Cooties Alert - Your Kid Is Contagious

"Don't worry. My kid isn't sick. It's just his allergies."  Really?  Even with that green mucous clumping under his nose?  How many times have you heard that comment from a mom desperate to get her sick kid back to school?  Or (gasp!) how many times have you said it yourself?  We know your kid is sick.  You know your kid is sick.  And he may still be contagious, BUT you have to return to work/run your errands/get out of the house before you go crazy from cabin fever.

 

My family made sure to have our flu shots this year because we have a new baby in the house.  And, of course, I still managed to catch the flu. Fortunately, it didn't last very long.  My oldest daughter only missed two days of school this cold season. And thankfully, Daddy and the baby have stayed insulated from the nasty cold germs.  I'll give credit to my breastmilk and our semi-diligent handwashing. The breastmilk only applies to the baby, by the way, not the husband - in case you were wondering.

 

In an effort to help get us all through the remainder of the flu and cold season, I thought I'd share an article I just read from Parents.com. Think you know all there is to know about cold bugs, considering your kid has been sick 100 times since starting daycare?  Don't dismiss this too quickly, mama.  Were you aware that your kid is contagious for as long as she's sick, and it doesn't matter whether her snot is yellow or green?  That if your kid is throwing up, she's contagious from the first symptom until she feels totally better?  That if he has diarrhea, he's contagious until his poop is formed again?  That viruses that cause fevers are contagious as long as the fever is above 100.4 degrees F?

 

Uh-oh, if enough parents learn this info, guess mom will have fewer excuses when little Johnny is wiping his nose with one hand, and digging in your kid's snack container with the other. Sounds like a Benadryl cover-up in the making.

 

 

Is My Kid Contagious?  by Sara DuMond, M.D. 

Wondering whether you need to quarantine your child when she has a cold, an ear infection, pinkeye, or another common childhood illness? Read on to find out what precautions you should take and how long these conditions are contagious, if at all.

Cold (Upper Respiratory Infection)

Each year between birth and age 5, a child gets an average of 8 to 12 colds. Telltale signs: a cough or a runny or stuffy nose.

Treatment  Keep your child comfy until the cold runs its course. Give him nasal saline drops, run a cool-mist humidifier in his room, and suction his nostrils at least once a day. This will ease congestion; if your child is still uncomfortable, you can give him diphenhydramine (Benadryl), an over-the-counter antihistamine that may help him feel less clogged up. Because colds are caused by viruses, antibiotics are ineffective, and other cough and cold meds can cause sedation and shallow breathing and impede the clearing of nasal secretions.

Contagious factor  When your child is feeling his worst (days three through five), he's most contagious. But symptoms can last for up to two weeks, and he's contagious as long as he's sick. Of course, you can't quarantine him for days. So wash your hands frequently after touching him, and keep him away from other kids during the cold's peak. And if the snot is green versus yellow? It doesn't matter. All colds are contagious regardless of mucus color.

To read the entire article, including similar information about ear infections, pink eye, strep throat and fevers, see Parents.com 

 

Comments

[Maggie Brown]

Keep your kid from getting sick in the first place! Check out Germy Wormy Germ Awareness for Germ Transportation Vehicles, ages 2 - 7. It really works to teach children in a mom-invented, fun and drug-free way to both avoid AND keep from spreading germs. I know because my daughter learned it at her daycare. Now we no longer play the "pass the germs game", and we get sick less!

http://www.germywormy.com

Give kids a PLACE to give their germs, instead of you!

[nasal congestion remedies]

Children sometimes "immunize" each other from cooties by administering a "cootie shot". One child typically administers the "shot" by reciting the rhyme "circle, circle / dot, dot / now you've got the cootie shot" while using an index finger to trace the circles and dots on another child's forearm.

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