Hiding a fever

I have a friend who takes her little one to their daycare with Advil in her so it hides the fever that the little one has. I mentioned that it's a bad idea as she could be passing on a virus to not only the other kids but the families ~ her response is that the kids could catch the virus anywhere. :blink: True but why infect other kids/families knowing that you are? Her response is that she can't take the time off work and she pays the daycare. :blink:
I again mention how it is dangerous that she gives her little one any medication without advising the daycare and if there is an emergency and her little one is rushed to the hospital and the Dr's won't know about what she was already given. Her response is that it's likely not going to happen :blink:

OK so I am now putting together something on why you shouldn't bring your kids to daycare with any fever reducing medicine in them.
I feel if a little one is sick, as a parent you need to be home with them. I've been on both sides of this. A parent with 2 in daycare and having to take many days off due to ear infection, fevers etc and my husband and I used to play rock, paper, sissors over who was going to take the day off. As a provider I have right in my contract that I will always respect a parent's need to work however, when thinking of bringing their little one to daycare ~ how would you feel if another had your little one's symptoms and would you want your child exposed.

So....
do you ladies have anything to add to my little paper that I'm putting together that I'm going to end up posting on my blog for others to read.
I just think it's so irresponsible to bring a sick little one to daycare with a fever. A common cold, yes bring them but a daycare should only have to deal with cold like symptoms :mad:

The poor little kid. It's tough being in a daycare atmosphere when you don't feel good. Think of how overwhelmed WE get with the little things when we are not well. Now imagine an 18 month old put into an, at times, chaotic environment with a lot going on around them when their head is fuzzy, they are chilly and have fever aches, and their coping skills are down. Besides the obvious fear of passing on viruses, it setting a little one up for a difficult day. . . . I think that would be important to add

Have you ever had a headache or just felt a little off and took a tylenol? Sometimes we aren't sure what is up with our child but it could be as simple as has a headache from not getting enough sleep or teething pain or whatever. Having a fever is teh body's way of fighting off something that hasn't taken hold yet and while the tylenol will interfere with this somewhat it can also help the child cope while their body is trying to cope. It isn't always necessary for a child to stay home when they aren't sick yet so to speak.

I have a somewhat laxer policy when it comes to illness and do not require the kids to stay home till they are unable to cope sick. My parents are honest with me in the morning about giving tylenol because I don't hold it against them. It tells me to keep a closer eye on the child and yes I am much more consious about what they put in their mouth, etc. I have no more illness in my daycare than any other provider and sometimes even less. With doctor's not giving antibiotics these days kids just have to cope and it doesn't mean they need to stay home for a week of coping and if a dose of tylenol helps us all have a better morning then I am all for it but please make it so that parents feel they can share this info with you - the medical emergency is a good reason and it also tells me to watch for other signs of illness so they are caught early.

I do the same as Playfelt. If I made the kids stay home every time they weren't "feeling well", but weren't exactly sick, I'd never have any kids here. My parents are up front about giving their kids tylenol before coming here, so I know to keep an eye on them. All of my dck's, plus my son are all cutting teeth right now so they all have running noses, slightly raised temp's and are a little fussy. Makes me wish this week would go by a little faster, but not much I can do about it. :)

I am definitely not lax on this...if a child has a fever, I don't accept them. The problem is, we don't know what they are coming down with until later on when they have already exposed all the others to it. I will NOT give tylenol or advil to the kids, so if they need it they should stay home. This is for two reasons: 1) if the child is sick enough to need it then they are either contagiuos or not feeling well enough to participate fully in the daycare day 2) I feel it is a liability to give kids medication (unless prescribed by a doctor) in case they have a reaction to it and I am blamed for incorrect dosage etc. I agree with the original post that it is not fair to the other kids or the provider to send a sick kid to daycare. I know it is hard on the parents to take time off work (I've been there), but it is part of being a parent.

