sf_mom Posted October 31, 2009 Report Share Posted October 31, 2009 I just received an e-mail from a mother of one of the kids in our son's class who has confirmed strep throat. She helped during class hours last Wednesday and is having both her children tested for strep. What do you typically do in these situations? Do you pull your child from school? Double up on antibiotics? I noticed some mood liability last night figured he was just tired. -Wendy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
faith Posted October 31, 2009 Report Share Posted October 31, 2009 Wendy, really I don't know the answer to that. if they've already been exposed, then who knows? the child is obviously out sick now so he's not there to be contagious NOW. but what about this, ... glad you brought it up, because I was miffed that I got a notice that someone in my son's class had the flu. this child was out sick for a whole week and then the mon and tues of the following week. THEN, my son comes home with the notice of someone in the class having flu. my son tells me who it was and they said it was swine flu (not positive on that, but that's what he told my son) ..... What the heck good is it for us to find this out AFTER the child is already been out sick and is now back to school all better? Shouldn't we have gotten the notice as soon as the child's mom called him in sick and reported it? unless they didn't know on the first day he got sick, then I understand, but the mom should have reported it as soon as they realized what it was and the school give out that notice right away. ..... It will be interesting to see what happens, if anyone else gets sick now. Faith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colleenrn Posted October 31, 2009 Report Share Posted October 31, 2009 Wendy, Is your child on antibiotics and what dose? Sometimes if they have been exposed to strep they can have a flareup that goes away on its own, but I always have a low threshold for symptoms as far as increasing antibiotics. I sometimes increase to a treatment dose temporarily when they have definitely been directly exposed to strep. Colleen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bronxmom2 Posted October 31, 2009 Report Share Posted October 31, 2009 I would take him out, but I am pretty anti-school anyway. My son is one of those who's done well in the summer, then fallen apart every fall since he was 3 and started preschool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcmom Posted October 31, 2009 Report Share Posted October 31, 2009 SF Mom- This has happened to us 3 times. Each time we saw an increase in pandas, then I found out someone in the class had strep. By the time you find out, the exposure is probably over, because the other kid is out and on antibiotics. Each time, the blip only lasted a few days. I def would up the abx for a few days to be on the safe side... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thereishope Posted October 31, 2009 Report Share Posted October 31, 2009 I've gotten in the habit of almost every day asking my kids if someone was absent. If so, do they play a lot with that kid. The reality is most children run the chance of constantly being exposed to strep. By parents who don't take their kids to doctor, to parents who don't follow the 24 hour on abs rule, to strep carriers. I think if found out my PANADS son had a clasmate with strep, I'd freak out, but still send him to class. But, then I haven't gotten a call for his class yet. I've gotten a cal for my non PANDAS son class, though. I can be wrong with this, but someone told me it could take 3-5 from when a child actually contracts strep to when they have classic symptoms (if they are the kind that ets classic symptoms)and get the point they'd have a + strep test. Does anyone know if this is true? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P_Mom Posted October 31, 2009 Report Share Posted October 31, 2009 Any time I hear of strep around my boys...I up the antibiotic dose...and they do fine. Even when I see an increase., I up the dose...and they settle. I vote for upping the dose. Kelly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShaesMom Posted October 31, 2009 Report Share Posted October 31, 2009 I would take him out, but I am pretty anti-school anyway. My son is one of those who's done well in the summer, then fallen apart every fall since he was 3 and started preschool. Wendy, My son had strep about a month and my daughter never got it. She would have flares in her symptoms whenever she was around him but she was fine as long as she wasn't in close contact with him. You may want to increase his abx dose but if you don't see any flares at home and his teacher doesn't notice any changes in school behavior I would try to ride it out without stressing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajcire Posted October 31, 2009 Report Share Posted October 31, 2009 I wouldn't possibly be able to keep him out over it every time. It's constant. Plus they don't notify us of strep. I never asked them to but reality is that even when I send in absent notes I used to just say they were sick. They never ask specifics. Plus it goes way beyond just his class... he rides the bus and who knows who has what on that.. he comes in contact with way more than just his classmates. I try to not think about it but it's definitely hard. I am guilty also of always asking if anyone was absent. Worse to me though is that there are soooo many kids in school on days that they should be home from being sick. I have no tolerance for that from other parents anymore Sometimes I think they should be taking the kids temperature as they walk through the door. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DebC Posted October 31, 2009 Report Share Posted October 31, 2009 Our daughter (9) has PANDAS. Our son (5) became sick 2 weeks ago and when I took him in to Acute Care on a Sunday, suspecting influenza as it has been rampant here in Texas for 8 weeks, he ended up testing positive for strep as well. I asked the doctor who saw us to please prescribe for our daughter as well. I explained that she had PANDAS. She put our daughter on a slightly lower dose of Augmentin and our daughter has done well. I have seen a slight uptick in straightening of rooms which always accompanies her PANDAS symptoms when she has a small flare, but so far that has been the extent of it. She has almost finished the antibiotics and I'm hoping that 14 days will have been enough. I will start her on her lower dose again. If I seen an increase, however, I will immediately call our doctor. It is so hard to protect them from strep, especially with siblings who bring things home. Strep seems to always be around, especially during the winter months, so I'm hoping that our doctor will continue to prescribe the precautionary antibiotic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sf_mom Posted October 31, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 31, 2009 WOW, thanks everyone!! I've got to get a sense of confidence about managing strep as we move forward. My stomach just sank when I read the e-mail.... Our plan is up his antibiotic, until we are assured the strep passes through the class. FOR THOSE IN THE BAY AREA, in SAN FRANCISCO there seems to be an outbreak of Scarlet Fever. A friend of ours has gotten at least three notices from their son's school since the beginning of the year. -Wendy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajcire Posted October 31, 2009 Report Share Posted October 31, 2009 For those of you whose schools send home notes about strep.... did you specifically ask or do they send it to everyone? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EAMom Posted November 1, 2009 Report Share Posted November 1, 2009 At least in CA public schools...if someone reports strep the school sends home a strep notice (for the class? the whole grade? not sure). The same thing as if someone has head lice, pink eye, certain other dz's. We got several strep notices last year. None this year so far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajcire Posted November 1, 2009 Report Share Posted November 1, 2009 That is great that they do that. I don't know if it would just make me more crazy though. The only notices I have gotten like that were once that there were last year.. 1 for lice in the grade and 1 for chicken pox in ds's class. At least in CA public schools...if someone reports strep the school sends home a strep notice (for the class? the whole grade? not sure). The same thing as if someone has head lice, pink eye, certain other dz's. We got several strep notices last year. None this year so far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thereishope Posted November 1, 2009 Report Share Posted November 1, 2009 Our district does not notify anyone of strep. I requested that they call me if someone in the third grade or kindergarten has strep. They said they would if the called in absence is specifically strep. Because of H1N1, parents are suppose to give symtpoms of child when calling in the absence. Hopefully, that has led to less parents just saying "Jimmy doesn't feel good". Since my request at the beginning of the year, I have gotten 2 calls saying strep was in my non PANDAS son grade. Once time they did say it was in his class. One time they gave a general...strep in third grade (there are 4 third grade classes). Sicne H1N1 has hit, they have disclosed on their website probable cases of H1N1, but they have also said due to privacy laws they cannot disclose what grade or which teacher's class had it. So, as for informing you of strep, that will probably vary from state to state. But, it doesn't hurt to ask! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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