About chicken pox and creche.

[foreverondiet]

DS2 had chicken pox. By Saturday/Sunday they were all crusted over. I called my gym and asked about him going to the creche and was told the policy was it was fine once all crusted over. I said that just to be sure I'd wait until Friday so almost a whole week after they'd crusted over.

By today most of scabs have fallen off, but he had it very very badly so left with loads of scars and still has some (a few) scabs. And as he had eczema the eczema is worse where he had it.

The creche worker says you can't leave him as some haven't crusted over. I said no, they have all crusted over, just what's left are the scars after the scabs have fallen off.

The official policy says its fine once they are crusted over. They were saying what if a baby gets it from him, and I said, well thats not possible as its a whole week since the spots were crusted over.

Stalemale. It was all very awkward. I was signed up to do a gym event that I didn't want to miss. I'd booked the creche AND discussed it on the phone (ie that he had chicken pox) when I booked. Anyway I made a fuss and they came to a compromise which was that one of the creche workers went for a walk with him.

It makes me v annoyed though as he would have actually been infectious the day before the spots came, whereas he's been fine now for a week. Plus does that mean he can't go until the scars heal - could take several weeks (or longer . Surely if they have a policy (ie until crusted) that is the policy?

They are being ridiculous.

go to your gp, and get a letter stating his cp are crusted over. i had to do this once for ds, he'd been bitten and had 5 blisters. nursery wouldn't take him for fear of it being cp (it wasn't, he had cp when he was 7 weeks old very badly, he had red scars where the worst ones were for about 6 months after), i went and saw the nurse and she gave me a note confirming insect bites, not cp etc. worth a try.

They are being over cautious, but they are just doing their job. And it was very good of them to take your ds out for a walk.

The problem was probably that the nursery worker is not a doctor, maybe not even a parent, and therefore can't be sure that the spots have all healed over. It's hard to say without knowing what it looked like. But I can understand tham having to be very careful, I'm sure we have all heard stories of Mothers that aren't so cautious and would rather leave their child in creche even if they were infectious.

I should think the creche need to be very careful. I know someone did not alter anything she did whilst her DC had chicken pox (apart from the fact that she made sure clothing hid all the spots). People can be extremely dishonest (not suggesting that you are!) but I know this particular person and she does not give a damn about anyone else's kids.

YANBU though, you phoned and checked that it was OK, so it shoudl have been.

lucykate if it was a nursery while I was at work I'd take him to the GP. As its just the creche at the gym not really worth the hassle.

bubblecoral I understand that they were being cautious. But if they want to be cautious (and he has now been crusted over for almost a week) then the policy should be "until all scabs have fallen off and healed up" rather than "until all crusted over" there is a 2-3 week difference. Besides I was already super cautious by waiting another 5 days after they'd all crusted.

They are being cautious because they may not know if you are telling the truth on how long he had had it! I am sure there are some people out there who would lie.

I had the same as lucykate. We had returned from holiday the day before term started. DS was covered in mozzie bites (we had been to centerparcs in holland and our cottage backed onto a small river) Unfortunately he also has an allergy to insect bites and they were really itchy.
I got a phone call from the school saying they thought he had chicken pox (he was well and truely covered with them) Thankfully they believed me and I didn't have to get a letter

YANBU but it does sound like they're being cautious, maybe too much though. It doesn't surprise me tbh as I've known of a few people to freak out about Chicken Pox.

My nephew had it earlier in the year, quite badly and ended up being off school for 2 full weeks while ill and then another 7 days as the school wouldn't allow him back once he was better and every single spot had crusted over as he's little sister caught it the minute he was well. She's 2 so doesn't even attend the school, a neighbour was willing to have her when my sister was dropping off or picking up my nephew but apparently DNephew "might be carrying the infection DNiece has" Surely a school would know how things like CP work? I'm pretty sure thescenario they were painting was bollocks unlikely to happen.

Now I know they are being unreasonable - because my friend who is a consultant paediatrician happened to be in pool when we went back for DD's and DS1's lesson. He said that they were being far too over cautious and they tried to stop DS1 getting into pool because of CP - had to argue with them pointing out that his scabs all long gone (2 weeks ago) so they are looking at scars that might last several months. They are saying now that a letter from GP will not help, its not as he's infectious but for hygeine as a scab could fall in whilst in creche.

My dd still has a couple of scars and she had CP over a year ago now .

saffy did I read that right? They wouldn't let him back to school after he had recovered from CP because his sister had CP by then? Also his sister wasn't going to have been on the school run. I am very strict about CP isolation as I have seen the possible dire consequences but that is the daftest thing I have ever heard. I hope your sister complained to the school.

Ok, now they are saying he can't come until every single last scab is off and totally healed. I know its just the gym so not as if I have to go, but it really annoys me, as he has scabs on his scalp that will be there for several more weeks (because of the hair) I would think unless I rubbed them off.

Its now 2 weeks since he got it and have been no more new spots for 10+ days.

They can't seem to tell me why - first it was because he might infect the other children, then I offered to get letter from GP then they said its hygeine.

maybe they are just being cautious,my middle daughter had a second outbreak just as her scabs started to heal.she ended up having almost a month off school.