sick baby

[hope]

Last Thursday DCM brought her 3 month old baby with a fever. The baby developed a cough the day before so I was not surprised. DCM dropped the baby off and as soon as I took her out of her car seat I realized she had a temperature, took it and it was 101.8 and called the mom to turn around and pick back up. She replied to let her sleep n take again at noon. I told her no that she must pick up and being how young she is it would be best to call doctor right away. She then asked if I can give her tylenol and see if it goes down. I refused. It took her three and a half hours to pick up. She kept telling me she was on her way so I didn't call emergency contacts. When she arrived she told me she was taking to the doctor but doctor said she should really be going to the emergency room with a temperature like that for a newborn. I was unsure why she wouldn't do so but figured doctor would send her if he thought really necessary. The following day my DD ending up with a 103 temperature and is still sick this morning. I took her to doctor over the weekend and her fever broke but she still has a nasty cough. This morning I text all my families that my DD had a cough and that I would try my best to keep her seperated and my husband would be taking her to the doctor. Wanted to give them all a heads up in case they were not comfortable sending their kids. DCM of the newborn replied...."that's ok, DCG still has cough and temperature". What???????? She has had a temperature for five days now at three months old and you still plan on sending her here? I quickly responded that she can not come with a temperature and she text back saying she made a mistake, she had one last night not today. I told her she still could not come then.
The DCM is engaged and living with DCG's father who works night's and watches his son during the day. DCM has an older daughter who is off from school today and staying with a babysitter. Why would she try to take here? Looks like I need to give her another copy of the contract. I don't think she will be continuing care with me for long. She was very upset that she would have to work from home today.

[CedarCreek]

Let her be upset. She is the one that chose not to take her child to the doctor and now she's paying for that choice and unfortunately, so is the baby.

Stick to your guns. If she terms, then it sounds like you don't need all that noise anyway.

[cheerfuldom]

send her a copy of your highlighted contract.

let her know that if she ever leaves a sick child in care after you have called her, you will have to call emergency contacts or the authorities and then she will be termed immediately. its not an option to leave her child there after she has been called!

and make sure you have a "dope and drop" policies

[hope]

I don't have anything in my contract about doping n dropping so I will be revising my contract to include and also to include a time frame for pick up and procedure if not picked up within time frame. I normally struggle with enforcing my policies but it feels good. Normally I am a big push over and then deal with all the drama that comes bc of it. Now that I stood my ground I have no more drama to deal with. Ahhhhhh!

[Blackcat31]

Honestly, I don't think I would feel comfortable accepting the baby back into care unless they have a doctor's note explaining exactly what the baby has/had.

A fever that high in a such a young infant for that length of time would make me really nervous.

I also agree, set a time limit for pick up when called for illness, do not allow doping/dropping and define your illness policies and stick to them!

It is in the best interest of everyone.

[youretooloud]

An infant with a fever like that should have scared her. Why didn't they take her in?

I would just simply say "It's not her contagiousness I'm afraid of, it's the possibility of her becoming extremely ill while here... It could become an emergency very quickly"

I took an infant a few years ago with a "very stuffy nose". Even I thought it was a very stuffy nose. I put her in bed, she slept longer than usual... when I picked her up after a three hour nap, I gave her some hugs, and THEN, I realized that stuffy sound was her chest, not her nose. She was hospitalized for three days. I'm usually good at detecting those things, but that one got by me for hours and hours before I figured out what it was.

[hope]

You guys are right, I didn't even think to get a doctors note. I really even wonder if she took to doctor at all. Everything she has been telling me doesn't add up. She said doctor told her with a temperature that high she would need to take to hospital. But then she told me she made an appointment at the doctor instead and he told her just to keep hydrated and to keep baby Tylenol round the clock. This baby has had a fever for FIVE days now!!!! Is that with the Tylenol? She told me she called doctor twice over weekend and he gave same advice. I'm really starting to worry also.

[Blackcat31]

You guys are right, I didn't even think to get a doctors note. I really even wonder if she took to doctor at all. Everything she has been telling me doesn't add up. She said doctor told her with a temperature that high she would need to take to hospital. But then she told me she made an appointment at the doctor instead and he told her just to keep hydrated and to keep baby Tylenol round the clock. This baby has had a fever for FIVE days now!!!! Is that with the Tylenol? She told me she called doctor twice over weekend and he gave same advice. I'm really starting to worry also.

Here's what I would do:

NO attendance without a doctor's note outlining the diagnosis, the treatment plan and any follow up instructions

NO attendance until child has been fever free (WITHOUT any medicine) for a FULL 24 hours

Explain to the mom that it is for the safety of HER child.

If she has brought the child to the Dr, all she would have to do is call them and request a written statement.

If she hasn't really gone to the Dr, then it is high time she goes.

[hope]

update

I have asked DCM for a doctor's note and she said she will bring one stating that the baby can return to daycare today and plan of action with meds and nebulizer. She doesn't seem to want to tell me exactly what it is the baby has. Since the baby was brought here sick last week my DD became sick after. Both Monday and Tuesday I informed parents that my DD was ill and starting antibiotics and gave them the option of bringing their children. Really wished they would all keep home but they all brought but one. So I kept both my kids seperate (in case DS came down with it next which he has) upstairs and cared for them with all their fevers, vomit n complaints while scrubbing off the germs to run downstairs to take care of remaining daycare kids and disinfecting everything in the house. All my efforts seem to have been for nothing bc all the daycare kids came this morning cranky n with sniffles. None have temperatures but I just have that feeling they are getting sick. Meanwhile, I am burnt out from taking care of so many sick people n cleaning.
I am so mad at this one DCM for starting this big mess. I tried my hardest to contain it but it seems that this sickness has spiraled out of control. And I still have 3 more days of daycare to get through this week and then my weekend job. Not happy.

[cheerfuldom]

I wouldnt take baby back if she needs breathing treatments....

[hope]

I wouldnt take baby back if she needs breathing treatments....

Can I ask why? I have used a nebulizer before on family members babies. It's not the most pleasant thing but not too hard either. Is it health risk you are worried about?

[AmyKidsCo]

Can I ask why? I have used a nebulizer before on family members babies. It's not the most pleasant thing but not too hard either. Is it health risk you are worried about?

Personally if the baby has been that sick I wouldn't take her back without a doctor's note stating the baby was healthy enough to return to care. I wouldn't want to open myself up to any liability if something happened to the baby while she was in my care.

You may want to sit down and try to remember the exact history of events, then document everything you said to the mom and everything she said to you - CYA! And you may also want to contact your licensor, just in case the mom files a complaint.