Suspected measles case in DD's room at nursery - what would you do?

[peppapighastakenovermylife]

Was concerned today to see a note on the door of nursery saying that a baby under 12 months was being treated for measles. Slightly concerned I wasnt told directly but left to see this notice but that is another matter - I was picking DS up after having DD home with me today.

DD is 8 months old and will obviously have been in close contact with the child. The note says they have taken swabs but wont know for a while.

I have literally come back from mat leave this week but as an academic I dont NEED to be in work at the moment - I can work from home but in reality that will mean being up half the night working but obviously thats not an issue if needs to be done.

What would you do? Firstly I am very worried she may already have it. Should I be very anxious about this or will it most likely be ok even if she has it? Am trying to avoid reading anything about it as obviously things like brain damage crop up.

I am thinking that if she doesnt have it now, others may be infected and could infect her over the next few days. If I can keep her home should I? Am I over reacting? Typically I will still have to pay but again not an issue if it avoids her getting measles.

Any words of advice? I am worried for her

You are overreacting. Your DD will be exposed to all sorts of things at nursery and everywhere else. The infectious child will not be there - you can't go worrying about children who may or may not be infectious.

Agree with Soupy , there may well not be much point keeping her off now and it may not even prevent her getting it if you do. Incubation period is 1 to 2 weeks so you should know fairly soon if she has come into direct contact with an infectious child. Are you sure she is likely to have been with the infected baby as they would presumably have swabbed the possibly infected ones and would need your permission to do dd. Perhaps they don't share days, rooms or staff ?

Talk to the nursery. I'd be very annoyed at not being told personally of a suspected measles case among babies - they are at a vulnerable age. Actually |I think I would take her out, but I am a touch neurotic about such things

They share a room and staff - they are a small group in a fairly small room as the 12 months and younger are together.

I think I may be over reacting as measles is one of my irrational / rational fears. It worries me that a number of children have had it locally and the children her age who have had it have been in hospital.

I think I may keep her home tomorrow just to hopefully let the anxiety pass and take it from there.

I hope those who think I am irrational are right

Bet it's not measles, bet it's some kind of heat rash thingy. Few children sent home from DS' preschool in the past ill with rash, was prickly heat.

If child is off and does have measles nothing you can do about it now. Also if it's in your area you can't live in a bubble.

It might be worth checking with your GP as well. I think that if a baby between 6-12 months is exposed to measles they will give you the option of having the MMR early (apparently this can stop full-blown measles developing). But they would (a) know if that's the case, and (b) be able to discuss the pros and cons with you.

Ironically I was only talking to my HV about it this morning and we ended the conversation saying how unlikely it was that anyone in my nursery would get it

I rang her back and she said it was a tough call but would lean towards keeping her off. She said that DD could have her MMR brought forward but the health board would only do that if a few cases were identified at nursery.

Its just difficult - its always drummed into us how we must give the MMR as measles is something to be avoided with possible dangerous side effects but am finding it hard to judge the difference between actually worrying about this and recognising a small risk (bigger risk getting in the car for example or something).

Just feel a bit in limbo and if I did send her and she did get it and had a bad side effect...well you know what guilt is like!

FWIW, my DS has just had his MMR now a little early because there is mumps at his nursery. We were told that if there is an outbreak, MMR can be given as early as 6 months. Might be worth discussing with your GP?

Thats what my HV said BIOTB - but there has to be a number of confirmed cases before the health board will do this. If I knew she didnt have it I would probably get her done privately but obviously dont know if she has it and wont for some time. Just wish these things had an immediate and obvious answer!

Poor you. I know how stressed I was about mumps and that's quite tame by comparison. Fingers crossed she (and your DS) are OK.

it may need even be measles

DS had a suspected case and the swabs took a few days to come back

i wouldn't pull her out of nursery - if she has been exposed, then it has happened already

you should be on the alert for symptoms but not panic - of course if you think she has it then get to your GP ASAP

until then, try not to worry

Thank you BIOTB.

Its hard to find any sensible advice without all the stories of general disability/brain damage/death.

Lenin - thats what Im worried about - that she hasnt caught it yet but by sending her she catches it from another child who got it from the first one. Thats the way chicken pox seems to work - they all eventually get it. Measles is obviously more serious.

