48-hour rule: presumably IANBU to do this?

[cinnamongirl1976]

I'm very fussy about the 48-hour rule (and don't want to start a debate on that...it's been done before etc etc etc).

DD was sick Friday night and yesterday, around 11am. She's fine now. But because I do observe the 48-hour rule (wish everyone else did but that's a different story) she won't go to nursery tomorrow. Or outside the house today.

But presumably it's okay for me to take her to the park tomorrow afternoon, assuming no further episodes and everything is fine (touch wood and so on)? We'd then be more than 48 hours clear; just feels a bit weird as she's technically 'off' nursery!

No matter how strict you are on the 48 hour rule, anything goes after 11am - park, nursery, whatever you like.

In practice I think I'd go by whether she is looking wan and listless, or bouncy and needing to burn off energy.

Assuming no diarrhoea of course...

I'd send her to nursery tomorrow. The 48 hour "rule" is generally misunderstood and misapplied.

I'm guessing its these kind of opinions that led to my resp ward having to install a 72 hour rule instead of 48, because people thinking that that was just misunderstood too until they have to close wards because it spreads through their patients like wildfire

FWIW OP. No. Taking her to the park will be fine. Do be careful if its gastro though - my two both had a dip in the middle euere they appeared to be getting better but wasn't the case and then it went on for a few more days

Hope DD is feeling better real soon

OP you're her parent you know her best.

You'll know tomorrow if your think she's okay to go back to school/nursery.

If not she gets to go on the park. I'm guessing they wont be many others there so regardless of the low risk thing it will be cool for her because she'll have the whole run of the park to herself!

I'm guessing its these kind of opinions that led to my resp ward having to install a 72 hour rule instead of 48, because people thinking that that was just misunderstood too until they have to close wards because it spreads through their patients like wildfire

Not at all. The fact that it is generally misapplied does not mean it isn't SOMETIMES correctly applied. Surely that is obvious?

But some people seem to think there is some kind of society wide rule that you can't take a child anywhere for 48 hours after they have been sick. Which is patently ludicrous. Stating that doesn't mean you don't understand that there are times and situations when varying levels of caution apply.

Can't anyone think for themselves any more, and use logic and common sense?

Thanks to those who have replied helpfully - you're all probably quite right that 46 hours would be fine but I guess they have to have a cut-off somewhere. I do work but I'm self-employed and work from home so I've been working a bit today instead. Appreciate I'm lucky to be able to do this.

DD seems fine today so I'm maybe being overly cautious but I know there are kids at nursery with newborn siblings and so on.

Can't anyone think for themselves any more, and use logic and common sense?

Well obviously some people can't. Otherwise there wouldn't need to be a 48hour rule in the first place.

OP. I'm glad she's fine today. Hopefully she continues to improve and if not a park to herself will no doubt make up for it if she can't go into nursery tomorrow.

One of the reasons I stick to the 48 hour rule very rigidly is that I'm fairly certain that my DD would drop me in it by mentioning when she was sick. I also don't want to be spreading bugs.