Is this nursery being ABU

[Elle80]

My DDs attend nursery 3 days a week they have always been very good when one of them becomes ill; phoning me and administering paracetamol and ibuprofen when necessary. The other day I was taking to a friend who told me her DD's nursery won't administer any medication without it being prescribed by a doctor. AIBU that this really doesn't sit well with me? I work approx. one hour commute from home and if my daughter had a temp of 40 degrees (as happened the other day) surely she would be at risk of fitting without having medication to bring her temp down. If a nursery won't administer this how can this be prevented?

My DDs nursery always phone and ask before giving them any medication so the final say is mine. Am I just not up to date with recent guidelines on medication?

First off; of course I wouldn't send my child to nursery if they woke up with a fever! But sometimes children can develop them during the day! Also I think I explained that I have to commute about an hour to work, so any fever would be well established before I get there.

Anyway I am very happy with the medication policy at my children's nursery. I was mainly asking about my friends DD's nursery and if this was becoming more common practice. Personally I feel that it is unreasonable for a child to be in unnecessary pain or even danger because they won't administer medication. I also think it is a waste of the doctors time and resources to be prescribing basic medications such as paracetamol and ibuprofen

There could be a situation where something starts at nursery though - a child might have been fine in the morning so you take them in but then they start to get a fever. In that situation I'd want them to administer a dose of Calpol while I was on my way to pick up my DD, rather than waiting until I'm there.

Calpol is also used for pain so in the example of the poster whose son had broken his wrist, a dose of paracetamol would have eased the pain enough for him to get through the day and he wasn't "ill" so could still be there.

Rubbish 'febrile convulsions are not serious' ....this is not true at all.

I'm afraid you have to look at this from the nursery/school point of view - as other posters have said they are not places designed for sick children. Obviously they can give out prescribed medication as appropriate but this will involve keeping the medication in a locked safe space (at the correct temperature) and administering to the correct child in the correct dose as per the instructions on the label to ensure no overdose etc. Giving paracetamol to a child without prescription means the teacher/nursery manager is making a medical decision which they are not legally qualified to make. Sound silly but you have already had posters on here "livid" because their child was given paracetamol fewer and fewer schools and nurseries are willing to take the risk.
Do you have an emergency contact within an hour? I know it a pain but there are occasions when someone needs to get there quick. Most school's no longer have space for a "sick room" which often leave poor children vomiting in buckets next to the school admit team while waiting to go home.

I have been told by doctors not to give calpol purely to reduce temp, even at 40C, if the child appears not to be in discomfort. That the fever itself is not harmful. Calpol should be given to reduce pain and discomfort caused by illness and fever.

I think the point the OP is making rubbish is that she works over an hour away so she'd like paracetamol to be given while she makes her way there as the child could have a fit.

I know what her point is. Paracetamol can take up to an hour to work so it's not something I would be desperate for them to give my child as I made my way there, just for the purposes of reducing fever. I would be there with my child soon anyway.

And paracetamol doesn't reduce the chances of a febrile convulsion, according to the NHS.

And this from patient.info

"Although alarming, a febrile seizure in itself is not usually dangerous. Full recovery is usual. Most illnesses which cause high temperature (fever) and febrile convulsions are the common coughs, colds and viral infections which are not usually serious."

Do previous posters have other information that contradicts these sources?

I'm not saying I wouldn't care if my DC had a febrile seizure as it would be upsetting for them and me. I'm saying I wouldn't be complaining that the nursery wouldn't give my DC Calpol when she had a 40C temp in order to prevent a seizure (which it wouldn't anyway), for the various reasons I've mentioned.

I don't doubt that they did Drop, but that was after a seizure. It may be different for treatment of a seizure.

But the current NHS and NICE guidance is not to give antipyretics purely for preventing a seizure because they don't prevent febrile convulsions. If children have symptoms other than a fever, then it is fine to give it.

Telling people they should have an emergency contact available within an hour isn't helpful. We've never had anyone else to call upon

The nursery DS2 goes to will only administer prescribed medication. If it's something like antibiotics, the child has to stay out of nursery for the first 48 hours of the medicine course.

One of the reasons they gave for not administering Calpol if a child got feverish was that they couldn't know how much Calpol the child had been given before arriving at nursery (and even if they waited till the child had been there 4 hours, there's no guarantee the child hadn't had more than 4 doses in the previous 24 hours). Seems they've come across some parents who will dose an unwell child up with Calpol so they seem ok for a bit and then drop them off at nursery.

No medication for high temps at my nursery, they would give it for U2s for obvious teething only. Otherwise you had to collect your child.

It also becomes pretty obvious when parents have dosed their kids and sent to nursery anyway because it wears off around lunch time and their temp spikes again.

If a child develops a high fever whilst in my setting we use other methods to try and cool them whilst waiting for parents. Remove a layer of clothing and bath skin with tepid water.
We only give prescription medicines. Ongoing health conditions would require a care plan and any medication needed as part of that must be prescribed. Giving someone else child medicine is a big deal in my opinion. We need to be sure the medication is suitable, not allergic to it and that the dose and timings are safe. Plus if we started administration of calpol I think more parents would send in poorly children knowing we can just dose them up.
My children's schools are the same, prescription only with the exception of residential trips where they would call first. Sometimes, if it's just a headache or pain from a sprain they will let you pop in and give them some painkillers.

All the nurseries I visited had exactly the same policy, they would not give medication unless it was prescribed.

This was why I chose a nursery near to work, rather than home.

You should not bathe in tepid water to reduce a temperature, this is very outdated advice and could make the child worse

Our school will only administer regular medication. Not anti biotics or calpol..Reason for change someone was given wrong dose of medication complained to H&S and then school was told they would no longer would be insured if they gave wrong medication so therefore be careful what you wish for.

No glenthebattleostrich, it doesn't. You CAN administer unprescribed medication WITH written consent providing that it doesn't contain aspirin.

My dd's nursery will give her calpol if she needs it, they just phone and ask me first.

Febrile convulsions happen if their temperature rises too quickly for their bodies to cope with: my dd2 had one when her temp went from 38 (already high) to 41 within 10 minutes.

Anyway, I really wouldn't worry about your friend's nursery policy.

Our dds' school will administer antibiotics if they are on a four times daily dosage. They won't administer calpol but you're at liberty to go in at lunchtime to give it to them. I did once when dd was at the tail end of an ear infection: a little discomfort still but definitely well enough to be in school.

I'm a childminder and with parental consent I can administer medicine. There is certainly no Ofsted rule preventing children being given medicine.
I've also witnessed medics battling to save the life of a child having a severe febrile convulsion.

Our nursery only gives calpol if it's been prescribed and even then only for teething, not a temperature, as if they have a fever they shouldn't be in nursery. It's frustrating that DS would have to wait on me getting there if he became unwell but I understand their reasoning and it seems common across nurseries now.

Interesting to hear tepid water is now not recommended as this was taught on my last pediatric first Aid. What is the best advice now if no medicine is available?

We were told by our Paediatrician water that is about one degree colder than the actual body temperature. If you make the body too cold too quickly then it tries to heat more to compensate.

The advice at the paediatric first aid course that I did last year was to remove any top layers of clothing so they're only wearing a vest. To be honest, the only time my daughter's temperature sky rocketed I gave her Calpol immediately (I didn't know that was no longer the advice) but even knowing I'd probably do the same in a similar situation again - it's not like she has Calpol very regularly and I'd rather give it on the off chance it could help even marginally. I understand why a nursery might not though - they wouldn't know the frequency that a child is given Calpol at home.