I have read that you shouldn't medicate a low grade fever.... Fever is a body's way of fighting off an impending illness... It's good to have a fever it means the body is doing what it's supposed to do....only when it's gets alarmingly high are you supposed to medicate because of the fear of a febrile seizure......

I also don't tell parents to keep them home when they are feeling ill ~ if that was the case, I'd hardly have any kids in the cold and flu season! ;)
When it comes to teething ~ I agree it can help them feel better and I too am OK with that. However, when you know that your child is fighting a cold and or flu and you know that they should be home and you medicate them and bring them ~ I am so not lax when it comes to that or fevers. A fever is a way of fighting off a virus and or something wrong in the body. To bring a sick one medicated ...you are for sure passing something on.

I'm pretty strict when it comes to my illness policy. Drugging/medicating a child and then bringing them here without my knowledge is grounds for termination...period ! I allow common colds and low fevers (under 100F) caused by teething but if it is something more than that, they need to stay home. If I get sick then everyone is screwed and I think it's very selfish and inconsiderate to send a child to daycare too ill to be there...infecting everyone else.

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Originally Posted by fruitloop

....Drugging/medicating a child and then bringing them here without my knowledge is grounds for termination...period .....

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Ya - deal breaker here too cause that is not only a safety issue if you 'double dosed' a child not knowing but it is a TRUST issue as well!

Open and honest communication is KEY for sure and I make that clear to parents upon enrollment - if you have given medication at home I need to KNOW in case a medical emergency arises I need to be able to tell the paramedics what they have taken today. However in regards to 'exclusion' I am more like Playfelt ...as long as they are not sporting clear symptoms requiring exclusion according to the Health Unit and they are able to cope within within the program with minimal impact on the other's enjoyment of said program I do not 'exclude them' ... one of the perks of being home is if need be a child can lounge on the couch all day and I can tweak the program to be a quiet low flow day for them...and it works the same way for ME when I am under the weather - give give between my clients and I.

I have been open for almost 5 years and only ever sent a child home twice - once for vomiting and another cause the last day before Xmas break they started popping out with a blister like rash and they were suppose to be flying next day and figured mom would want a note she'd been seen by a Dr in order to get on the plane or to rearrange their plans if they could not fly... otherwise while they do come sporting the odd cold or what not I have been lucky that when REALLY needed parents choose to do the right thing and keep them home ... support goes two ways I think when we use common sense around 'illness' that parents tend to feel supported that minor things are not being kept home and more inclined to do the right thing when the major illnesses pop up - my clients have all been awesome though I had one client in the past who would call her daughter in sick because she was 'too bitchy' and say that no one should have to be exposed to her today .... poor thing was a horrible teether but mom was awesome in accepting she would not cope with having to be in a group :(

Personally if I send a child home I want to be sure it is because the kid was indeed too ill to participate in the program otherwise that 'trust' is broken and it leads to this parents behaviour - lying because t hey felt they were lied too :(

In centre care I use to see peers all the time 'giddy' at the first sign of anything sending kids home so that the day would be 'quieter' for them .... one loose poop from 'teething' was blown up into 'diarrhea' and the kid required to stay home for 24 hours and well the parent gets them home and NOTHING cause the kid was not sick just 'teething' .... and yes parents start to get 'pissy' at having to take time off when their kid is not really sick and all their sick days are used up they send them to daycare when they really should keep em home cause they feel they have no choice :(

Exactly, if we make parents stay home at the hint of illness they run out of days and paents feel they have no choice but to drug the kids when they are really sick and send them to daycare hoping for the best - which for them is to make it through till lunch and get some work done then when the meds wear off, get a call from caregiver, leave after lunch and take child home.

low fevers are a good thing! that is away to show that there is an immune response working or an inflammatory response- so I would not medicate for them.

But I tend to go on the side that if a kid is too sick to function then they are too sick for daycare- if everything I took a tylenol I had to stay home, I may as well never get out of bed!

