Teacher Worried about Slapped Cheek

[twinklyfingers]

I am 8 weeks pregnant and I am an infant teacher. On Wednesday last week one of my class came into school with a red rash on his face. I asked his mum about it and she was very dismissive, had not heard of slapped cheek and said that her son was not bothered by it. (I have read on the internet that slapped cheek might not be accompanied by other symptoms.) I asked her to please get it checked out. She handed me a note the next day saying that she could not get a doctor's appointment and as it was not bothering him she would do nothing further. At this point I decided to tell my head about being pregnant (I hadn't intended to tell anyone outside family at this stage at all!) and she told me to leave my student teacher with my class and I should do paperwork in the office. I spoke to the mother again and this time suggested taking him to a pharmacist. Again she spoke about how difficult this would be and that her son was not bothered. I politely pointed out that if it was an infectious disease then other parents would like to know so they could watch out for symptoms, but I think she thinks I think she is being cruel to her son for not getting it checked. I am aware that her son is not bothered by this at all, I just don't want to catch slapped cheek! She ended by saying she would try to get it checked this weekend.

I have been very worried about this. I know it might not even be slapped cheek, but then a mystery rash might not be that great for me to be around just now either! I am also worried that she won't check, so I won't know what it was and other children may be incubating it in the class over the next week and I still might get whatever it is. My student has left now, so I am supposed to be teaching tomorrow morning. I really feel like I shouldn't go into school at all until I know what it is, but I'm also not sure what to say to my head if the rash has gone and the mother never checked what it was. What would you do? Am I being a bit crazy about this?

Hello.

I'm also an infant Teacher and nearly 12 weeks pregnant. A third of my class are currently off with chicken pox and people keep telling me to 'be careful' I don't catch it. Exactly how I do this I'm not sure unless I wear a mask all day!

Basically there's not much you can do. Children will aways have some illness going round.

My student also just left and I am back in class tomorrow- just to keep going with the similarities

Hi I was formerly an infant teacher when pregnant with DS1 and was advised by doctor to have a blood test to determine if I was already immune to diseases such as chicken pox whend there was an outbreak in my class. Not sure if you can be immune to slapped cheek but I would guess if you have been exposed before it is possible. Chances are if you have been teaching for enough years you are immune to most childhood diseases either by having them yourself as a child or by being around your class. For what it is worth I would tell head that you need to see a doctor and get the information and that you will abide by their advice. Good luck

I was exposed to slapped cheek (parvovirus) whilst I was pregnant with dd. I had bloods taken to check my immunity and I'd already had it which was a huge relief! Have you had your booking bloods yet? If not you could ask to have it added on? Be prepared for a long wait for the results though - it's a very specialised test so the lab only run it once a week here. In this area I was also routinely checked for chicken pox (as it's doing the rounds at dd's school it was handy to know I'm immune ), and rubella. I'm fairly sure that those are routine booking in bloods. I also requested an extra test for something called CMV that I come into contact with sometimes at work, most people get it as children and it can cause congenital abnormalities but it turns out I've never had that and have no immunity to it so I need to be extra careful. My mw added it in, no questions asked.

Thanks for your replies, they made me feel better. I phoned my GP and they told me that I shouldn't worry too much as the risk was very low and to be on the safe side they took blood to test for immunity to papovavirus and chicken pox. Until I get the results back I can go into school, I've just got to be extra vigilant about hand washing etc.

I'm a teacher too and there was a case of slapped cheek in our school on Tuesday. Principal sent me home straight away and told me to check with my doctor. My GP blew me off saying that I was probably immune and unless I was in very close contact with the child I probably didn't have it and to go back to work.

