Guidelines For keeping Sick Children Home from School
Every day many parents are faced with this decision:
"Should they keep their sick children at home
or send them off to school?"
Often the way a child looks and acts can make the decision an obvious one.
The following guidelines should be considered:
*FEVER The child should remain at home with a fever greater that 100. The child can return to school after he/she has been fever-free for 24 hours (without fever-reducing medicine such as Tylenol or Ibuprofen).
*DIARRHEA/VOMITING A child with diarrhea and/or vomiting should stay at home and return to school only after being symptom-free for 24 hours.
*CONJUNCTIVITIS (PINK EYE) Conjunctivitis is an inflammation of the conjunctiva (the mucous membrane of the eyelid and eyeball). There are three (3) types of conjunctivitis: allergic (not contagious) which is relieved with allergy drops, bacterial (CONTAGIOUS) which need antibiotic eye drops from a doctor for 24 hours before returning to school, and viral (no treatment is given except for symptom relief). To confirm which kind of eye condition it is, a DOCTOR has to make that decision. The nurse cannot make that diagnosis. Following a diagnosis of conjunctivitis from a doctor , the child may return to school 24 hours after the first dose of prescribed medication.
*RASHES Common infectious diseases with rashes are most contagious in the early stages. A child with a suspicious rash should return to school only after a health care provider has made a diagnosis and authorized the child's return to school.
*COLDS Consider keeping your child at home if he/she is experiencing discomfort from cold symptoms, such as nasal congestion and cough. A continuous green discharge from the nose may be a sign of infection. Consider having the child seen by your health care provider.
A sick child cannot learn effectively and is unable to participate in classes in a meaningful way. Keeping a sick child home prevents the spread of illness in the school community and allows the child opportunity to rest and recover.
Thank you for your attention and consideration.
