Sending a 3yo to nursery with chicken pox

kat360

On tuesday morning my lg got up with spots all down the one side of her back, the same day a HV (not my normal one who's on holiday) came to weigh my 6 week old. I showed her the spots and she said they were chicken pox (the third time she's had them). She went on to tell me that I shouldn't keep her home from nursery as "most children need to get it before they are too old"

I haven't sent her but am I the only one who has a problem knowingly infecting other children?

susancs

kat360 wrote: »

On tuesday morning my lg got up with spots all down the one side of her back, the same day a HV (not my normal one who's on holiday) came to weigh my 6 week old. I showed her the spots and she said they were chicken pox (the third time she's had them). She went on to tell me that I shouldn't keep her home from nursery as "most children need to get it before they are too old"

I haven't sent her but am I the only one who has a problem knowingly infecting other children?

The HV was wrong as the Nursery would refuse to admit your child if the spots have not scabbed over and the Nursery has to infrom all Parents that there has been a case of Chicken Pox in the Nursery, that it is infectious and and what the symptoms are. I am surprised at the HVs sugguestion as Chicken Pox can be dangerous if a child has a weakened immune system (e.g. due to steriods used for asthma) and can be harmful to babies when women are in early pregnancy. I agree with you that although Nursery children may well already be infected or have chickenpox (and indeed unknowingly passed it on to your child) that is a different issue to knowingly sending in a contagious child to Nursery.

Here are the NHS guidelines stating that children should be kept at home and away from Nursery or school whilst contagious.
http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Chickenpox/Pages/Prevention.aspx

aliama

susancs wrote: »

The HV was wrong as the Nursery would refuse to admit your child if the spots have not scabbed over and the Nursery has to infrom all Parents that there has been a case of Chicken Pox in the Nursery, that it is infectious and and what the symptoms are. I am surprised at the HVs sugguestion as Chicken Pox can be dangerous if a child has a weakened immune system (e.g. due to steriods used for asthma) and can be harmful to babies when women are in early pregnancy. I agree with you that although Nursery children may well already be infected or have chickenpox (and indeed unknowingly passed it on to your child) that is a different issue to knowingly sending in a contagious child to Nursery.

Here are the NHS guidelines stating that children should be kept at home and away from Nursery or school whilst contagious.
http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Chickenpox/Pages/Prevention.aspx

Agree 100% with this post. What was your HV thinking?

[Deleted User]

So your lg has had the pox 3 times in as many years?

Exposing her to such virus in the past doesn't appear to have helped her much.

Lifeforms

No, no. This has a big impact (as a family we've just discovered) Basically whilst it's an old fashioned sentiment that other kids benefit catching stuff like that early on in life like Pox parties etc, if you knowingly infect other children by sending an infectious child in, you have no way to know about outer circles and immune issues.

Nephew is nursery aged and has just had the chicken pox vaccine due to my Dad (nephews GDad) being Immune compromised due to having had a bone marrow transplant. It's probably been brought up to my brother and SIL that it's a wise move for the kid to have the vaccine, however you wont know if other children are in that situation. As we're visiting in a couple of weeks, luckily we're right on the 21 day cusp after the vaccine; worried moment time. Potentially as we've been told Chicken Pox is a transplant fail for my father, so to find out that health visitors are actively suggesting that is just awful.

bargainfinder1992

As a nursery nurse myself i can say if you sent your child to nursery with chicken pox you will have to keep them at home until they are scabbed over. It's also a good idea to inform the nursery that your child has chicken pox, just so they can be aware that they need to look out for them in the nursery and also to inform other parents of this.

dizziblonde

I worked with kids through last pregnancy - I'd have been livid if someone intentionally sent a child in and put me and my pregnancy at risk (yes it happens accidentally at times - occupational hazard but the intentional aspect of it would have been utterly unacceptable in my mind) and if I found out a health visitor was actually suggesting this... there'd have probably been a small mushroom cloud shaped explosion over my head.

pigpen

It might not be chickenpox. a hv is not qualified to make a diagnosis. Some allergic reactions mimic the spots in appearance.

And if your 3 y/o has got them for the third time I'd be having her immune system checked.

It can be fatal for people with low immunity and for babies if the mum catches them in the first or third trimester. Though fine if the mum has had them already.

Your HV is another example of an idiot.

I sent DS2 to school with them ... in my defence he had about 10 spots on his back and it wasn't until I undressed him I noticed but it was too late. 2 weeks later 11 of the 22 children in his class had them, 4 of my children and my youngest brother... oooops!!

grey_lady

Don't think chicken pox has been fatal to anyone in the UK recently so thanks for the hysterical mis-information postings.

Chicken pox takes time for the spots to appear, so a child can have it for a good week before the spots actually appear.

My LO caught it at nursery, as did every other LO. The GP was insistent that it wasn't Chicken Pox the first week but hand, foot and mouth - which (although highly contagious) children are still allowed to attend school/nursery. Nursery nurse was hinting that sometimes GP's are wrong and low and behold LO came out in full blown chicken pox.

It's like brothers and sisters at nursery they will all get it,

and yes, chicken pox is much less serious to catch as a child than as an adult

Mojisola

grey_lady wrote: »

Chicken pox takes time for the spots to appear, so a child can have it for a good week before the spots actually appear.

My LO caught it at nursery, as did every other LO. The GP was insistent that it wasn't Chicken Pox the first week but hand, foot and mouth - which (although highly contagious) children are still allowed to attend school/nursery.

There's a difference between someone catching an infectious disease from your child before you knew he/she had it and deliberately letting your child mix with others after you know.

Nicki

grey_lady wrote: »

and yes, chicken pox is much less serious to catch as a child than as an adult

All well and good then, if your nursery is a collective run by the children themselves.

Any nursery or playgroup I have ever used however is run by adults, some of whom may be pregnant or have compromised immunity, or live with someone who does. So, yes it is nasty for the adults to be exposed.

For that reason it is hugely irresponsible to continue to expose them to the risk of infection once you know your child has it. Obviously you can do nothing about the risk before the spots came out, but good manners suggests that once you do know, you keep the child at home