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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Do I say something to these parents??

94 replies

Faloola · 22/06/2012 23:04

I'm a childminder, I look after two sisters who are 4 and 1. I have two kids of my own (9 and 13) and I sometimes watch friends kids if needed.

On Tuesday, I was watching my mindees and my friends daughter popped in for an hour. She was having problems with her skin and was due to go to the drs which is near mine so waited with me. She's 14. She played with the babies then went off to her appointment.

Today, my mindees dad dropped off the kids, and the 1 year old had a scab on her stomach and neck. He told me it was nothing serious, they'd been to the drs it wasn't infectious, and gave me the cream to put on it. Fine. But later on, my friend who's daughter had popped round came by, and told me her daughter had had impetigo. I showed her the babys scab and the cream, and she confirmed it was the same cream her daughter had.

So the daughter has given the baby impetigo, at the time I had no idea that's what it was, and wouldn't have let her around the babies if I had. Do I mention this to the parents? They've obviously lied to me regardless of the fact that they know me or my kids or anyone else could be infected.

OP posts:

Bagofholly · 22/06/2012 23:06

Yes. Impetigo is hugely contagious, and they're a million miles out of line not to tell you that she has it.

ThisIsAUsername · 22/06/2012 23:07

Yes. Say something. Completely irresponsible of them, they would have been told exactly what it was and that it is highly infectious. They probably just didn't want to be stuck for a childminder if you had (rightly so) refused to mind their children until it had cleared.

Bagofholly · 22/06/2012 23:08

Shoujd add, I'd carefully check that the parents know its impetigo too. What cream was it? I suppose it's possible for one of them to be diagnosed wrongly.

MeDented · 22/06/2012 23:10

So their children caught impetigo whilst at your house?

Original poster

Faloola · 22/06/2012 23:14

I would assume so yes MeDented, but I had no idea at the time that that's what it was.

OP posts:

BalloonTwister · 22/06/2012 23:14

They didn't take the child to my toddler group today did they?

Say something, it really is very contagious, and can live on toys etc for quite some time.

Original poster

Faloola · 22/06/2012 23:16

I would assume so yes MeDented, but I had no idea at the time that that's what it was.

OP posts:

MsVestibule · 22/06/2012 23:16

What did you say at pick up time?

ReindeerBollocks · 22/06/2012 23:16

When you ask them if the girls have impetigo are you then going to admit that they caught it from your friends 14yo daughter?

Honesty being that important and all.

Esclaffer · 22/06/2012 23:18

Sorry, I'm confused. Whose parents are you wondering what to say to? Your friend, whose daughter gave a baby impetigo, or the child who caught impetigo at your house? And are you angry or going to warn them?

reddaisy · 22/06/2012 23:18

Should you have been showing the baby's medication to a third party? They should not have sent the baby to you with such a contagious condition but you should have been more careful about letting the teenage girl play with the babies imo and the baby wouldn't have caught it in the first place.

twinkletoes12 · 22/06/2012 23:21

I wold have to say something, its not fair. That poor baby is ill now, when it could of been avoided.
I would also fess up and tell the parents.
Eurgh, your going to have to clean everything :(
Don't have either of them back until they are not spreading it about. x

Noqontrol · 22/06/2012 23:23

Yes, mention it to them, and also mention your friends daughter came round with it as well.

Original poster

Faloola · 22/06/2012 23:25

Yes I'd plan on telling them that I think the baby caught impetigo off of a friends daughter, but obviously that would bring up the fact that they've lied.

I didn't know the daughter had impetigo (and neither did she) of course if we'd known she wouldn't have been in my house.

OP posts:

ShullBit · 22/06/2012 23:26

Yes, they are wrong for not telling you the truth (if it even is that. What cream was it?)

But, you really should not of allowed your friends daughter to touch the child until you knew what it was that she had.

5madthings · 22/06/2012 23:26

the cream used to treat impetigo can also be used to treat other infections, so it may not be that the baby has impetigo?
i would say to the babies parents taht you had a friend round who has later discovered her child has impetigo nad you want to let them know as it is contagious and then maybe they will say o'oh yes that is what the baby has'.

you did nothing wrong in letting the teen play with the baby, you werent to know she had impetigo and its a quitea common infection for little ones to pick up, so even if the baby does have it it may not be from the teen.

what does the babise sore bit look like, impetigo has a distinct look, its crusty/yellow scabby type bits and yes it is infectious, when my ds1 had it he wasnt allowed to nursery etc.

reddaisy · 22/06/2012 23:27

But you knew she was going to the doctors about a skin complaint so I would have personally kept them apart anyway. Why take chances?

iceandsliceplease · 22/06/2012 23:30

Are you 100% sure that the baby has impetigo? Is it possible that she has some other condition that can be treated with the same cream that impetigo'd teenager has? If not, then you have to say something, but I think you need to be really sure before you start what could be a very awkward exchange with the parents of your mindees.

kittyandthefontanelles · 22/06/2012 23:31

Who has lied? I'm confused too.

Hebiegebies · 22/06/2012 23:33

Perhaps you should be honest from the start of the next conversation, along the lines of

I'm sorry, but my DD's friend was at my house last week and has since been diagnosed with Impetigo. Please could you double check your children, perhaps the rash your child has is impetigo. I've googled it, it's quite infectious.

Angelico · 22/06/2012 23:38

Sorry OP but I would be really cross if you knowingly let a child with a 'skin problem on way to see doctor' play with my child.

I would certainly come clean and then see what the parents say - the doctor might not have said impetigo, might have just said oh it's a little infection, here's some cream.

Think Hebiegebies above worded it well.

bonkersLFDT20 · 22/06/2012 23:40

Just a gereral question about child minders:
Is it common for other children (not the child minders own) to play with child minders' mindees?

jaydenmummylovesyou · 22/06/2012 23:44

You infected the kiddie you're going to have to deal with the consequences love.

BalloonTwister · 22/06/2012 23:45

Bonkers...you'd be amazed!

DeWe · 23/06/2012 00:07

We've had the same cream that treats impetigo for other conditions. It's only antibiotic cream isn't it?

We've had it for excema which has got infected among other stuff. Dd2 used to get these patches, which did look like impetigo, which was why I took her to the doctor, and I queried whether it was, and the doctor said it wasn't.

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