Home > Media Center > Patient Newsletter > January 2012 Rochester > Home or School for a Sick Child?

Home or School for a Sick Child?

When it comes to deciding whether to keep a sick child home or not, parents often have to walk a fine line between the availability of childcare, the child’s own disposition and the school’s or child care center’s policies for illnesses. The following are symptoms that may indicate a parent should keep a child home (some also require a call to the pediatrician):

• Cold symptoms: colds spread easily and it's best to keep a child home to avoid transmission. If necessary, a child who has cold symptoms but is feeling well and does not have a fever can go to school.
• Gastrointestinal symptoms such as vomiting or diarrhea: keep the child home to avoid spreading the illness and because it may not be possible for the child to maintain proper hydration to compensate for these symptoms throughout the day at school.
• Conjunctivitis –liquid discharges from the eye: These are usually caused by bacteria so the child should see the doctor before returning to school, unless the discharge is clear and accompanied by cold symptoms.
• Rashes: if a child has a rash that does not look like insect bites, especially if it is accompanied by fever, he or she should be seen by a doctor before returning to school.
• Sore throat, without a fever: If a sore throat is not accompanied by fever and there are cold symptoms present, it is probably viral and the child can attend school if he or she feels well enough.
• Sore throat and fever: Especially if there are no cold symptoms, this can indicate strep throat and it's important to have this tested by the child’s pediatrician.
• Headaches: If a headache is accompanied by sore throat or fever or vomiting, a pediatrician should be called right away and the child should not attend school. Parents should also check with their child's doctor if the headaches are recurring, with or without other symptoms.