Originally Posted By DyGDisney Anyone remember when I asked about taking my daughter out of school the day before our Disneyland trip because of headlice in her class? Well, she didn't get headlice (thank goodness), and we had a great, healthy time at Disneyland. Today a note came home saying a kid in her class has been diagnosed with Scarlett Fever. I'm thinking, it may be too late, but tomorrow is Friday, and it's a three day weekend. By Tuesday anyone who is going to get it will have gotten it, and if she's escaped it, it should be okay. I just am not sure I want to send her to school tomorrow (no Disneyland trip this time though).
Originally Posted By sherrytodd I didn't even know that Scarlett Fever still existed. With current medicine, how bad is it to catch it now?
Originally Posted By CrouchingTigger Augh! What's happening in June at her school? Is it going to rain frogs?
Originally Posted By MomofPrincess I totally hear you! I can't believe how much stuff my kids pick up at school. (And I am *so* careful about never sending them when they're coming down with anything.) I wouldn't hesitate to keep her home if I were you! One time can't hurt, right?
Originally Posted By MomofPrincess >>I didn't even know that Scarlett Fever still existed. With current medicine, how bad is it to catch it now?<< Doesn't it stem from undiagnosed/untreated strep? I have known a few kids who've gotten it. I think, as long as you know it's "out there," you're pretty safe. I mean, first mention of a sore throat, or even a fever or sudden, out-of-nowhere cough (my kids ALWAYS get a cough with strep but never complain of a sore throat!) - you can take them in and get 'em on antibiotics before it can develop into something more serious...
Originally Posted By Disneymom443 Go with your instincts. Moms tend to know what is best without thinking. I hope everything turns out ok.
Originally Posted By DyGDisney <<I wouldn't hesitate to keep her home if I were you! One time can't hurt, right?>> Yea, only she's already missed, I think, 7 days of school this year (kindergarten). One was because of the headlice thing (I kept her home to avoid it a day), and one we were out of town. But the other 5 she was sick. Mostly just colds. But I am also a mom who tends to keep my kid home if they are sick rather then send them.
Originally Posted By CrouchingTigger >>But I am also a mom who tends to keep my kid home if they are sick rather then send them.<< Unlike some other moms, apparently.
Originally Posted By mele We struggle with keeping our daughter home when she's sick. This year she seemed to have a cough that wouldn't go away. It sounded really bad but for the most part, it was just the cold and she felt fine. We did keep her home a few days because her coughing would have been so disruptive. I just hated it though. I don't have any advice for you. Good luck!
Originally Posted By MomofPrincess >>But I am also a mom who tends to keep my kid home if they are sick rather then send them.<< Me, too. And it's a rarity, believe me! Mele, it's different when it's an ongoing cough or something; I mean, you can't keep 'em home for 6 weeks straight! (Lord knows my kids have had them last that long, through 3 rounds of antibiotics, etc.) But it's the parents who send kids who are peaked, listless, and just coming down with something --bad sore throat, horribly yucky nose, cough, pink eye, WHATEVER -- and they dope 'em up on Tylenol to keep the fever at bay and send 'em anyway. BIG PET PEEVE OF MINE. And, btw, I know there are moms out there (single, whatever) who have no choice because it means losing their job, etc. etc... but the ones I *personally* know who do this work alongside me in the federal gov't, they have *tons* of leave, and they have flat out said that they'd rather send them to school/daycare than deal with their whiny butts at home. I have a few choice words for parents like that but I'll stop now before I sound *really* bitter. LOL Anyway, back to DyG, I think keeping her home would be perfectly fine. I am sending lots of healthy vibes her way for the remainder of the school year!
Originally Posted By DyGDisney Thanks MomOfPrincess. A mom told me Monday that her daughter had woke up at 3:00 that morning with a high fever. She gave her Tylenol, and it brought her fever down and she went back to sleep. When she got up that morning she had no fever, so she sent her to school! I also knew another mom who sent her kid who had been up vomiting during the night, but was fine in the morning. She didn't want her to miss any school. Pet peeve of mine too! I just hate to keep my well kid home. At the same time, Scarlett Fever can be very dangerous.