I pushed for a blood test (which I found out about on the internet) and went in and the nurse didn't know what to do. I went back the next day and she'd rang the lab who had my bloods from my booking appointment (2 months ago) and it turned out I wasn't immune then. So (after I insisted) she took another blood test and just found out today that I do have it. I had the symptoms (slight rash on my face, joint pain, itchy feet and weakness) but they were just put down to pregnancy. The doctor told me that they didn't like doing these tests because there's nothing they can do about it. However, after looking up medical websites its recommended to find out so the baby can be monitored closely and they can give a blood transfusion in the womb (in the worst case scenario- very uncommon).

I'm not writing this to scare you- I really do hope you don't have this and if you haven't the symptoms then it's likely you don't. Most women who get this don't pass it on and even if they do there's a small chance of it affecting the baby. I'm replying because I think you need to put yourself first and it's recommended you don't go into school until the outbreak (if there turns out to be one) goes away or until your 20 weeks. I know it seems like a long time to be off (and teachers find it hard to be away) but I wouldn't wish being in this position on anyone. Take care of yourself and your baby- that's really all that's important now.

I am quite shocked at the above gp responses - I'm a special needs teacher in a special needs school and a colleague told me her friends' child (in the mainstream school we are completely mixed in with) had slapped cheek. I have had close contact with many of our sen kids who are in the same block as this child, they all eat and play together (my own class are very autistic so its very hands on + lots of bodily fluids) and so as the infectious period is up to 20 days before symptoms the doc said he couldn't guarantee there would be no contact if I went back to school. It's not diagnosed in kids by blood test as a mild illness but easily confused with rubella so I'm being tested for this too, and an extra reason for exclusion until I get the all clear. (though very unlikely its rubella) its usually just if the kid is in your class but as I'm so hands on with mine there's more risk. (i meet a lot of snot and spit!)

60% adults immune but I won't know if I am till the results and so cannot be around the children until no new cases or am confirmed immune. (probably am!) 20% kids no symptoms, most adults no stymptoms either. Danger period for fetus is before 20 wks, 25% chance of transmission, 10% chance of miscarriage. If infected, baby gets fetal hydrops in womb and has to be managed. You can read it all on WWW.cks.nhs, search for slapped cheek and pregnancy and is what the doc read to me while trying to work out what to do.

He concluded I am most likely fine, but may not be if I go back, no point testing if going to re-expose my self until I'm in the clear. No point doing booking bloods as may have caught after these were taken. I was really laid back about it (and pretty incredulous about being told to stay off!) as were school until he explained it all but we have to follow orders!

You must speak to your gp, phone call if nec. See TES forums too for other teacher experiences. Xx

I second what dejamoo said. Funny enough I have just come back from docs now from having a blood test for the parovirus which is a direct result from Slapp Cheek as my nephew as just been diagnosed with it. I also own a Childrens Shoe shop so would like to know if I am protected or not and like other posters have said if you are not then you can be monitored to make sure baby is ok.

Further to the above post I have been found to NOT be immune after 11 years teaching in deprived areas (a few rarely washed children) and the last 6 years in a special school (blind eyes turned to licked icing spoons and many snot filled cakes heartily consumed!) We're 'hands on' to say the least!

I've now been off for 2 weeks and off for a further 10 days at least - getting ready for a wee battle with the school to prove what they've done to ensure they know its safe for me to return! (ie inform parents to be vigilant and monitor absences etc)

I will have another test in 2 weeks to double check no exposure. Currently 11 weeks so will need to be vigilant pretty much until the summer hols.

Hello,

I'm also a teacher, in Year 2. Am 19+5 today.

Just wanted to say that you are doing the right thing staying off. My school and a doctor at my surgery were very dismissive of this, but I got them to accept that I should stay off until I got my first lot of blood tests back. They were all saying that I'd be immune and was made to feel quite pedantic. Anyway - turns out I'm not immune, so I had a second set of tests. I just got these back today and I have recently caught slap cheek (i.e. during my pregnancy!). Am currently 19 weeks pregnant.

I now need to see the Obstetrician WEEKLY to monitor my baby and have scans for the next 12 weeks. 30% likelihood that you pass it on to baby if you get it when pregnant. 15% likelihood of miscarriage/stillbirth.

