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Children's health

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Flip

Original poster

Dd has impetigo-can she go to school?

21 replies

hellymelly · 10/01/2012 22:42

My dd,7, woke up with a little red patch,like a bite,on her chin yesterday.Today it looked a bit larger and a little bit weepy,I thought it was a bite and sent her to school,but took her to the GP afterwards in case it was a tick bite.Anyway,GP says its impetigo,about which I know nothing,or at least knew nothing,as now I've been googling.He said she can go to school tomorrow,but all the info online says at least 48 hours after applying topical anti-bacterials,so what should i do? She only went back yesterday!
Also she still sleeps in bed with me,as does her smaller sister-are we all going to get it? (have changed and hot-washed bedding and given her a separate towel).All advice appreciated-am worried now that she will get this all the time.

OP posts:

AngryFeet · 10/01/2012 22:43

Yes if you cover it up :)

AngryFeet · 10/01/2012 22:44

Sorry meant to say I used a plaster when dd had this. The school were happy for me to do this.

notnowImreading · 10/01/2012 22:45

No, not in our school.

oflip · 10/01/2012 22:46

well, i would say no!
21 out of ds's 32 pupils in his class all got it last year..all off sick, parents were all furious because it was avoidable.
Highly contageous. Highly uncomfortable.

AngryFeet · 10/01/2012 22:48

Hmm it may vary from school to school then. Call and check in the morning.

oflip · 10/01/2012 22:52

Top tips:

Aply the cream with a cotton bud, bin and wash hands immediately afterwards.

Only let you child use their own seperate towel.

DO NOT let them touch the red patch .if they do, wash hands,

Have some alcohol hand gel with you and keep applying it, give it to your kids and get them to keep applying it too.

antibacterial wipes..wipe door handles, loo handle, remote controls etc.

Kayzr · 10/01/2012 22:53

No. DS1 got it on Sunday and the doctor said he has to have a week off as its very contagious.

saythatagain · 10/01/2012 22:53

To me, it would be a decimate no, no...on the grounds of it being highly contagious. It does clear up very quickly, but beware, it's not just children that get it. Make sure you wash all towels and bedding etc.

shesparkles · 10/01/2012 22:55

I would say definitely no....I once picked it up from the (manky) headrest on a train seat!!!

Hassled · 10/01/2012 22:56

No no no no noooo. It's very contagious and you will be getting black looks from now to eternity if it spreads around the class. Not worth it.

Original poster

hellymelly · 10/01/2012 22:57

I will call-but I think I will keep her home.I don't want anyone else to get it from her. I get annoyed enough when I see visibly ill children in school so I think it would be best to keep her at home until it heals. I don't know how she caught it as she's been off school for the hols,and we have been pootling about at home,not seen any other children.I did read it can live in the nose ,so could she be carrying it herself rather than having picked it up from someone else?

OP posts:

Florin · 10/01/2012 23:01

I got it as a teenager do knew to be careful about spreading it and washed hands etc like mad plus it was being treated and bandaged (was on elbow) by nurse at doctors but still my twin and my dad caught it. I would think it would be quite unfair to the other children and their families to send her to school. Especially as its on her face it's hard to cover up. If you all share a bed I would think its highly likely you could all get it.

Original poster

hellymelly · 10/01/2012 23:03

(wincing at manky headrest...uggh) Thanks for tips about hand gel etc. I will do the door handles (i have NEVER cleaned my door handles before...well other than the bathroom) and other frequently touched things. A week off is a lot,I hope she doesn't need that long.I love having any reason to keep her at home usually but my little one won't go in without her sister and could do with going in this week to get back in the swing of things (she's finding settling in to reception rather tricky). Actually they both could (newish school to both of them).But if it takes a week for her to be bug free then I will keep her here.

OP posts:

Original poster

hellymelly · 10/01/2012 23:04

Oh Gawd. I REALLY don't want to get it. Could take weeks to clear if we all get it surely? And then does it keep coming back?

OP posts:

Original poster

hellymelly · 11/01/2012 11:35

She's had two doses of the cream (fucithalmic)-last night and this morning.But just now I looked and there is a new tiny blister above the red patch so it is still spreading.The GP said if the cream didn't pretty much get rid of it within 48 hours then she would need oral anti-bs (sad).She's only had them once before,as a new baby,and I've put her general good resistance to illness down to that plus long term bf so I am hoping she won't need them but am worried now.How long does the cream usually take to see an improvement? Is it usually very fast?

OP posts:

marge2 · 11/01/2012 11:40

No. Don;t let her go to school til it's gone. You will be VERY unpopular if she passes it round which will be very hard to avoid if it's on her face, where she will touch. Very easy to pass on. My DS got it at the edge of his nappy ( years before school) the cream cleared it up very quickly and it was covered all the time once we knew what it was.

4madboys · 11/01/2012 11:41

NO to school! but i see you have decided that already :)

my ds1 had this and i am afraid he ended up with the oral antibiotics as the cream on its own doesnt work.

with regards to co sleeping and you catching it, as long as you dont touch it and if you do you wash your hands, wash your bedding etc you may be ok, it IS highly contagious, maybe even if she is in bed with you make sure she only uses her pillow and no one else, ditto with a duvet? can you give her her own single duvet on your bed? obviously no kissing, sharing drinks, food, towels etc.

Flubba · 11/01/2012 11:49

No, it doesn't keep coming back - DD1 had it a couple of summers ago on her face just after chicken pox (so initially we thought it was a big pox spot ) and once we got the cream and antichaotics for it, it cleared up quite quickly and didn't spread to us, and she didn't get it again. I wouldn't say keep it covered though (unless that's been the advice by the doctor?) as it's the moist kind of conditions that it gets worse in!

Original poster

hellymelly · 11/01/2012 12:47

I am going to give her a separate duvet.I've washed all the bedding and will change it again today-should I wash her pillow? Generally only do that in Spring/Summer as we don't have a tumble drier so I just do it when there is a warm dry day.(not likely anytime soon!)

OP posts:

4madboys · 11/01/2012 12:54

i think as long as the pillow is covered it should be fine? you could always put two pillowcases on if you are worried :)

Original poster

hellymelly · 11/01/2012 14:09

I always have two pillowcases anyway,a liner one and then the proper one on top. So hopefully that's not a problem then? It was quite sticky the second night she had it but it is only a small patch so far (about a cm diameter circle ).I hope she's not off school for too long.

OP posts:

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