Originally Posted By DyGDisney BTW, the school where my kids go is one of the best schools in town in one of the nicer areas. Go figure. My older one went to a different school for the first three years that didn't have as much money and wasn't in as good an area, and we never had either of these things in HER class. Although I do know headlice went around there.
Originally Posted By MomofPrincess I totally know what you mean. I live in an upper-middle class area, and these, uh, parents I'm talking about are the ones with the six-digit incomes (often PER PARENT), laid back jobs, and more leave than they'll use in a lifetime. Yet they're always sending their kids sick! My kids have had everything from the usual colds & flu to Hand, Foot & Mouth (more times than I can count), scabies, molluscum contagiosum (that's a fun one my daughter has - a rash that can last up to 7 years!), shingles, you name it. It's exhausting, really. And I have worked for the government for 17 years and have exactly 2 hours of sick leave on the books at present time. You can see where I'm going with this. And *UGH* at the moms you described, sending their kids like that!!! NOTHING irritates me more. Nothing. Oh, also -- of course my 6yo daughter gets sad when many of her classmates continually receive the "Perfect Attendance" awards, month after month. These are the same ones who were puking at school, no less. *stepping off of my soapbox now* LOL! I'm glad someone else can empathize. I really am.
Originally Posted By DyGDisney Both my kids got molluscum contagiosum. I took them to the docs and she burned the warts off with liquid nitrogen. She also gave me something to put on them at home using q-tips. It worked well and they were totally gone within a month. Scabies!!! That's really gross. Hope my kids don't get that. Headlice and scabies are just ICK!!! But what I really hate is when my baby (age 5) is burning up with fever and just lifeless.
Originally Posted By Liberty Belle Ew, yuck. My nephew came home from kindy with headlice last week and it just went through everyone! (I haven't actually told anyone about that, but I figure I'm a safe enough distance from you guys for it not to bother you too much). I didn't know scarlet fever was still around, either. That's horrible - I'd definitely be keeping my child home (I understand you hesitate to keep her home, but it's better than having her get significantly sick!) Good luck.
Originally Posted By DlandJB My daughter had scarlet fever when she was little. As it turns out, scarlet fever is nothing more than strep throat with a rash. Antibiotics will clear it up just fine. But if you want to scare your parents or grandparents, tell them "Scarlet Fever" and watch them freak out -- because when they were young it was a much scarier deal.
Originally Posted By Fe Maiden In college, my wife (then girlfriend) got Scarlet Fever. We were surprised to find out it was still around. What next, polio? Both my sons are in daycare. We've been pretty lucky, the school does a good job informing the parents of what might be going around. Ultimately, it's the parents who need to be proactive and let the school know. Our youngest (11months) is in the infant room. We call it the "immune strenghtening facility". When we put our 4 year old into daycare at about 6 months it seemed like he was always sick, mostly head colds, runny noses, coughs, but since his first birthday, I can't remember him getting sick.
Originally Posted By MomofPrincess >>But if you want to scare your parents or grandparents, tell them "Scarlet Fever" and watch them freak out -- because when they were young it was a much scarier deal.<< So true. My mom had rheumatic fever (from strep) as a child and almost died. She had to go to a school for the handicapped after that, her heart was so weak. VERY scary stuff. Thank God for antibiotics and immunizations these days. UGH, we have been fighting the molluscum for over a YEAR now! We went to the dermatologist THREE times ($250 per shot) last year to get the bumps frozen off, but they keep coming back. She still is dealing with it, and has even had them *down there* if you KWIM. Horrible!!! I may go back to the dr and see about that ointment. I am so tired of dealing with her issues (shingles, too). I thought of you last night when I opened her backpack and found a letter from the principal stating that 5th Disease is now going around the school. Aye yi yi..........
Originally Posted By DlandJB Fifths is no big deal for kids -- really only dangerous to pregnant women, but since the most contagious time is before the cheeks go red, there isn't much you can do about it. rheumatic fever is still a toughy because it can leave so many problems for later in life with the heart.
Originally Posted By DyGDisney Okay, I found out about the kid with scarlet fever, and felt it was safe to send my daughter to school. He came down with the symptoms on Sunday, and has been out all week. None of the other kids have gotten it, and would have by now. And, we were on a field trip to the zoo last Friday, so even then my daughter wasn't around him. So, she went to school and I think she will be fine...for now until the next epidemic!!!
