HIV in nursery

[worriedperson]

AIBU to worry about this?
The guides I have read all say there is no risk of infection as long as proper hygiene procedures are carried out.
However, the staff, although good in other ways, are not that hygiene-conscious, for example, they send children home in wet pants, having not noticed they have had an accident.
Is there any real risk of catching it?
Also, what if one child bites another?

I wouldn't go into mass hysterics and write to the Daily Mail if my child was bitten. Part of me would think "what if?" Regardless, I'd never gossip or undermine the child or family in any way. Definetely not a knuckledragger

There is not a vaccination for Hep C There are vaccinations for Hep A and B.

So the people who said they would be worried about the risk of HIV - would you also worry about being around me, an adult with a BBV?

If you take sensible precaustions with everybody then no one would have to ever worry.

You can't tell by looking at someone if they have a BBV - thats just nuts and completely judgemental. You should come and see all the diverse people at the clinic I attend - all walks of life.

Miost of the nurses who take my blood don't even bother to wear gloves thus not protecting me from them either...

I think people are being unfair on the OP.

I agree that she is misinformed.

However, her logic itself is not unreasonable.

If the nursery workers are lazy about mopping up wee, then that may extend to universal precautions when dealing with blood - if you were not to count (or indeed, were unaware of)the fragile nature of the virus, then it is a reasonable worry.

If someone is unaware of the transmission stats and the low viral loads in most bodily fluids, then of course I can see how they might worry.

When people mention country of origin, yes I know it doesn't determine who has it, or indeed does not, but it does change the statistical probability.

OP, YANBU to ask, but you would BU to continue to worry after becoming informed.

SanctiMoanyArse is correct.

"Other body fluids, like saliva, sweat or urine, do not contain enough of the virus to infect another person."

I took this information from The Terence Higgins Trust's website

how do any of us know that the children our kids mix with are NOT hiv?

we dont.

there are far bigger risks to your child's health

Was it not Hep C/ Sorry; was many years ago (20) and my memory is cloearlya ddled.

I still would not worry though. really, if you worry about everyhtjing you go mad, quickly and qquietly. I speak with an amount of experience on that (not HIV but two disabled children).

OP can you please clarify whether you are or plan to address the nursery about their hygiene issues?
Do you mean they send them home in a wet pull up, or literally in wet knickers? (with wee presumably running down the insides of their trousers)
Have none of the other parents ever questioned this? Presumably when you pick them up you say "Oh dear you are wet, ahve you had an accident?" What do the staff say when you say this?
If it wasn't for the potentially HIV+ child I'd be asking you to name and shame the nursery!

Oh these threads always encourage the santimonious PC-brigade to show off how intelligent and sophisticated they are. It's always the same: within 50 posts or so the OP will have been accused of being prejudiced, ignorant and a Daily Mail reader and after a 100 posts the OP will be a full-blown racist.

1.The OP name-changed to provide anonymity for the children at this nursery;

1. That this kind of info would be leaked by an employee is entirely plausible;

1. The OP asked a question which clearly isn't as simple and clear-cut as some people claim because it's generated a significant debate on the technicalities e.g. the possibility of blood to blood contact amongst young children.

I don;t see PC as an isult sorry, I am quite happy with who I am and how I think.

However if tehre is debate what that surely shows is that the best advcie is obtained by reading terence higgins websites etc, and not going second hand via MN?

I think the people who have leapt onto the OP and assumed gossip or rumour spreading as the source of the HIV status are fairly guilty of the assumptive chinese whispering style of rumour spreading they are deriding! I don't think the source of the information has been disclosed (which is the OP's perogative and not indicative of any guilt but suggests possibly a desire to maintain confidentiality)

Those suggesting an African baby with a thin mother are even worse.

YOU are the ones with a problem. This was a simple issue over information and asking for support.

I agree with nomedoit that the derision and suggestions that Google or another website is the only source of info is ridiculous.

Parents have conversations and share information and concern - that's all the OP has done. It's anonymous which means it's honest.

Well, maybe I'm going to hell in a handbasket, but I'd be worried about it.

My son has been bitten twice in 3 months by other kids in his nursery. I'm anxious about that, and the potential for physical/emotional scars. Not enough to think about moving him yet, but it has crossed my mind.

If I knew or even thought there was HIV in the mix, I think I'd want to move him out. Even if the risk is minimal, it's still a risk. Since my primary concern is the safety and well-being of my child, it's not a risk I'd feel I would want or need to subject him to.

Sorry to be a pedant but they do not "test all pregnant women for HIV". They do need your permission...

We are not a herd of cattle.

Worrying is understandable,but upon obtaining full correct information that should hopefully put your mind at ease.

Anyone considering moving their child to another nursery upon potential hiv,should be weighing up actual risk.Moving on basis of thinking HIV may be risk,is really cranking up anxiety.Afterall, life is full of risk.Known and unknown.

at the attacks on the OP in this thread.

And at all of the prejudices and people jumping to conclusions.
Hideous.

Some people have given really good advice. Thank goodness for them. I have become more educated re: HIV transmission from your links. Thank you.

sweetsherry - does biting cause emotional scars? different to hitting/pushing over/all the other lovely things toddlers do?

if it does, do you know why?

(DS is in trouble if it does, little sister was a biter and he was more often the target than I was - thank goodness she did AFAIK keep it in the family)

sweetsherry Your son will be at more risk of being injured in a car accident outside the nursery you remove him from than from a child with a blood borne virus inside the nursery

I like that one. I think we probably are a herd of cattle here in the desert, testing for HIV is mandatory for all expats (if they want to carry on living here anyway).

Moo.

Out of interest Sloany how do you know that? - As I only found out I had Hep C when I was tested in pregnancy and I wasn't asked first - the first I knew of it was when the results came back and it was bad news..??

It was 13 yrs ago so things may have changed obviously...

FFS ] stupid thread, stupid OP

Well in both my recent pregnancies my booking in appointments have included consent for blood tests and they take you through what they are testing for

I'm still interested to know how the op came by this information? Care to share?

Ah Stealth - maybe I missed that bit...

I am so glad I read every post here to the end -though it became abundantly obvious that many- sadly but unsurprisingly the bile'n'vitriol brigade- leapt in with there tuppenceworth regardless of whether teh discussion had moved on by that stage. BUT thankfully, towards the end with notable additions by flightattendant and Cloud.. , sense and intelligence was restored.

What I gleaned was:

-The OP apparently raised a serious concern.
-She remained anonymous to avoid outing the nursery.
She never suggested she knew anything about the mother, African, emaciated, nothing. Said she'd never met her.
-There is no suggestion the nursery breached the child's confidentiality. Why the automatic assumption it did? OTHER people gossip too!
-A child being sent home wet is mentioned. That doesn't necessarily equate to disgusting, child-withdrawing standards at the nursery. How do any of us know the DC in purpose didn't wet or soild themselves at the point at which the collecting parent arrives? Or does that explanation get in the way of salacious supposition? ("Why is your child still attending the nursery as they are so disgusting? SHAME on you!" talk).

Finally, if HIV is such a pussy cat of an infection, how come if I get bitten by a patient in a health care setting I am treated as if I have contracted HIV until proven otherwise?

Pregnancy brain! :o

Personally I think it's idle gossip.