Vomiting policy - are there exceptions?

Hello ladies,

I have an 18 month old who has vomited 3 times within a span of 2 weeks. There are no other symptoms. He doesn't have a fever. He wants to participate and continue playing. He is still his happy self. First time was after circle time (where he was sitting for about 20 min) and before lunch prep. So it wasn't right after a meal. Second time was about an hour after he finished breakfast and he was moving around. 3rd time was again before lunch prep. We can't figure out if it's something he is eating here because he doesn't throw up at home. I've fed him different things each day.

Anyway, we don't believe he is sick. However, my policy is that once the child vomits, he needs to be home for at least 24 hours symptom free. I'm not in a position to determine why he is vomiting. Also it is a sanitary issue. The parents understand my policy. But now they have taken him to a Doctor and the Dr. doesn't understand what's wrong either and they are just hoping whatever it is, will pass. They got a doctor's note saying that he is not ill and not contagious. However, I still don't want to have to chase after him and clean up puke all the time. Have any of you been in this situation? Is it still ok for me to keep sending the child home if he vomits again even though he has a doctor's note saying he is ok? I want to be fair. I think it's reasonable to send him home because I don't want other kids touching his vomit. At the same time I feel bad for the parents who have to miss work every time he pukes.

TIA

Does he throw up again after first throwing up? If he isnt throwing up a second time then you are not saved from any clean up by sending him home.

Is he coughing? Is it a gag reflex issue (fingers in mouth)?

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Originally Posted by Lee-Bee

Does he throw up again after first throwing up? If he isnt throwing up a second time then you are not saved from any clean up by sending him home.

Is he coughing? Is it a gag reflex issue (fingers in mouth)?

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He doesn't throw up again after. But his parents said that he never throws up at home. He has only been with me for a month. He never threw up at his previous daycare either. He only threw up at mine. But I see what you are saying. Would you keep him if he only throws up once?

He is not coughing and there is no gag reflux. He didn't have his hand in his mouth. There is literally no other symptom or nothing (from what I can see) leading up to throwing up.

I just asked as my own daughter threw up 3x this year while getting ready for the bus. Each time she had a touch of a cold and was coughing and that caused her to throw up. Weeks apart. I kept her home each time and she truly was 100% fine. Now when she has a cough I give her less breakfast as a full belly and cough just doesnt work for her!

So there are cases where it is not illness related. It is your call. But I suspect I would attempt to keep the child next time if no other symptoms and if all other children are symptom free. If any child has a stomach bug or illness then I would have to play it safe assuming he has what they have.

Kids are very weird. While we do need to follow the sick policy there are times when common sense might over rule it (at YOUR descretion-no one elses).

We have had a stomach virus go through our area of southern Ontario( Halton) and it doesn’t involve any fever, just vomiting. I have had several daycare siblings have it return 2 weeks later. It’s usually 24-48 hrs and then gone. I had it myself.
I don’t care what the reason is, I exclude for 24 hrs.

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Originally Posted by bonnie

However, my policy is that once the child vomits, he needs to be home for at least 24 hours symptom free. I'm not in a position to determine why he is vomiting. Also it is a sanitary issue. The parents understand my policy.

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Same here and I would apply the policy even in this odd situation.

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Have any of you been in this situation? Is it still ok for me to keep sending the child home if he vomits again even though he has a doctor's note saying he is ok? I want to be fair. I think it's reasonable to send him home because I don't want other kids touching his vomit. At the same time I feel bad for the parents who have to miss work every time he pukes.

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I have had a child who vomited randomly at times. I felt that it was due to over excitment/over eating/over heating however while that was my suspicion, there was no way to know for sure if these were the causes and that was the whole reason I sent him home each time. I could have been an illness. It could have been the beginning of something more. And while there's a risk of it being connected to anything which might affect the group, then I don't take chances which is why my policy is what it is.

I too felt bad that the parents had to miss work - however - they are the parents and unfortunately, parenting isn't always convenient. I would have felt much worse if I had let the child stay and then the whole group became ill over the following days. That likely would have meant, instead of cleaning up vomit from one child, I would have been cleaning up vomit from each of them while waiting for their parents to arrive to collect their child.

It doesn't often happen that a child vomits without cause and while this means that those prone to it are inconvenienced more than the norm, that's just life. As when a child gets a fever due to teething and they are sent home in case it's something more going on. Just the luck of the draw for parents as to how their child's body reacts in some situations.

I would really encourage you not to second guess the policy. The moment you do, you are in a position of weakness should a different client's child vomit and you want immediate pick up from them. I know whenever I've relaxed a policy for a client, it's bitten me in the butt, enforcing the same policy when that child is really ill or when a different client tells me their child over heated/over ate and I know that's not the case.

Thanks everyone for your advice. It's very helpful to see the different points of views and the pros and cons. I have had a discussion with the parents and we are now trying and reducing the amount of breakfast. We are also cutting back on milk and yogurt and see what happens. I'm going to play it by ear for this week only because they have a doctor's note. If he throws up again this week, I will have to assess the situation i.e. does he have other symptoms, does he want to participate, is anyone else showing symptoms etc. I hear what you are saying Suzie_Homemaker about it coming back to bite you in the butt. That's happen to me before too. I'm going to see how it goes by the end of the week. Thanks again everyone. I really appreciate all the responses.