Nursery claiming a healthy child is sick

[AmyAmy1980]

It would be great to get some advice on this. I've just got back from a two -week holiday and taken my 19 month old to nursery for her first day back. It turns out they had a chicken pox outbreak while we were away. My daughter has a small spot on her leg (I'm guessing an insect bite) and is perfectly well - no fever, no symptoms, nothing. However, I've just got a phone call demanding to take her home and keep her home for 7 days after the spot disappears. I'm utterly convinced this is not chicken-pox! How do we get the all clear so she can go back again?

I understand they need to take measures to prevent infection, but this is a child with no symptoms at all apart from one spot that could be anything! Anyone experienced similar with nurseries?

I would print the NHS guidelines about chicken pox - because even if she did have it she wouldn't need to be kept off for 7 days after the spot disappeared. And demand a conversation with the manager. Is it a chain of nurseries? If so speak with head office too.

When tomorrow she still has no other spots/symptoms I would demand they readmit her and if they don't make a formal complaint/consider changing nurseries.

That said if she comes down with chicken pox tomorrow you're going to have to eat humble pie!

I would say to them you don't think it is chicken pox but take her home today and keep an eye, if it is still one spot tomorrow take her in and any issues make a complaint!

Get the pharmacist to have a look at it and then go back to tell them the verdict.

A child returning from a holiday destination with an unidentified spot might raise eyebrows, but easy to solve.

7 days seems a bit extreme. My DD had chickenpox last month and she came home from nursery with two spots, by the next morning they were popping up all over the place. They looked like little fluid filled blisters.

Even if it is chicken pox the damage is already done/it'll be spreading!

If the spot isn't blistered or anymore appear by tomorrow - take her back and speak to manager.

As long as no fluid then she is absolutely fine to be in nursery.

We've had this nightmare in the sense for the first time in over 10 years our nursery had a mass outbreak of nearly 20 children in past 2 weeks with chicken pox (we're only a small nursery so it was masses compared to normal 2-3 cases a year)

Our nursery ra g me say ds2 had chicken pox recently not unwell in s?highest I picked him up said not chicken pox (I am paed nurse) and they were saying loomed blistered they are pop him in warm bath loads more will come out, I took him home popped to nurse practitioner got some anti histamine she said not pox, pharmacy said not pox I rang nursery said been to surgery and pharmacy and not pox prob viral rash give him piriton for 48hrsx he went back next morning.