To not want contagious children at our house?

[seastargirl]

Family due to come round for Christmas day and there children have both got croup, one in hospital with it last week, the other in hospital last night. We looked at nhs direct which says it's ready contagious.

We've said that we'd rather not have them round for Christmas day as we have a 1 year old and 2 year old, (2 year old was prem and had severe respiratory distress at birth and had been hospitalized with a few chest infections). We offered to do Christmas another day when all healthy.

It's caused a big hoo ha and most the family aren't talking to us because we've ruined Christmas.

I don't think I'm being unreasonable, but just wanted other views.

Well I've been in touch with a friend who works for a charity she's going to come and collect a load of our food and drop it with a family who are struggling this Christmas, so that's a massive roast dinner and buffet for someone who needs it and we'll still have enough to eat for a week.

So now I don't need to feel guilty about wasting food and I'm going to let my kids enjoy a happy healthy Christmas without feeling guilty!

I'm upset at the reaction, but would be far more upset to spend the next week in and out of hospital.

Sounds like a good plan. YANBU I only realised croup was contagious when I had laryngitis and passed it to DD as it presents as croup in children.

I was so angry when a family member visited us recently with their DD who's 4 saying 'she's just getting over croup'. My DS is 5 months and has been in and out of hospital since birth. It's just so selfish and irresponsible.

YANBU

Croup is caused by a virus which in older children & adults almost always only causes a sore throat/ husky voice/cold. But in some young children, particularly toddlers, it causes croup, which is usually relatively mild but occasionally v severe. As you have toddlers & one is vulnerable you are right to keep them away.

So both their children have been hospitalised because their croup has been so bad and they think that you're overreacting by not wanting them to pass it on to your 2 and 1 year old children??! Are they intellectually challenged?

This thread and www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/2533801-To-be-annoyed-Xmas-plans-scuppered-as-DS-ill this thread, are currently running at the same time.

Different responses to essentially a similar problem.

Croup is not infectious in its own right - as its a term that covers a broad church of symptoms caused by various things - (croup is usually caused by a virus but can be bacterial too). I think that the NHS direct thing is misleading because of that. There isn't a croup virus but viruses that are more likely to lead to croup. If you can catch the difference.

Children can therefore catch it from children who do not have croup but a mild cold.

Children need to build up immunity to be protected from croup, which means exposure to viruses.

Its a catch 22.

DS was in hospital with it yesterday. We had a real scare. His cousins are the most likely source. Neither of them had anything more than a mild cold I wouldn't think anything of.

I'm not sure you can, or should, try and protect your kids from everything.

That said I personally wouldn't expose DS to his cousins for a few days just in case they aren't the source because of the severity of his croup (he's back home and a lot better today as mercifully even though it was severe, the nature of croup means it only lasts a few days for the majority of cases). And obviously this is a virus more likely to cause croup than perhaps others.

Not sure there is really a 'right' answer here as a result, but to do what you feel most comfortable with and don't feel guilty about it. You family has provided you with the information, so you have the chance to respond to that in the way that you feel most appropriate which is the key bit here.

Yanbu! They can sod off with their germs! You are within your rights to ask them to stay away with croup...

Croup has been going round nursery since sept. So clearly contagious virus causing it.
Dd finally must have caught it in nov. Started as a mild cough then persistent on off temps (up to nearly 40 deg) now for over a month (gp thought it was uti). Finally a few weeks ago her one ear drum burst very painfully, then following week the other one.
Other dc at the nursery had bronchitis.
Dd2 4-5m was quite wheezy for a few days. But ok as was term not prem.
I was very wheezy at night for several weeks - asthmatic and ive had largynigitis before.
Even dp who is usually fine had a very bad cough for weeks which may have put his back out.
My mum -copd had to take her AB.
So altogether expensive for nhs.
Another dc at nursery ear drum burst the same day.

I would say though that dc pick a lot up when they go to nursery (if yours dont already go)
It may be worth choosing a small one with few kids.
Dd didnt present with obvious croup -3.6yo just the cough so would have been spreading it as seemed fine some days.
(I think largyngitis is what brought on my asthma originally at 7yo.)
It could be when immune system is low as dd had just had hand foot and mouth (and mmr).

YANBU at all!