I dont have to send her (eg I wont lose my job or really get into any trouble for it) and couldnt face the guilt if she got it and had a bad side effect because I sent her.

Im not a worrier in general but for some reason have been worried about measles for a while. Of course I know she could get anything just by being in public but there is a difference to that and being sat next to (and probably sucking the same toy) as a child with measles.

I live in an area where there have been a high number of cases including a number of children in hospital - hence why I was discussing it with my HV. Is there really anything else it could be? The child has had swabs done and they are waiting - it takes a while apparently. Could be heat rash I guess.

I am also obviously worried that she already has it but there is nothing I can do about that now. I can however chose to send her or not.

I would not send her. Especially given your circumstances.

I know some people think it's overreacting but measles can be nasty, why risk it? Yes she could catch it/other nastier things at the supermarket, but there is a definite risk here, and no real cons for keeping her off.

I know what you mean about the risk - when DS was about 10 months we were in an area with a measles epidemic and the ones who were hospitalised were the elderly and young children. I couldn't wait for him to have the MMR! If you can manage it, I think you're right to keep her off till the case is confirmed one way or the other.

BTW, if you had measles and are still bfing she may well be immune anyway. I can;t remember what the immunity level is if you had measles and are not bfing, it certainly protects her in the early weeks but not sure how long that lasts.

I am still breastfeeding so hoping it offers something. I have not had it but was immunised at 14. Immunity from the mum seems to wear off at around 6 months from what I can gather - I wonder if breastfeeding for longer helps that.

peppapig, it might be worth giving your gp a call and get a second opinion on the right thing to do?

I may well do so tomorrow. HV seemed to think nothing would be done unless there were several cases which presumably in a room with several small babies sitting close together there may well be . My HV is fab so take her word for it and they are unfortunately knowledgeable here as several babies in the local area have been in hospital with it .

Just hard waiting it out and knowing the best thing to do. I know deep down though, for now, that I wont regret keeping her off but I would regret sending her if it in any way made things worse.

Trying to ignore the fact I am paying for her not be there. Always think nurseries must see a silver lining to infectious things like chicken pox etc!

I would keep her at home. What if she hadn't been exposed/caught it, but another child had, and didn't know yet? Your dd probably hasn't been exposed yet, but in this situation could now be. That child could well be there, being infectious and not know. So definitely, I'd keep her at home until you know for sure what it is.

I've been reading about the cluster in Wales. Its been in the news a fair bit as a background item. If I were near that then I too would be thinking very hard about whether to send an unvaccinated child in. Why don't you keep her off tomorrow which will give you chance to talk to your gp and/or get a better feeling for how you want to play it.

And don't pay any attention to people who judge you on it - shes your child, you make the call that you feel comfortable with.

DS had the same thing at his nursery last week.
The official advice from the health authority was that he should have an MMR jab as soon as possible. If he had been exposed to measles within the last 3 days it could prevent him from getting it. If it had been longer than 3 days, then it would be worthless UNLESS he was not knowingly exposed to a currently undiagnosed case of measles originating from the original case within the 3 day window. The paediatric consultant said that it would do him no harm to have the jab and could potentially stop him getting measles so was considered to be worth it.

HTH

So if she hasn't got it from the first baby to have it and is given an MMR tomorrow, then that will help her be protected from all the other children provided that the strain of measles is the same as used in the vaccination.

I think they are infectious until 5 days after the rash first appears....

Peppa, try not to panic.

Ds2 was dx with measles last year at 10mo. He was quite poorly but didn't have to be admitted to hosp, although he had an ear infection with it...he was swabbed but the results were inconclusive, ie one was positive but they said that was my antibodies as he is/was still bf.

So it isn't necessarily that awful.

If there's been a probable case I'd keep her off, for sure, at least until you know.

It's highly contagious - apparently it hangs about in the air for up to three hours after the infectious child has left the room which led me to suspect ds caught it from our gp surgery when we were there for something else.

Anyway - follow your own instinct, it's there for a reason, and don't be put off by other people's phlegmatic approach!

It's no fun and there could be several children incubating it already. I hope she is Ok x