To send DS to school on Monday after he just vommed?

[MarmaladeShatkins]

I expect I'll get flamed but hear me out, first...

DS just puked up, big time. Thing is, he's perfectly fine now. He said he had tummy ache, lay down looking peaky for half an hour, chucked, now he's fine. I suspect it may have been too much to eat earlier in the day combined with cycling in the park in the sun. I'm pretty much certain that there's no bug involved.

I am SO reluctant to keep him off on Monday, even though school has a 48 hour rule. DS's attendance went down to 98% by the end of last term, as he had a week off sick with D&V after the May half term, then another 4 days off with a weird bug where he lost his appetite/slept all day. The school sent me a note home with him on the last day of last term saying they were monitoring his attendance and they'd consider contacting the relevant authorities if his attendance was low again.

So what do I do? It's early in the new term to keep him off a day for no real reason and I am paranoid about the school. Stupid arses, what do they want; us to keep sick children home or send them in so they don't balls up their OFSTED report?

I'm pretty sure I'm sending him in, if he doesn't throw up again/show any signs of illness. AIBU?

Also, there is no-one with a compromised immune system at DS's school AFAIK.

I don't know, catsofa. I think that bugs pass during incubation a lot of the time, don't they? i.e before you even know you're actually sick. Hence why chickenpox spreads like wildfire.

I have never heard of a d&v bug that involves a single vomit, no diarrhoea and no further vomit for 24h+.
If any if us had a d&v bug I would follow the 48h rule but I do not believe that one single isolated vomit, with probable cause (over indulgence, car travel, over excitement, iffy food, too much sun) indicates a bug.

D&v involves more than one event. (3 weeks in American once....). I'd see how he is tomorrow. If eating normally, acting normally an no d& v (anything including loose poo) I'd send him in. Anything I'd keep him off. Waiting game op. Also wipe light switches, door handles and telephones with anti bacteria wipes now...

See how he goes tomorrow. Dh and I have both had d&v this week, over and done with in six hours though, felt like shite for 36 hours afterwards.

Ds school tried the 24 hr rule, that went so well it wasn't until the Easter holiday from January that the vicious circle of d&v gong ground and round stopped. That was hideous! School now though give you the nth degree treatment when you call your child in sick and make you feel like a criminal!

Sorry meant loose poo I'd keep him off...just keep eye on him.

Oh god I had forgotten about chicken pox etc. Do things like that tend to go round more than usual in the first few weeks back at school too? Eek.

For reasons I won't go into it would be an absolute disaster if I lost this pregnancy - I would probably never be able to try again - so I'm inclined to take zero avoidable chances.

Seeing midwife Tuesday so I'll ask advice there.

IME, chickenpox usually goes round in the early spring. It has always come back to our school around that time. That is just my experience and I'm sure it varies.

See what your midwife says, catsofa. I worked closely with the public during my pregnancy and I don't remember being advised anything at all.

No, zzzzz. That's what I meant by no-one with compromised immunity.

If he doesn't get sick again and he doesn't get the squitts (can't spell diorahhea? and google isn't helping) then I'd send him.

The 48hr rule only applies to stomach bugs doesn't it?

One vomit does not a stomach bug make, especially when they seem as right as rain afterwards.

Dd sometimes does a solitary upchuck, over eating/ over excited/ laughing too much once. I always send her.

More than one vomit or vomit with diarrhoea, or temperature or obviously ill child, then keep off.

It's a small school. Whenever there's been a reason to be particularly vigilant over sending in sick children i.e pregnant staff/ a parent undergoing chemo', we've been informed.

I don't get why you're angry over it. We come into contact with people with bugs all the time. Unless you live in a bubble. And DS doesn't have a bug. I am certain of it.

"More than one vomit or vomit with diarrhoea, or temperature or obviously ill child, then keep off."

That's how I work it.

He's breakdancing and eating crisps now so I am confident in my assessment!

I would send him in providing he doesn't have the d of d&v.

People and children in particular can have volatile stomachs and vomit for many many different reasons (my husband does every couple of days while cleaning teeth, gag reflex)

However diarrhea is nearly always a bug (excepting food intolerances)

So if just one occasion of vomiting i would be convinced after over 36 hours later it was not a bug, and therefore no risk to anyone else.

I had 5 sets of parents, yes 5, try and send their children back to nursery early after a single vomit incident, all in the same week. They each came up with a different reason e.g. Reflux, drinking a glass of milk too quickly, eating too late at night, eating then jumping ona trampoline etc. We refused to have the children back in nursery until 48 hours after the incident. 5 children with the same single vomitting incident in the same week simply can't have been a coincidence in my opinion and is far morer likely to have been a bug.

No, no squits as yet.

Ds just seems to puke a lot, especially if he's over-eaten/got hot. I'd usually play it very safe and keep him off but the school have put me in a position.

Im a primary school teacher and have been told to use common sense - ie usual rule on vomiting is 48 hours but if a child has been sick once and the parent knows there was a reason such as excitement or overindulgence then we are fine to have them in school. Hth x

Then I wouldn't give it another thought, if he's otherwise ok.

My DS(15) threw up last week and I thought 'Oh here we go, the dreaded stomach bug'. I worried about him all night but he never threw up again.

Then he remembered the next day that he'd drank a thick Yazoo milkshake about half an hour before drinking a can of Tango

I'd send him in if you're sure it was just over indulgence and he's not sick again.

I know my twins used to puke after parties - too much crap, fizzy drinks and jumping around. Guaranteed after a party one or both of them would throw up. I've sent them to school even though it hasn't been 24 hours (their school rules) because I know them well enough to know it wasn't a bug that made them sick.

Thanks, folks! That's helpful. I was expecting a barrage of YABUs but I think that common sense has prevailed.

Sorry I would keep to the 48hr rule & am also irritated by patents who insist on sending their sick children to school. If the school tried to say attendance was poor as a result of this rule however, I would absolutely stand my ground with them.
FWIW....I take immune suppressants & am certain the school knows nothing about this, nor would I want them to.

Yeah, but, he isn't sick...

To be fair - DD was once sent home with a runny tummy which was absolutely caused by the dried apricots in her packed lunch...I explained this to the teacher who would not bend the rules. I asked if they were happy to allow my perfectly well child to miss two days of school, and they would not budge. Frustrating, but I do understand. (Shrugs)