Should I Send My Child to School?

No parent wants a child to miss school without good reason. But sending a sick kid to class can make a condition worse and put other children at risk. A child needs to be fever free for 24 hours before returning back to school. The following guidelines can help you make that tough morning call:

DON'T KEEP A CHILD HOME FOR:

• Sniffles, a runny nose and a mild cough without fever. It could be a cold or an allergic response to dust, pollen, chalk, or seasonal changes.
• Vague complaints of aches, pains or fatigue.
• A single episode of diarrhea or vomiting without any other symptoms.

KEEP A CHILD HOME WHEN HE/SHE HAS:

• Any physical or emotional condition that would prevent him from participating in class.
• A fever of 100.4 or more. Coupled with a rash, earache, sour throat, lethargy or nausea, fever may signal a highly contagious infection.
• A persistent, productive cough and wheezing coupled with a thick or constant nasal discharge.
• Persistent vomiting or diarrhea during the precious night.
• An undiagnosed rash, especially when there's fever and behavioral change.
• Pinkeye in which there's a white or yellow discharge, often with matted eyelids after sleep, eye pain, and redness.
  Strep throat/scarlet fever.
• Head lice. Stay home until treated and all nits removed.
• Chicken pox. Stay home five days after onset of blisters, or until all pox are scabbed over and dry.

Sources: American Academy of Pediatrics, Riverside California, Country Department of Public Health, Dr. Alan Kwassman, The Press-Enterprise/Scripps Howard News Service.