The sad reality is that even before those symptoms appear they're already spreading it around, no? I totally agree that ideally, parents belong home with their parents, one on one...we certainly don't have the capabilities for one on one in our settings...nor the ability to get them medical care quickly should things worsen. But, with 4 boys of my own and only so many sick days to go around I can sure understand a parent's point of view. So, my policy is that if it's something that can be medicated by me and such medication allows them to function otherwise normally within the group, I'm ok with that.

Your right ~ a virus/cold can be possibly spread before symptoms appear. Someone can be a carrier and spread it around. For that matter, a cold and virus can be caught anywhere. The grocery store, the handle we touch to open a door, even walking into someone coughing into the air and spreading germs. Some times a nasty virus can be brought into the daycare when parents and daycare providers think it is just a simple cold. As I think we all agree that we can't keep sending kids home every cold they get. We can't catch them all and hey, these are kids we are dealing with and they are building their immune systems and will catch almost everything under the sun! However, in a different situation, which is what I am talking about, when you KNOW your child is ill but want to drop them off as someone mentioned before to get in some time at work before the meds wear off is for me, unacceptable.
We all have different policies with what we will accept and not accept into our daycare.
As I mentioned I too am a Mom and worked outside the home and had our little ones in care. I've been that parent who had to take time off when I needed to be at work so I understand both sides as well.
I think this forum is great to put things out there and get other's ideas. Some times a comment can even change the way you may look at something. I'm always open to learning new things and or seeing other points of view for sure!!
That is the reason for me writing something to put out on my blog about bringing your child, when knowing they are ill to daycare~ it may just make someone think again about bringing a little one medicated to daycare. A put the shoe on the other foot perspective.

Thank you for this post. I am dealing with this right now. DCG just started last Monday. Friday all of a sudden had a runny nose. Mom said she was better over the weekend but Tuesday she still had the runny nose (green, thick, yellow), cough, sneezing etc. Of course I don't think that Parents should stay home for every runny nose. But I must say that taking care of someone else's sick child is not terribly easy, especially one that is JUST transitioning into daycare :)

Now I also must say that around 10:00 this morning (4 hours after DCG got here) I noticed she looked a little flush and felt a little warm. After a quick email to Mom I find out, YEP Mom gave her Tylenol this morning without telling me. That really really bothers me. If your child is sick enough that she has a fever, she most likely NEEDS to be at home to rest. I think that the daycare environment can be a little overstimulating which means that she isn't getting the rest she needs to recover. Not to mention the child is waking up at 5:30 to come to daycare, isn't getting good rest and is adjusting to a new routine. Routine at home is also non-existent, she eats and sleeps whenever. Not to mention giving Tylenol and not informing me can be dangerous.

I'm putting up with it this time because Mom did just go back to work. I know it's not easy to take a day off in the first two weeks of being back. Now lets hope the rest of us don't get sick, cause we all know there is no way I can take a day off ;)

I am thinking putting together this "why you shouldn't bring your child to daycare on fever reducing medication" is a fantastic idea... I think I may do the same!!

My 10 mo got a fever on the weekend, and the mom asked me what my policy was. I stated that she must be fever free without the aid of medication for 24 hrs. She had a fever for 2 days (fever would show up when meds wore off), mom took her to the doctor, and it turns out her ears were infected.

I NEVER take a child with fever unless a note is brought stating that it is due to teething and NOTHING ELSE. (I also stated this to mom)

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Originally Posted by kangaroomama

I am definitely not lax on this...if a child has a fever, I don't accept them. The problem is, we don't know what they are coming down with until later on when they have already exposed all the others to it. I will NOT give tylenol or advil to the kids, so if they need it they should stay home. This is for two reasons: 1) if the child is sick enough to need it then they are either contagiuos or not feeling well enough to participate fully in the daycare day 2) I feel it is a liability to give kids medication (unless prescribed by a doctor) in case they have a reaction to it and I am blamed for incorrect dosage etc. I agree with the original post that it is not fair to the other kids or the provider to send a sick kid to daycare. I know it is hard on the parents to take time off work (I've been there), but it is part of being a parent.

