Too sick for school?

Whether their children are heading to kindergarten or day care for the first time this year or are already classroom veterans, parents should be prepared for the kids to bring home more than just art projects and freshly sharpened pencils once school starts.

After a summertime filled with fresh air and open spaces, back-to-school season puts kids together in closer quarters, leaving them susceptible to bugs that can make them sick.

To minimize risk to other kids, schools often have rules about what's considered too sick for school. We've gathered details on some of the most common illnesses among school-age children, and what to do when they strike.

Fever

What's wrong?: School-age kids spike fevers for all sorts of reasons: ear infections, colds, flu or viral infections that just leave them feeling low. The condition isn't usually dangerous, as fevers are actually a normal part of the way the body gears up to fight an infection.

Get well: Treating your child with Motrin or Tylenol (check label for weight-appropriate dosages) will make him feel better so he'll want to eat or drink, which is important for fighting off whatever infection is brewing. If he has an ear infection or strep throat, antibiotics may be necessary.

Sick day: Pay attention to the thermometer. Schools usually want kids with a fever of 101 degrees or greater (taken orally) to stay home. Call or see a doctor if you're concerned, or if they have other troublesome symptoms, including a rash, vomiting or throat or ear pain.

Pink eye

What's wrong?: This viral infection, also known as conjunctivitis, is spread when kids rub their infected eye and then pass the bugs along to others by holding hands or sharing desks, toys or equipment. You'll most likely recognize it when your little one wakes up with gunky, crusted-over eyes. The eyeball itself may have a characteristic pinkish tinge, plus a white or yellow discharge. And watch out, Mom and Dad, you and your other children might catch the infection, too.

Get well: Doctors usually opt to put youngsters with pink eye on antibacterial eye drops. They don't attack the virus that causes the goopy eye, but they help protect your child's peepers from bacteria that may creep in because of all that rubbing and itching.

Sick day: South Carolina schools ask that children with pink eye stay home until they can bring a doctor's note saying they've been treated, usually for at least 24 hours.

Head lice

What's wrong?: These tiny bugs that cause relentless itching spread from person to person through head-to-head contact or through sharing combs, hats or helmets. The critters are mostly equal-opportunity (so a clean house won't protect your kids), but they're more apt to hang around in straight hair than curly hair. The whitish nits, or lice eggs, tend to wind up clustered around the ears or at the hairline.

Get well: Remedies these days range from drugstore potions to prescription-strength goops and preparations that get combed on and then zapped with a blow-dryer. Natural remedies aren't proven to kill the bugs. No matter which treatment you choose, plan to spend a chunk of time combing the product through your child's hair with a special fine-tooth tool.

Sick day: Kids are usually asked to stay out of school until they've been treated with a lice-removal product.

Colds and flu

What's wrong?: As the weather gets cooler, respiratory infections become more common because classrooms, cafeterias and school buses can be breeding grounds for whatever strain is making the rounds. These illnesses are marked by fevers, sniffling, sneezing, coughing, sore throats, chills and a general feeling of tiredness.

Get well: There's no specific treatment for colds and flu, but rest, fluids and children's painkillers may help. Health officials recommend that kids ages 6 months to 5 years get a flu shot each year, and antiviral medications may speed up healing once a child gets sick.

Sick day: If flulike symptoms are accompanied by a fever (which sometimes can hit ranging from 103 to 105 degrees), it's a good idea to keep your child home.

Tummy troubles

What's wrong?: Fecal bacteria passed around by lax hand-washing practices is most often to blame for school-year vomiting and diarrhea. See a doctor if your child's stools contain blood or mucous, which could indicate a more serious infection.

Get well: Try encouraging your child to drink clear liquids to keep properly hydrated. Foods such as toast or crackers may be easier to keep down, and kid-size doses of anti-nausea or anti-diarrheal medications also may help.

Sick day: Keep them home if they're throwing up. It may be recommended that a child who has three or more loose stools in 24 hours stay at home until they're feeling better, too, but kids whose bowel problems come from chronic, noncontagious illnesses such as Crohn's disease can go to class.

Sources:

Dr. John Quinn of Parkwood Pediatrics, S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control, American Lung Association, www.headlice.org.>

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