Chicken pox etiquette

sarahd

Wed, Jan 27 2010, 4:01 pm

My five year old son has chicken pox (as do seven other kids in his class.) While I wouldn't dream of exposing him to other children besides my own, I am not quite sure what to do with his younger brother. Am I allowed to send him to playgroup tomorrow, or is that horribly selfish and inconsiderate?

DefyGravity

Wed, Jan 27 2010, 4:03 pm

Definitely not. Aren't people usually contagious before the spots appear?

micki

Wed, Jan 27 2010, 4:08 pm

ask your school what they want.
I know my SIL kids were exposed to mine who had chicken pox.
they ended up staying home from school for TWO WEEKS after they were last exposed. and they never got chicken pox.
but there is a girl in their school who is immune compromised, so that made sense.
in a school where most kids are immunized, and those that are not prob. want chicken pox, I don't see a problem sending them.

sarahd

Wed, Jan 27 2010, 4:09 pm

The incubation period is two weeks, and the child is contagious for three days before spots appear. So my son could
a) already be contagious and will break out soon
b) already have been contagious yesterday when he was also at playgroup
c) become contagious at any time in the next two weeks (do I keep him home for the next two weeks?)
d) never come down the chicken pox at all or even
e) catch it in three weeks from other playgroup kids who have brothers in my son's class

sarahd

Wed, Jan 27 2010, 4:13 pm

The above was in response to Defy.

micki, I don't know of any immune-compromised children in the playgroup. I can't imagine keeping him home for two weeks (especially since most of the kids have siblings in the same cheder as my son and have probably been exposed - or is that just my wishful thinking?)

I guess I should call his teacher; didn't think of that.

Love My Babes

Wed, Jan 27 2010, 4:43 pm

I would ask the dr what he thinks, not just the teacher. I wonder if drs feel that kids who may exposed should stay home. that has to be tough to have 2 kids home especially when one is sick and the other isnt.

micki

Wed, Jan 27 2010, 4:53 pm

here you are not allowed in school if you HAVE the chickn pox.

no you could take this also to the mumps area- kids who have siblings with mumps are not kept home from shcool. only those who actually had mumps.

in a way I would not even talk to the teacher, practically you are not going to keep a healthy chiild at home for 2 weeks! by talking, you are inviting trouble.
just send him. and play dumb if they say why is your kid in school.
important though to know if there are any immuno compromised kids.

sarahd

Wed, Jan 27 2010, 5:50 pm

I just made this cheshbon: Chicken pox (cp) is contagious three days before the pox actually come out and it incubates for two weeks. If ds2 caught cp from ds1, it happened in the past three days and he won't be contagious for at least another 8 days. So I can send him this week and next with a clear conscience. After that, we'll see how many kids in the playgroup will already have caught it from their siblings...

Raisin

Wed, Jan 27 2010, 5:50 pm

when my kids had chicken pox only the oldest was in kindergarten, and I kept them away from people till they all got it. It was a few weeks till they all had it and quite inconvenient. If they all would have been in school I guess iw ould have asked the school what the policy is - if 7 other kids have chicken pox I'm sure other people are asking them.

sarahd

Wed, Jan 27 2010, 5:53 pm

Ds2 is in a home playgroup, not in a school. Ds1 is of course not going to school while he has cp.

As I said, I think I'm going to send ds2 to playgroup. Now my problem is how to get him there while ds1 is home sick. LOL

RachelEve14

Thu, Jan 28 2010, 8:36 am

When we have chicken pox last year I sent everyone until they came down with it. The incubation is anyway from 7 - 21 days and I learned they are only contagious for a day before. I'm not going to keep a healthy child home for 3 weeks in case they might get sick.

Marion

Thu, Jan 28 2010, 8:43 am

My paediatrician also told me from a day before the spots appear for up to 3 weeks. Let me tell you, when my kids were exposed I prayed really hard they hadn't caught it! (For the record, I DO want them to get it, but the timing was horrific. Next time I'll be one of those parents running to the "chicken pox party".)

I don't think anyone reasonably expects you to keep home a child who might have been exposed to chicken pox. If they did, they may as well shut both the cheder & the playgroup.

Isramom8

Thu, Jan 28 2010, 8:44 am

I really don't know a solution for an immunocompromised child. Crying

But it isn't having sibs of sick kids stay home for two weeks when they are healthy.