100 degrees rectal temp with cough - When to keep a kid home from school? Says she wants to go

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:(Get an under-the-arm thermometer.)

Why is everyone so hung up on the OP taking a rectal temp? It is a way to get an accurate temp. Most young kids cannot keep a thermometer in well and under arm is not as accurate.

We have an ear thermometer, but sometimes I do a double check with a rectal with my two year old.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:(Get an under-the-arm thermometer.)

Why is everyone so hung up on the OP taking a rectal temp? It is a way to get an accurate temp. Most young kids cannot keep a thermometer in well and under arm is not as accurate.

We have an ear thermometer, but sometimes I do a double check with a rectal with my two year old.

I'm not hung up on it; that's why I put it in parenthesis, as in, 'here's an aside -- there are underarm thermometers). Seriously, I had no idea anyone took rectal temperatures anymore. Seems archaic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not sending a child to school in sick cases does not depend on whether or not she wants to go. It depends on what she might have and whether she's contagious or not. Fever is usually a good sign to indicate something is contagious, so, as long as she has a fever, she shouldn't go. Whenever she is fever-free (with no medication) for 24 hours, she can go back, unless she is not acting like herself, in which case she probably wouldn't want to go anyway.

NP here.

As I understand OP, the child didn't have a fever, defined as over 100.4. It was only 100.0 which is technically NOT a fever.

She did have a cough. In such a case, I'd make part of my decision based on whether the child felt sick. I would keep a child home with just a cough if she said, "Mom, I really don't feel good" (and didn't have a history of wanting to stay home from school.)

If I were in OP's shoes, and the child felt well enough to attend school, I'd send her with the understanding that her cough might get worse or her temperature might rise, and I'd be prepared to come pick her up midday if need be.

[Anonymous]

...and risk that other children catch the same virus. Great.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not sending a child to school in sick cases does not depend on whether or not she wants to go. It depends on what she might have and whether she's contagious or not. Fever is usually a good sign to indicate something is contagious, so, as long as she has a fever, she shouldn't go. Whenever she is fever-free (with no medication) for 24 hours, she can go back, unless she is not acting like herself, in which case she probably wouldn't want to go anyway.

NP here.

As I understand OP, the child didn't have a fever, defined as over 100.4. It was only 100.0 which is technically NOT a fever.

She did have a cough. In such a case, I'd make part of my decision based on whether the child felt sick. I would keep a child home with just a cough if she said, "Mom, I really don't feel good" (and didn't have a history of wanting to stay home from school.)

If I were in OP's shoes, and the child felt well enough to attend school, I'd send her with the understanding that her cough might get worse or her temperature might rise, and I'd be prepared to come pick her up midday if need be.

You're the parent that is the bane of my existence at daycare. The kid is obviously fighting off something. KEEP HER HOME!!!

[Anonymous]

Home. Home. Home. Home. Home.

If you are going to let your child be the judge of everything they think they can do, it will be a long a tortured life.

Do all the families a fever and keep her home. She is not learning algebra today....

[Anonymous]

No kidding. That's irresponsible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Home. Home. Home. Home. Home.

If you are going to let your child be the judge of everything they think they can do, it will be a long a tortured life.

Do all the families a fever and keep her home. She is not learning algebra today....

Jesus, I cannot write for shit this AM.

AND tortured life.

and do the families a FAVOR.

God, maybe I should stay home today.

But seriously, do not send your kid. It is irresponsible and unfair.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not sending a child to school in sick cases does not depend on whether or not she wants to go. It depends on what she might have and whether she's contagious or not. Fever is usually a good sign to indicate something is contagious, so, as long as she has a fever, she shouldn't go. Whenever she is fever-free (with no medication) for 24 hours, she can go back, unless she is not acting like herself, in which case she probably wouldn't want to go anyway.

NP here.

As I understand OP, the child didn't have a fever, defined as over 100.4. It was only 100.0 which is technically NOT a fever.

She did have a cough. In such a case, I'd make part of my decision based on whether the child felt sick. I would keep a child home with just a cough if she said, "Mom, I really don't feel good" (and didn't have a history of wanting to stay home from school.)

If I were in OP's shoes, and the child felt well enough to attend school, I'd send her with the understanding that her cough might get worse or her temperature might rise, and I'd be prepared to come pick her up midday if need be.

And what about the other kids and their pregnant moms and young siblings???

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:100 technically isn't a fever, has to be 100.5. But if it is already that high in the AM, it is almost certainly going to creep up there during the day. In my book, a fever = stay at home.

yep. ditto.

[Anonymous]

Did you end up keeping her home?

I recently kept my kids home because of the same symptoms and sure enough their temps rose throughout the day even on tylenol. They did get over it quickly though if that makes you feel any better. They started the cough/running nose on friday and got worse then better through the weekend. By monday we sent the 3.5yo back because her temp was only slight over the weekend and went away rather quickly. I kept the 7 month old home on Monday only because his fever hadn't been gone for 24 hours without meds by then. Tuesday he was good to go.

I'm fairly sure they caught it from another kid at their home daycare so it's best to keep them home.

[Anonymous]

Our preschool now says with fever (of 100) and respitory symptoms KEEP THEM HOME.

[Anonymous]

See, there's a thing out there called swine flu, otherwise known as H1N1 or the oinks. It starts with a COUGH. please keep your kid home.

[Anonymous]

Rectal temperatures run higher than oral. A rectal temp of 100 is more like an oral temp of 99. I wouldn't call that a fever, certainly not in my own child, whose normal temperature, orally, is 99.5 in the mornings. I am sure that if I took her temp rectally she'd be over 100, every morning of her life.

Now an underarm temp of 100 is more like an oral temp of 101. That I WOULD call a fever.

Yes, certainly we have swine flu going around, butt here are a lot of other colds and viruses going around too. My daughter had an oral temp of 100 just two days ago, and a little cough and some sniffles, but it didn't develop into anything that afternoon, or the day after -- she's fine. You can't keep kids home for everything. If they have a clear fever, if they are feeling sick, keep them home.

[Anonymous]

comparison of temp range for oral, underarm, ear and rectal temps

http://www.revolutionhealth.com/articles/rectal-ear-oral-and-axillary-temperature-comparison/tw9223