When to Keep Your Sick Child Home From School

In the hustle and bustle of moving your kids out the door in the morning, it can sometimes be a tough call to send them to school or keep them home sick when they complain about not feeling well. While it is not a good habit to allow them to take a lot of sick days for minor discomforts and complaints, there are certain situations in which they really do need to stay at home. The following list has several cases when it really is necessary to keep your sick children home from school.

Vomiting

Regardless of other symptoms, a child experiencing vomiting should be kept home from school. Keep them home until you are sure that they can stomach a normal diet.

A High Fever

A fever is the body's way of fighting off infection. If your child has a fever of 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, this means that their body is in this process and attempting to become well. You should keep them home from school until they have been free from their fever for at least 24 hours.

"Tummy Trouble"

If your child is going to the bathroom too frequently or if they are severely constipated, they should not be sent to school. Any case of diarrhea with extremely frequent bowel movements is definitely a good reason for them to stay at home. When a child experiences diarrhea that is bloody or diarrhea that comes with vomiting, a fever, or a stomach ache, they should see a doctor as soon as possible. Constipation isn't as serious, but chronic constipation or constipation that is accompanied by fever, vomiting, abdominal swelling, or blood in the stool warrants a visit to the pediatrician.

Certain Rashes

A rash is not necessarily reason enough to keep a child home from school, because many that develop will be harmless, minor cases of irritated skin. However, there are certain red flags that help you to decide if it is time to head to school or time to visit the pediatrician. If the rash appears with other symptoms, like a fever or trouble swallowing, it may be a sign of something serious and should be checked out by a doctor. The same goes for any rash that is itchy or scaly because it may be contagious and put other students at risk.

Severe Cough

Most coughs are not a reason for a sick day. However, when a child is coughing in a way the produces a lot of phlegm, keeping them up at night, or experiences a cough that is accompanied by a fever or difficulty breathing, they should be kept home and have an appointment set up with their pediatrician.

A Doctor Recommends It

When you are really in doubt as to whether or not you should send your child to school, give their doctor a call. Sometime a simple phone consultation will be able to help you to decide, especially with a doctor that is already familiar with your child and their medical history.