Policy on Diarrhea?

[canadiancare]

Diarrhea is usually non-negotiable because even if the pieces fit you can't be 100% sure it isn't a virus and the infection control is prohibitive.

[Cradle2crayons]

On the flip side of this though, as a nurse we were always taught to Assume/pretend that everyone was infectious and use precautions universally. It always worked. The way I see it and my nhi lady as well, if I'm doing the regular disinfection like I'm supposed to then regardless I'm doing the best I can to prevent. In all honesty, 99% of the time, regardless on the illness, by the time they SHOW symptoms, they are already contaminating the house, toys, and other children. In all my years I've been very great full that my "universal precautions" are working. I can't prevent everything of course but my kids are more likely to get sick from Walmart than they are here.

Also, before I get flamed, every state and every provider is different. Sometimes I think my nursing background helps and sometimes it's a curse. But, regardless, we are all individuals

[Blackcat31]

On the flip side of this though, as a nurse we were always taught to Assume/pretend that everyone was infectious and use precautions universally. It always worked. The way I see it and my nhi lady as well, if I'm doing the regular disinfection like I'm supposed to then regardless I'm doing the best I can to prevent. In all honesty, 99% of the time, regardless on the illness, by the time they SHOW symptoms, they are already contaminating the house, toys, and other children. In all my years I've been very great full that my "universal precautions" are working. I can't prevent everything of course but my kids are more likely to get sick from Walmart than they are here.

Also, before I get flamed, every state and every provider is different. Sometimes I think my nursing background helps and sometimes it's a curse. But, regardless, we are all individuals

That is very true but the point of exclusion is to minimize the exposure.

My DH has a compromised immune system. What is no biggie for some can mean death for him.

Bottom line is we are child care providers and anything outside of normal/healthy is a parent's responsibility to deal with.

[Cradle2crayons]

Yes I have one special little one too... My Mickey button girl ... But (knocks on wood really hard) she's miraculously not only never been sick since starting care here, but has been on a fabulous much needed developmental path since coming. Her insurance only pays for pt once a week and she gets a LoT of specific PT with me. I don't really let any child anywhere near her unless I'm fairly certain they are healthy though. She's not mobile. Whereas the other ones are all in very close contact with each other, they aren't as much with her.

I think whatever works for others is what works for them. Or rather if they have to go by state rules, then that's what it should be.

For instance, I'm sure many here don't at all agree with my illness policy at all and think I'm nuts. But it works for me. This RSV that hit us two weeks ago was the first major illness in two years that hit us and the very FIRST time in my sons almost five years of life he has EVER been sick at all... I know weird .. But my policy works for me, and may not work for anyone else. Mississippi has one of the highest rates of asthma in the u.s. I have it, my daughter has it, and one other care child. If I refused for a cough my daycare would be a distant memory

[youretooloud]

If it's not normal for him, i'd send him home. I also go by smell... you can tell by the smell if he's sick or just having his normal loose poops.

L was the princess of blow outs. Almost every single poopy diaper involved a mess everywhere.

BabyC also has small blowouts... not up the back, but it always ends up on the insides of his shorts.

It was easier with the girl, because she just wore bike shorts, and it stayed contained in her pants, but the boy wears typical loose cargo shorts, and I'm always finding poop on the bench or ride on cars, or somewhere.

[Cradle2crayons]

I'm glad someone else does the smell thing and I'm not completely nutso . Or maybe we both are, but in that case I'm not alone

It's a great identifier of infectious poop!!

[EAP]

I recently changed my policy after a stomach bug got us. I actually called the Communicable diseases Nurse at my local health dept. (My program get yearly health dept inspections and compliance is very important). She said "best practice" is anything more than one episode of true diarrhea - which is very watery and may/may not be contained by a diaper. They must leave within and hour and can not return the next day no matter what - but can not return after that first day out until they are symptom free for 24 hours. Also she said that even diarrhea caused by antibiotics requires they go home because unless they actually test the stool they can't say it is caused by the medications and the risk of getting other kids sick is too much.