Daycare Pertussis Exposure

lorist202 · November 2014

Please someone talk me off this ledge. My 5 .5month old has been exposed to Pertussis at daycare. The infected infant in her classroom has had respitory problems since we started there 2.5 mos. ago, and just now its been determined as Pertussis. The Dept. Of Health is involved, and my DD has been tested (waiting on results) but treated nonetheless. I was a SAHM with DS until 18 mos, and now I'm considering leaving my job to do the same with DD.

This daycare is amazing, and has a reputation of families staying enrolled for the duration until K. So we're probably in this for the long haul with this baby's family. I'm wondering how the baby went so long being sick? When my kid is sick, we visit the pediatrician weekly if necessary. The baby is an only child to a 2 parent household. Are they the type of parents whose kid gets sick and they "don't have time" for the pediatrician, so they wait to treat LO? And sent her to daycare anyway? Or did their pediatrician miss it for at least the 2.5 mos. I've seen this baby ill?

These are things beyond my control, which is exactly why I would consider keeping DD out of daycare for approx. a year until she has a stronger, more developed immune system. Financially, it would be painful, but if we had to, it could be done temporarily.

Ugh.... I don't know how to feel right now.

ricekez · November 2014

My DS1 was exposed to pertussis at roughly 6 months from daycare. We called our pediatrician, who recommended a prophylactic round of antibiotics. DS1 didn't get pertussis. I wouldn't judge the parents of the kid who had pertussis - you never know what's going on as far as health and family situations, so I'd just assume the best and move on. Sickness happens and pertussis is bad but not that bad, especially when you know it might be coming.

emberlee3 · November 2014

I'm so sorry this happened to your LO. I am praying that she and the other babies stay healthy!

However, I would not quit my job over it. Maybe I would consider alternative child care arrangements. But there are always going to be things outside of your control, even if you are with your child 24/7. No one lives in a bubble. And I would not judge the family whose child is ill. You don't know the whole story.

lorist202 · November 2014

By no means am I judging these parents, but I do know a family- through work- who does exactly what I describe. I'm not saying that happened here, just that families like that do, in fact, exist. Like it or not, it happens, and its unfair to everyone.

Secondly, I do not expect to live in a bubble. I have a 3 year old. Enough said... I love our daycare, and being a working mom, but let's face it- daycare is probably the germiest place for an infant to spend so many hours at, at such an early stage in life. Will it be okay? Of course. But I'm not naive to think that the exposure to stuff at daycare vs. outside of the center is all the same. The suggestion of an alternate daycare situation has merit...

Maybe its just good luck, but DS hardly ever catches the colds and illnesses of his classmates, and its been that way since he started at 18 mos. He was not sick a day before going to daycare either.

And yes, I know who the child is. Yesterday, when dropping off DD, the mom was softly telling the teacher about the tests ordered by the pediatrician and possible ramifications/ treatments. Also, I've watched this child have respitory problems since we started, but honestly, I figured for it to go on so long, the baby must have been born with a pulmonary issue.

TheBorg7of9 · November 2014

Jeez, I think you're being a little hard on them. You don't know how sick the baby seemed. And I think going to the doctor weekly is way overkill.

QTee · November 2014

I understand your concern. My first child was in a small home daycare while my second started in a center at 5 months . He was so frequently ill from exposure to all the other kids that after two months I changed our daycare arrangements at the advice of our pediatrician. We hired a part time nanny and also used a very small daycare (4 kids) . My sons health improved immediately. The pediatricians advice was to use daycares as small as possible until 3. However, my son has asthma and is a bit more fragile than average I think !

Anyway, go width your gut , yes you can't protect them forever but a sick infant is very scary! A toddler is much better able to communicate.

With regards to the other baby, who knows..... If it was really that noticeable surprised the daycare didn't insist on a health screening.

