Do I have to pick up my child from nursery every time he has temp?

[Ezii]

Hi, my son has been going to nursery for sometime and he got sick so many times. He was picking up so many germs from other kids. The nursery keeps ringing me asking that I need to pick him up as he has a temperature. Is this normal?

They do not keep Calpol in the nursery for him even I let them do it so everytime he needs a medicine I need to take it myself.

I have a very demanding job and it is very difficult for me to drop everything and rush back to nursery. Generally, by the time I get there, his temperature would come down. I would then take him home.

They said that their policy is to keep the baby until they have a temp 39C then they would have to call an ambulance if I am not able to pick him up. Is this a normal policy for other nurseries?

Many thanks to all mums!!

Seems a bit over zealous.

DS's nursery will give calpol (it needs to be prescription calpol not just bought from a shop and you need to have filled in a form)

They ring up to say DS has temp can they give calpol I say yes then they give it, they also strip him down to nappy and give lots of cool juice, bathe him with cool damp flannel.

If temp shows no sign of easing and he is not himself they ask for him to be picked up but if he is fine in himself and temp is not continuing to rise and there are no other symptoms they are happy for him to stay.

Most of it seems normal to me. A temperature is a sign of infection, and it is normal to have an exclusion period for the a while, in the hope of minimising transmission.

I wouldn't have expected talk of an ambulance for a simple temperature, unless maybe if combined with other symptoms which meant that they had good reason to think they really should not wait for a parent pick up.

Calpol policies vary. I doubt anywhere would keep a supply on a "just in case" basis. Some will not give unless on prescription, others only if need is definitely not related to an infection. None will give it without a signed and dated parental authorisation: nurseries will neither diagnose nor recommend drugs.

Our nursery will give one dose of calpol and if temperature has not dropped in 30 mins they send the child home.

A temp is a sign a child is ill, if a child is ill then the best place for them is at home.

Think you will find the ambulance comment is there as a deterent to parents who do not collect their child when asked (it happens, trust me)

In all honesty a temp of 39 would say to me the child was unwell enough to go home. At our nursery we tend to ask for permission for calpol (if they have had before nursery and not told us they go home), then see how they go. Having said that the staff know the children really well and if the child seems unwell and has a temp they will ask parent to collect. Also by the time you get there his temp has come down? Is that with calpol?