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This is my opinion exactly!

I tell parents that if they drug their child to reduce the fever as soon as it goes back to 101 F they are getting a phone call to come pick up their child anyway so why not just stay home and take care of their child. I believe that a fever is a symptom masking or giving a clue of the real problem and the root of that problem, ear infections that we cannot see for example, can only be discovered by a doctor.

Usually a virus means a lower than normal temperature and yes I allow children in with a virus, cough, clear runny nose, you can't do anything about them. We are all going to catch it and I hate that but it happens all the time.

While I certainly agree that if I turned away every child that was feeling "under the weather", I would never have kids here in the winter, I think the real issue is a lack of trust.
When mom doses the child, drops off, and doesn't say anything, THAT I take issue with. If something happened, and an ambulance was called (heaven forbid, but it COULD happen) what is the first question that the EMTs will ask?? If the child showed symptoms of discomfort and the provider administered more tylenol/advil, what would the results be then?
What I expect from a parent is complete honesty. I want to hear "Just so you know, I gave little Suzie some pain reliever this morning. She had a slight fever, hopefully just from teething. She may be feeling under the weather, and if it gets much worse, call me. But I am not able/can't afford, etc, to stay home on the chance that she MIGHT be ill." Said in a sincere tone, looking for my understanding.
I will take that any day over a parent being sneaky. In fact, I would likely let a child stay longer than I might normally, if the parent and I had already had that discussion. If I have an idea that you are trying to hide a possible illness, I will be waaaaay less flexible!

I'll post once I'm finished if your interested in taking ideas or just cut and paste if you want Olivetree. I would let the Mom know that you understand that she is just returning to work but she needs to be upfront when giving her little one any fever reducing medicine. UGH!

If you dope up your child and bring them to daycare in an attempt to mask an illness, fever, diarrhea, vomitting etc etc and I find out you are terminated on the spot.

Thank you jec! I would love to read it!

I think I am going to have to tell Mom today that LO is not allowed back into care until the sickness clears up. I feel so so bad but I'm tired of taking care of a sick child who is also in transition. I'm not sure what to say though... She has no fever. Just green/yellow/thick snot that is dripping so often and so much its' it drips into her mouth! She's coughing, sneezing, grumpy and exhausted. What is her mom to do though? Take her to the dr. who is just going to say it's a virus and to let it run it's course? When is she allowed back into care? It's already been 11 days!

I do have an illness policy but I tend to agree that making kids stay home for every runny nose is kind of too much. But where do you draw the line?

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Originally Posted by olivetree

...I do have an illness policy but I tend to agree that making kids stay home for every runny nose is kind of too much. But where do you draw the line?

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I still follow the Public Health guidelines for 'exclusion' for licensed programs as the standard for best practice ... that way I can blame THEM for having to exclude their kid - they have a hand out for things that need exclusion and for how long and 'reentry' requirements ;)

I do follow that as well

I've never heard of the Public Health guildelines for exclusion...I'll have to check it out! Thanks ladies!!

Do you have a link to these guidelines?

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Originally Posted by kangaroomama

Do you have a link to these guidelines?

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Here you go - please note that your Region or Province might have slightly different guidelines and rules depending on the anal factor of those running your Health Unit - this is for London Ontario's Public Health Unit.

What I mean by anal is that some Health Units say you can attend childcare with Chicken Pox and others still require exclusion based on poor experience with children who did attend getting 'severely ill' as the rounds of pox progressed and muted when they DID allow it so they reverted to the initial 'exclusion' practice of until the scabs are 'dried over'.

http://www.healthunit.com/articlesPDF/14630.pdf

Thank you for this!