To be really cross that a parent sent their child to school knowing they have slap cheek

[tryingtobemarypoppins]

but not know that I, there class teacher, is pregnant.....

[HappyMummyOfOne]

Slapped cheek is currently going around our school, we had a note home to say its only contagious before the rash appears so unless the child appears unwell you have no way of knowing they are getting it.

The school said that the nurse had advised as long as the child was not unwell that they could attend school with the rash as its no longer contagious at that point.

Junglist, your comment was a little off. The child is fine to attend school so why shouldnt they?

[MissSunny]

Message withdrawn

[quirkychick]

Good luck with your test and congratulations on your pregnancy. If you teach you've probably come into contact with it already. I had slap cheek go round my class with 1st pg but I was into 2nd trimester and was fine. I also remember having an argument with a parent who brought a child with d&v back the next day, she later apologised. I am currently 10wks pg and have a dd with chickenpox luckily I'm fine.

[Madmentalbint]

Fingers crossed for you.

Some people are just inconsiderate. A mum at school asked me to look after her DD for a while. When I dropped her home I told her mum that she'd been coughing alot. Her mum said "oh yes, she's really not well, had a raging temperature all night!"

Thanks then!

[junglist1]

What's wrong with these people? It stinks of not being bothered to look after their sick children to me.

[tryingtobemarypoppins]

Thanks again everyone. I am only 8 weeks so I guess that puts me at slightly more risk of misscarrying (3% I think I read). Blood test tomorrow so fingers crossed.

I was going to phone school tomorrow and see if we have had anymore cases, if not I may as well go into work as I either have it anyway or hopefully have immunity.

[Toffeepopple]

TryingtobeMaryPoppins, forgot to say that I hope all is well...

[GentlyDidIt]

Hi tryingtobeMaryPoppins, my DD had slapped cheek when I was just turning 20 weeks pg. I had all the tests as a precaution but every medical advisor I met reassured me that after 20 weeks the risks are minute.

I didn't catch it anyway, which was just as well as tests showed I had no natural immunity. DD showed no signs of illness besides appearing at the breakfast table one morning with the rash, by which point it was all over anyway.

Good luck!

[Toffeepopple]

My DS had this a couple of weeks ago. He was never poorly and so we didn't realise until his cheeks were red. I didn't put him in the class line though, I went in to the school nurse and got her to check whether it was OK for him to go to school.

DD also had a weird rash lately but was fine in herself, and I called the GP and got the chemist to check before she went to playgroup.

I think parents should check their kids are OK to be in school, and shouldn't send them if poorly, but that a slapped cheek rash is OK.

[Icantbelieveitsnotbitter]

I caught this at 7-8 weeks pregnant. Results take up to 3 weeks as it's not a 'normal' blood test and usually gets sent off to a special lab for testing. Supposedly most of the population are immune following infection as children - especially common as, like everyone has said, you are contagious for up to 21 days before the rash appears (although this 21 day timescale can be up to 42 days or as little as 14 depending on the source of your information).

I had fortnightly scans and appointments with a fetal specialist until week 17 when they decided that baby hadn't been affected and would probably be OK now.

My DS (4) had it just after me and apart from the red cheeks his main symptom was grumpiness !

Hope everything is OK for you xxx

[Rhubarb]

My dcs have had this. It's right to say that once the rash is evident, it is no longer contagious. And it can a week for the rash to go.

Unfortunately a lot of parents don't realise their kids have had slapped cheek until the rash comes out, because the symptoms can be so mild.

[MIAonline]

Just a point, but check how long your results will take. Mine took a week!

It was a week full of worry.

I hope you are ok, are you off work? As it can spread and if I was you I would stay off until you know in case you expose yourself to any more children with it.

[LadyGlencoraPalliser]

My friend sent home a child one afternoon recently after she threw up in class. Lo and behold there she was lining up again the next morning. She was sent home again.

[lal123]

I hope that you are ok - but YAB a bit U - if we all kept our kids off school every time they weren't 100% they'd be at home more than they'd be in...

[sparkle12mar08]

Once the rash is out they are no longer contagious, so yes YABU. Nurseries and schools are advised not to exclude once rash has appeared - NHS and HPA advice And around 60% odd of the adult population have already had it anyway. Hope your test goes well - I had it at 18 weeks and wasn't immune. All sorts of follow up scans and appointments, thankfully all was well.

[Stigaloid]

YANBU - I truly hope you are and your unborn are all right.

[chloesmumtoo]

We even took my ds to the doctors with his wide spread rash, by this time his face had calmed and even the doctor didnt know what it was and thought he was having an allergic reaction. was not until the chemist told us it was prob slap cheek that I found out what was going around in our area and low and behold my daughter came down with it sometime after. We never caught it, I tend to think we more than likely have come across it as children and built up immunity

[chloesmumtoo]

Yes this came up at our school and the head said the same. Once cheeks are flared, no longer contagious. So you dont really know they have it before hand.

[tryingtobemarypoppins]

Thanks for your lovely words of support, fingers crossed it will all be fine. I think I was more cross because the poor girl really wasn't 100% all week but dad was very much "she will be fine, I am very busy this week."
I am sure I will be just as bad when my LO start school!

[lou031205]

YABU, simply because now she has the rash she is no danger to you.

However, YANBU to be worried that you were exposed last week.

[jenkel]

One of my friends daughters who goes to another school had slapped cheek, the mum rang the school and they told her it was fine to send her daughter in.

[TheChilliMoose]

Katiestar is right. Slapped Cheek is not contagious once the rash is visible. Most people will have had it when they are little so are immune anyway, I think.

[FAQinglovely]

"Parent probably as useless as me- when boys play up I always forget to wonder if theya re ill and only relaise when it's too late-"

oh yes that's me too - the teachers at the infant school still haven't let me live down the time I took DS1 to one of his induction play days at the school before he started - thought he was just being sulky and sullen - until they (the teachers) took them outside to the playground for 10 minutes. Except DS1 was only out 30 seconds before he threw up .

That was 4yrs ago and I'm no better now.

[katiestar]

www.cks.library.nhs.uk/patient_information_leaflet/slapped_cheek_syndrome#

I was right not contagious once rash has appeared.It says many people show no symptoms at all.

[katiestar]

My DC have had slapped cheek recently while we were abroad.I was concerned that they wouldn't be allowed to fly back but the doctor (in Austria) said it is not contagious once the spots have appeared.
Not much comfort to you as I think they ARE contagious 2 or 3 weeks before .