I'm not saying this to scare anyone - just to warn. Yes, about 60% of the population are immune, but 40% is still a high percentage that are not. If you teach, you should stay away until you know the results...

mrsslk thanks for posting this. So sorry to hear that, hope you and baby are well?

I'm STILL off as another case popped up 32 days after the last known cases and my gp just said 'youre not going back till after 20 weeks' - which will leave one week of term and an absence of 3 months! Im 18+ 4, I do sometimes worry I would have no idea if I've caught it since outside school, but I have my 20 scan soon so hoping any problems might be picked up then.

If I go back that last week I will be 22 weeks. I understand that baby can still catch it but much less likely to mc. My only worry would be id have no idea if a child had come out in a rash during the hol. But on the other hand I'm pretty worried going back in Sept and not going in to touch base!

Hoping all goes well with you and baby xx

I'm a teacher. 20 weeks pg. My bloods have come back NOT immune from this. Consultant said it can have serious consequences if you catch it whilst pregnant, so basically if I find out ANY of the kids at school have it, I won't be going in! Consultant never said anything about 20 weeks being ok to being exposed to it?

Primary school teacher here too. 14 wks pregnant. Slapped cheek doing the rounds in school. I've been off this week having had bloods taken last week. The results still haven't come back (very frustrating). My mw has advised me not to go in until immunity is proven and I'm going to need a doc's note by Monday... When I initially called the GP, she said it was 'up to me' whether I went in or not (very helpful). Long awaited pregnancy, we'd been told the odds were decidedly stacked against us so I'm not happy about going in to school and adding any extra risk. So far, my head has been extremely supportive but I'm deeply uncomfortable about being absent like this :(

Isn't it weird how us teachers feel so god damn guilty for not going to work? (even when it's justified?!)

Sorry to hear all you're going through the same worrying experiences.

I went quite round the bend with guilt etc - I teach a very complicated class of 5 asd children and my support assistant had to cover for first 3 weeks and then carry the supply till they swapped staff about after 6 weeks. The guilt was horrendous esp as she's not young and fit herself and I was getting texts asking me to come back, not seeming to get how she was asking me to put my baby's life in danger. I became pretty depressed, partly cos of my thyroid but also because of the intense stress.

My mother helped me feel less guilty when she pointed out that I may never be able to get pregnant again (am 35, didn't take much effort!) And despite this being quite extreme as I'm sure I could it puts things into perspective when actually you could be in that low percentage who sadly become affected.

I'm now working on bits from home that have to be done anyway.

itdoesnthurt have there been cases in school? It's not ok at 20 weeks but less chance of mc. Can still catch and baby can still get ill, odds quite low but still odds.

Elastic, it can take 10 days to 2 weeks for results to be back. Fingers crossed good news :)

The stats from the other post are wrong...3% chance that the mother will pass onto baby and 1 % chance that the baby will become so anemic that you have to have an interuterine blood transfusion. Miscarriage will happen if baby becomes anemic and can't recover it's self and it goes undetected. Chances are that if you are monitored 12 weeks after mother has become infected baby will be fine and if the baby does become ill things can be done. But I do stress that mothers must get a blood test if they think they have come into contact with the illness and insist on blood test. Some GP's seem very blaze about it..I was lucky had a fantastic GP and a Fantastic consultant who is montering me weekly......I caught it at 10+3 and I am now 17+2 and so far so good !

That's for the reminder! Helps the anxiety!

Just heard - proven previous contact here! Phew. Back to work I go. Good luck to those of you still waiting for results or having babies monitored. The percentages are on your side :)

That's great news - definately best answer. Despite no recent contact I carry the niggling idea that I could catch it anywhere as not immune, though odds mega low. Makes me sometimes avoid swimming when kids in (not a bad thing!)

Above post supposed to say thanks for the reminder stupid predict text!