Diarrhea...WWYD?

[Miss Lindsey]

My 14 month old dcg has had 3 blow out diapers today. No fever, eating fine, acting fine. She started whole milk last week and mom thinks it is related to that and says to keep her in a diaper and dont give her any more milk. I am concerned she may be ill, and I dont want her infecting everyone else here. But at the same time, I know my kids did havr loose stools when starting milk, so maybe mom is right. What would you do?

[WImom]

If it was me I'd send her home.

[nikia]

I would send her home. I learned my lesson last week after I let one boy come with it because mom said it was from too much juice. Everyone else ended up with the stomach flu, I cleaned up vomit at 6 in the morning from one boy and then the next day another one. My daughter got it over the weekend. Maybe he wasnt the one who spread it but I should have never went against my sick policy

[nannyde]

I don't allow milk transitions that can cause diarrhea for this reason. You can't tell the difference between illness and food tolerance.

When I do milk transitions I do it either a half or one ounce at a time with the increase being every three days. I do half if the child hasn't had any milk products or if they have been on a non milk based formula. I do one ounce transitions if they have had milk products like yougurt/cheese and have had a milk based formula.


If they have had milk products like yougurt/cheese and have had a milk based formula:

Day one thru three: one ounce of milk with seven ounces formula
Day four thru seven: two ounces of milk with six ounces of formula
Day seven thru ten: three ounces of milk with five ounces of formula.

It takes a few weeks to transition but it's slow enough that if the child can tolerate milk they will adjust slowly without getting GI problems.

[Miss Lindsey]

I would send her home. I learned my lesson last week after I let one boy come with it because mom said it was from too much juice. Everyone else ended up with the stomach flu, I cleaned up vomit at 6 in the morning from one boy and then the next day another one. My daughter got it over the weekend. Maybe he wasnt the one who spread it but I should have never went against my sick policy

Okay, so I send her home today, but if its really the milk...do I make her continue to stay home? she has been exclusively breast milk until just last week. she only has the milk here...at home, she had mommy's milk.

[nannyde]

My 14 month old dcg has had 3 blow out diapers today. No fever, eating fine, acting fine. She started whole milk last week and mom thinks it is related to that and says to keep her in a diaper and dont give her any more milk. I am concerned she may be ill, and I dont want her infecting everyone else here. But at the same time, I know my kids did havr loose stools when starting milk, so maybe mom is right. What would you do?

Most parents attribute most of the children's illness to non contagious reasons so they can have the child in day care.

With diarrhea it's either teething or something they ate or drank.
Eye infections are "blocked tear ducts" or "cold in the eye"
rashes are allergic reactions or exzema
coughing is asthma or allergies
runny nose is allergies
fever is teething


My policies are:


Vomiting or Diarrhea: Children who have vomited or have diarrhea are not allowed to enter the day care until they are symptom free for a full 24 hours. We do not exclude on the first diarrhea unless it is accompanied by other illness symptoms. We notify the parent of the first one via a phone call, email, or text. If the child has another bout of diarrhea he/she must be excluded until the child is symptom free for 24 hours. If the child returns to day care 24 hours later and has one bout of diarrhea he/she will be excluded again for 24 hours.

I would send the child home because it is impossible to tell why they are having the loose stools.

[nannyde]

Okay, so I send her home today, but if its really the milk...do I make her continue to stay home? she has been exclusively breast milk until just last week. she only has the milk here...at home, she had mommy's milk.

She needs to return to only breast milk for at least three days so that can be eliminated and then do the mixture as I stated above. I would do the half ounce increments on her.

[jen]

You know what, I'm different about this one. I probably wouldn't send the kid home. I would make sure to scrub my hands, scrub the changing pad, and even double dress her bottom half if necessary, but given the following:

http://kidshealth.org/parent/infections/common/diarrhea.html

Diarrheal infections can be spread through:

•dirty hands
•contaminated food or water
•some pets
•direct contact with fecal matter (i.e., from dirty diapers or the toilet)
Anything that the infectious germs come in contact with can become contaminated. This includes toys, changing tables, surfaces in restrooms, even the hands of someone preparing food. Kids can become infected by touching a contaminated surface, such as a toilet or toy, and then putting their fingers in their mouths.

I feel like this is one I can control pretty well, so if in doubt, I generally don't send them home unless they are sick to the point of being uncomfortable.

[nikia]

Okay, so I send her home today, but if its really the milk...do I make her continue to stay home? she has been exclusively breast milk until just last week. she only has the milk here...at home, she had mommy's milk.

I would do what nan is suggesting. With my own kids their doctor told me I had to do the transition slowly. What is your sick policy? Do you have a specific number of occurances before they have to be pick-up?

[laundrymom]

I do this too. I think we are opposite sides of the same coin nanny.

I don't allow milk transitions that can cause diarrhea for this reason. You can't tell the difference between illness and food tolerance.

When I do milk transitions I do it either a half or one ounce at a time with the increase being every three days. I do half if the child hasn't had any milk products or if they have been on a non milk based formula. I do one ounce transitions if they have had milk products like yougurt/cheese and have had a milk based formula.


If they have had milk products like yougurt/cheese and have had a milk based formula:

Day one thru three: one ounce of milk with seven ounces formula
Day four thru seven: two ounces of milk with six ounces of formula
Day seven thru ten: three ounces of milk with five ounces of formula.

It takes a few weeks to transition but it's slow enough that if the child can tolerate milk they will adjust slowly without getting GI problems.

[DanceMom]

I would send home too - You are not a doctor, you do not know that this diarrhea is from a milk transition...tomorrow she could have 103 temp..it "could" be just the start of a virus or whatever.

[Live and Learn]

Nannyde is completely correct in this matter.
The thing about diarrhea is we will not know the cause or scope UNTIL it has "run it's course"....in other words AFTER THE DIARRHEA IS GONE then and only then will we know what the true cause is. Might be milk transition, might be stomach flu.

[nannyde]

I do this too. I think we are opposite sides of the same coin nanny.

Experience says "Easy does it all the way to the bank."