Guidelines to Help You Decide When to Keep Your Child Home from School

If your child is ill, you might be struggling with a decision of
whether or not to send him to school.  You don‛t want him/her to miss school,
but sending a sick child to school is not only unhealthy for your child but
other children as well.
Below are a few guidelines to follow if you are not sure if your child
should stay at home or go to school:

*FEVER 

A fever is an important sign and key factor when deciding whether to send your child to school or not. It is essential to take your child‛s temperature correctly:

1. Always take the temperature before giving any medication.
2. Use an oral (mouth) thermometer. Place it under the tongue and
have your child close his mouth. (Taking a temperature under the
arm or feeling the forehead is not as accurate)
3. Do not check the temperature right after having something cold or
hot in the mouth.
A temperature over 100.0F or 37.7C is an important symptom.  Your child
could be carrying something contagious.  Keep him at home and provide
lots of rest and fluids to let the body fight the illness.  Don‛t send
him/her back to school until the temperature is normal for 24 hours
without the aid of fever-reducing medicines such as Panadol or Tylenol.
*DIARRHEA and/or VOMITING-

These are very uncomfortable symptoms and may be signs of a more serious illness.  If your child has
one or two loose stools it is not necessary to keep him home unless there
are other signs of illness However, if your child has frequent diarrhea or
it is accompanied by a fever and or abdominal cramping it is best to stay
at home. Remember to replace the fluids lost with juices and water.
Children will at times vomit due to stress or excess activity. If your child
is otherwise feeling fine he can come to school. If the vomiting is
accompanied by nausea and/or your child is unable to keep food down it is
best to stay home. 

*SORE THROAT-

If your child complains of a sore throat check his
temperature. If there is no fever it may be sore because of cold/dry air
conditioning or a blocked nose. Have your child eat breakfast and have
something to drink. Gargling with salt water or mouthwash may also help.
If there is a fever the throat is red and it is very painful see a doctor. If
it is diagnosed as strep throat keep your child at home until s/he has
been on antibiotics for 24 hours or as advised by your doctor.
*CHICKEN POX- 

This is a childhood disease that is very contagious.  If
your child has a fever and itchy pink or red spots with a blister in the
center, there is a good chance it is chicken pox.  Let the school know and
keep your child home 7-10 days or until all of the spots have dried or
formed scabs. There is a vaccine available to prevent chicken pox.
PINK EYE or CONJUNCTIVITIS- 

This is a highly contagious and
uncomfortable infection of the eye. When your child complains of an eye
burning or itching and the white of the eye is red and/or there is a
discharge present, consult your physician.  He may prescribe special drops
for the eye.  Keep your child home until the doctor has OK‛s your child‛s
return to school. If your child presents with these symptoms at school
you will be asked to take him home until medication has been started and
the doctor has OK‛d his return to school
RINGWORM- 

Ringworm is a fungal infection found on the skin or the
scalp. Your child should see a doctor and use an anti-fungal medication.
Your child does NOT have to stay out of school as long as the areas can
be covered. However, your child will need to stay out of the pool.
While we want all students to be able to come to school every day,
there are times when it is important to the health of your child and the
community to stay home. If the above guidelines are followed it will help
keep your child and others healthy this school year.
HEALTH RESPONSIBILITIES

One of the goals of the school nurse is to help maintain the good
health of students so they may attend school regularly and to identify
students who need medical attention.  School nurses provide first aid,
health maintenance, medication administration, nursing treatments,
medical referrals and maintenance of health records for all students.  In

addition, the school nurse acts as a consultant to the school team that
plans for student‛s special needs.
However, the school nurse is not the only person involved with the
health of the students. It is a combined effort that also includes the
family, the faculty and most importantly the students.
Here are some tips for taking responsibility for your own health:
*Wash your hands thoroughly, frequently and with soap. You can
also use waterless hand soap. Hands are the most common means of
disease transmission.
*Get fresh air and exercise. Go outside for breaks; don‛t stay
inside and work on the computer or do your homework. Your brains as well
as your bodies need break periods to relax and de-stress.  Also, the air
inside tends to be drier which can lead to nosebleeds, chapped lips and
increased respiratory infections.
*Cover your sneezes! And not with your hands. Use disposable
tissues or sneeze into your arm or shoulder.  Remember, your hands will
spread germs!
*Drink plenty of water.  This means 2-3 liters a day (more when
you spend time out in hot weather) And remember, drinks with caffeine
make you lose more liquid than you take in, so they don‛t count.
*Eat a good breakfast.  Your body hasn‛t had any fuel since the
night before. Give your body and brain what it needs to work hard and
stay healthy.
*Get a good night‛s sleep.  Sleep is important to our physical,
mental and emotional well-being.
* Immunize! Make sure you have had recommended vaccinations to
protect your health
These tips may seem commonplace and simple but that is because
they work.  They will help to avoid common ailments such as headaches,
stomachaches, the common cold and general aches and pains.