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inamra
member
Daycare: is this normal?
inamra
member
Is it me, or is at least one kid always sick at daycare? So far, B has been going to daycare for the past 2 months but he's only gone in (since he's part-time) about 5 times and each week he's gone in, he's gotten sick...first with colds, now with flus. This week, he had to go twice because the grandmas r both out of town. Today, he comes down with yet another 103 fever. I'm starting to get a little upset here cuz he's been sick at least every other week for the past 2 months! Shouldn't they be a bit more strict about their sick policy or am I overreacting here? Or should I just expect my LO to be sick often (but *this* often??) if he's in daycare?
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Re: Daycare: is this normal?
Sorry to hear! E has been going to daycare part time for the past 3 weeks and has gotten a cold. I think she got it from me though :-P. That said, I do think daycares are germ infested lol. I can just imagine how easy it is to pass on the germs to other kids when all of them basically put everything in their mouth. I make sure that I wash E's hands everytime she comes home from daycare so she does not spread the germs in the house. I don't think daycares let kids come in if they have a fever?I hope B gets better soon. Just think that he's building up his immunity!
I know our daycare checks their temp and sends them home if it registers high. But they allow runny noses and coughs. If they didn't it would lead to a lot of unnecessary days at home IMO.
They do have a policy and stick to it b/c I have been there when parents have been called in. Off the top of my head I know it includes fever (don't remember the threshold), any vomiting, and any runny stools. Obviously that doesn't include BF-babies stools or baby spit ups.
Jack has stayed pretty healthy in daycare. Not sure if it's b/c of their policy or just because he's pretty healthy in general. He hasn't had any infections (ear or sinus), no throw up or digestion issues, and only one day of a mild fever. He does often have a runny nose and sometimes a little cough. But nothing to worry about. He did have an irritated ear once after an unusually long bout of runny nose but it cleared up immediately with garlic.
So I guess in sum - there are too many variables. If your gut feeling says they are not clean or strict about the policy you might want to check into another center. But if they are, it's just going to be something you have to deal with. Kids get sick a lot.
could he be battling another bout of ear infection? Seems like all my friends' kids have really had a struggle with ear infections this year. Abx are not clearing them up.
Before A started daycare, she was never sick. A few days she had a little cough but it never turned into anything. Since she has been at daycare, a completely different story. The pedi told me to expect her to get sick 2 weeks after starting daycare...well it took a month and it seems like she has been kind of sick ever since. She has had two colds, a stomach bug and now an ear infection in both ears. (she started in Jan..so all of that is from Feb & 1/2 of March) It wasn't until the ear infection that she needed antibiotics. The daycare does have a sick policy - fever, green runny noses, vomitting - all have to go home, but still she gets sick. My LC had said to touch the toys Adair plays with basically try to expose myself to the same cooties she is exposed to in an effort for me to make immunities to pass along, but as of yet, nothing has been prevented (actually I have just caught whatever she had!)...or who knows maybe it would be worse if i didn't try to expose myself to the cooties.
From a recent post, we talked about putting the saline into LO nose after every bath & I have been doing that and in the mornings...hopefully that will help. Plus a new humidifer in our bedroom (LO is in our bedroom still). And I think I am going to try to regularly give her pro-biotics. I know a big part of your immunity is in your belly so maybe that will help too. Pedi did say once daycare isn't so new, she will be able to fight off colds/viruses better...here's hoping!
Wow there a whole lot of germs in daycare. My LO doesn't go to daycare but everytime I take M out to places with big crowds (parties, airplane, etc) I put a little bm in his nose, the antibodies in the bm helps him from catching a cold. Not sure if there are any studies to prove it but It has worked really well so far. He's only been sick once and he's 9 months
Yes, our has this policy too. But I can't really tell by looking at the kids whether they have fevers or not, but I go in to nurse B at lunch...and on Tues, there was a kid with TONS (just gobs and gobs) of really green gunk out of his nose. I *knew* that kid was pretty sick and I was just hoping B won't catch it. But in hindsight, maybe I should've spoken up when I saw it? And B puts everything in sight in his mouth so I guess he wasn't able to escape anything.
I think they have the policy there and they're just not following it... so I'm kinda wondering if all daycares do that or are some/most pretty good about following their own sick policies?
My daycare has a fairly strict sick policy - if a kid has a fever, a green runny nose, watery poo (not just soft, I mean really watery) or is vomiting, they have to go home immediately. But of course by that point the germs have still been spread, and it's pretty hard to prevent contamination - especially in the infant room where they're all slobbering on the same toys.
My dudes have been in daycare since January, and I think since then they've been sick three times.
Which sucks, but I just choose to view it as good training for their immune system lol!
I think that's actually pretty normal... But once he builds up his immunity, it'll be better. Miss A started daycare at age 6 months after getting her first two colds at home, so that helped. It think it also helped that she was EBF until 6 months and then continued to get BM until she was a year. I think she was home maybe 4-5 days total in her first year. Twice it was for pink eye. Once for fever.
The rule at our daycare is that if they have a fever over a certain number, they should not be brought in or will be sent home immediately. Also if they show signs of pink eye or rash. We get emails when another child is diagnosed with something so that we sort of know what's going around.
In general, we found that she pretty much had a runny nose all winter. Once it turned into a sinus infection and she was put on antibiotics. Then, later, it turnd into an ear infection and we got more antibiotics. Neither illness came with a fever and so neither illness required her to stay home other than the day we took off to take her to the doctor.
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Oh this is a good point too. Both Will and Dash have ear infections right now, but since they're on antibiotics and neither are running fevers, my daycare is happy for them to come in (I do have to fill out a daily medicine info sheet though).
This is our daycare provider's rule as well. She also included a statement that if your child is sick in anyway that prevents them from participating in the regular routince of the day they should stay home.
Elyse seems to get sick ANY time we're around someone else that is sick. And she was EBF until 11 months, MH's immune system is like that as well. So we've had a rotating cold at our house since she started daycare in January.
Actually I think this is the first time none of us is sick!! YA!
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