to avoid coming to the health office for these conditions that can be treated at home. Thank you for your cooperation.
Please remember to:
· Update your emergency phone numbers – Home phone, work number, and the numbers of people to contact in case we cannot reach either parent. Make sure the emergency contacts can pick up your child if they’re ill and we can’t reach you.
· Have your child get a good night’s rest (at least 10 hours), eat a good breakfast or lunch (for afternoon Kindergarteners), bring healthy snacks and drink plenty of water.
Mary Johnston, RN MEd. School Nurse-Teacher