MommyAtty · November 2014

The most important part of being a working mom is feeling comfortable with your daycare situation. It isn't for anyone else to judge whether your concerns are valid. If you aren't comfortable, I would recommend looking into a nanny. With two kids, it may be more economical than a center anyway. With that being said, it really could be that this baby was fragile to begin with and so contracted the pertussis as a result of the fragile nature of the baby. This may not be a situation where you need to be concerned about this family not taking care of health issues. And I wouldn't completely abandon working because of this.

vvvvvfee · November 2014

the Tdap vaccine, which includes pertussis, is given at 2 months, 4 months, and 6 months (with boosters at 15-18 months, 4 years, and 6 years). [more info]

if we were talking about a newborn, it would be really worrisome, but shouldn't your LO already have some immunity anyway? plus she's being treated for it.

yes, kids get sick a lot at daycare. but, if they are not in daycare, they'll just pick up all these illnesses when they start to preschool or kindergarten. a child's immune system is not fully mature until they're 6 years old. it's hard to live in a bubble.

mlee116 · November 2014

vvvvvfee said:

the Tdap vaccine, which includes pertussis, is given at 2 months, 4 months, and 6 months (with boosters at 15-18 months, 4 years, and 6 years). [more info]

if we were talking about a newborn, it would be really worrisome, but shouldn't your LO already have some immunity anyway? plus she's being treated for it.

yes, kids get sick a lot at daycare. but, if they are not in daycare, they'll just pick up all these illnesses when they start to preschool or kindergarten. a child's immune system is not fully mature until they're 6 years old. it's hard to live in a bubble.

This. Getting sick while in DC is par for the course IMO. If your child is up to date on immunizations and is being treated, you've done all you can do. I know it sucks to have a sick infant, but it happens. They can just as easily pick up something from the grocery store, church, etc.

And yes, there may some parents that send their child to school sick, but you don't know if that's what happened here.

MickeyM04 · November 2014

I agree with what everyone else has said. You can keep LO out of DC but ESPECIALLY if you have an older child, illness is inevitable. DD got sick before she even started DC because DS was sick every other week. My friend's son got chicken pox, but no one else at DC has had it yet, which means he got it outside of DC. When we had a nanny, DS still got sick a number of times, including the dreaded stomach flu. Quitting your job will not keep your kid healthy, I promise.

And agree about not judging the other kids' parents. Earlier this year, DS had a fever on and off for two weeks. We took him to the doctor every 3-4 days because it kept coming and going, coming and going. Finally, lo and behold the doctor agrees it's probably not a virus anymore, and bam, double ear infection and pneumonia. They checked his ears and lungs every time we went, so about 3 times he was checked in 2 weeks. It didn't become bacterial until the end. I would hate to hear someone judging me for not taking care of my kid when DH, my mom and I took turns staying home with him every day for 2 weeks and I took him to 3 separate doctors' visits.

groovygrl · November 2014

Pretty much what everyone else says. Every kid is different, I have a friend w/ twins the same age as mine who stayed home until they were 4 and those kids were sick all.the.time compared to mine who went to f/t daycare. They're just more prone to it. I can name lots of kids who stayed home w/ a parent and were sick the same amt or more than mine were and lots who were sick less. Yes, kids who are exposed to a lot of other kids regularly will get sick more frequently, but research also shows that kids who go to daycare are sick less often in the elementary years than those who dont so they really are building immunity.

If your child has a health problem where communicable disease is an issue, that is a different story. And as for thinking the parents didnt get a sick baby checked for 2.5 months b/c it was inconvenient, come on. 2 days maybe, but not a whooping type cough for 2.5. months. It is pretty distinct. Just b/c baby had respiratory problems doesn't mean s/he had pertussis the whole time (and if the DC told you anything related to any of that then they are breaking the law). I would suspect the baby has some sort of underlying respiratory issue.

lorist202 · November 2014

I think my point was completely missed here. This was not about judging parents or living in a bubble. It was about taking responsibility for my own personal concern and worry over my infant. While I understand this type of thing is typical for the daycare setting, I'm questioning my own comfort level with it. This is just not a situation that I would shrug off.

emberlee3 · November 2014

No one missed your point. We said we wouldn't quit our jobs. I said I might consider alternative child care. But no one can "talk you off the ledge." You have to decide for yourself. And you added a whole lot of speculation about the other family that was completely irrelevant to your question, so we commented on that, too.

groovygrl · November 2014

The longest part of your post, the second paragraph, was related to your concerns about being in the same room "for the long haul" with a family that you were speculating ignored whooping cough symptoms for 2.5 months. No one missed that.
And by the way, your kid is going to be the one that exposes the other kids to something one of these days...someone has to be first and none of us are immune to that, especially those w/ older kids at home who might be the one to infect their younger sibling who then takes it to school.

You're the only one who can decide about whether you can handle the possibility of increased sickness for the first year and whether you want a center vs another situation. GL.

mommymegan831 · November 2014

I'm not sure what this disease is but you do come off as judgy. I'm not one to bring my children to the dr for every little thing. Usually when I go they're treated for something, but I've had times that I've gone 2 or 3 times before they finally decided what was wrong.

I was home with both of my kids for the 1st 6 months. When I went back to work after dd she went to a sham and was never sick. After ds at 2 1/2 and 6 months, I put them both in daycare, a decent one but due to the location I wanted not the best. They were still never really sick. I think it has more to do with me not being a germaphobe. If a piece of food drops on the floor, they eat it, we go to chuck e cheese and mall play areas, and if they get sick, I don't quit my job. It's worked for us.

emberlee3 · November 2014

mommymegan831 said:

I'm not sure what this disease is but you do come off as judgy. I'm not one to bring my children to the dr for every little thing. Usually when I go they're treated for something, but I've had times that I've gone 2 or 3 times before they finally decided what was wrong. I was home with both of my kids for the 1st 6 months. When I went back to work after dd she went to a sham and was never sick. After ds at 2 1/2 and 6 months, I put them both in daycare, a decent one but due to the location I wanted not the best. They were still never really sick. I think it has more to do with me not being a germaphobe. If a piece of food drops on the floor, they eat it, we go to chuck e cheese and mall play areas, and if they get sick, I don't quit my job. It's worked for us.

FYI, pertussis is whooping cough, not some minor illness. It has been a major public health concern for several years, and there's a pretty large campaign to educate the public about the need for everyone over age 11 to receive Tdap, a new booster vaccine. Immunity wanes for those who were only immunized in childhood.

emberlee3 · November 2014

@theresat858 I agree that there are some responses that seem to brush off the significant health risk of pertussis exposure in a daycare infant room. That is definitely scary, and I would be completely freaking out if if happened to my baby. I would consider alternative child care, such as in-home or nanny. Quitting my job would not occur to me as a potential option, but then, I've never been a SAHM and I'm the breadwinner, so it wouldn't make sense for my family.

Even so, OP's comments about the affected family are pure speculation and come across as judgmental.

groovygrl · November 2014

I'm going to go out on a limb here and also say that there is a chance that your LO being exposed to serious vaccine preventable illnesses could actually be higher in a non center setting (except a nanny in your own home) b/c they are probably not going to have as strict guidelines about immunizations, particularly if you happen to live in an area like outside LA where the vaccination rates are horrific.

djm31012 · November 2014

I am going to assume your child is vaccinated, so to talk you off a ledge I am going to say chances are she is fine and you should focus on that until you are told otherwise. That being said, whether you are crazy or justified in your thinking, you need to be comfortable with your child care in order to be a successful working parent. If you arent, then you need to make other arrangements. Maybe a nanny, maybe quitting your job, whatever works and is the best option for your family. No one knows what that is but you.

I am also going to agree with PP and say that I am sure a lot of people arent up to date on their pertussis vaccine, so the "outside" world could give you just as much as exposure to that particular disease as a daycare. That is something to consider. And please dont judge these other parents, I am sure they are devastated about what their LO is going through and feel bad enough about it. You say you arent judging but you mentioned being with this family for the "long haul." Come on. Thats a ridiculous thing to say. So..I am judging YOU for that comment.

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