CHILDREN WITH ALLERGIES, SICK OR INFECTIOUS
When a child enrols at Kb’s the parents/carers are required to provide
information regarding any allergies or intolerances. This information is recorded
on the child’s registration form. If a child has an allergy or intolerance this
information is then posted on the allergy form in the downstairs kitchen &
upstairs craft room with the severity of allergy. All staff are made aware of the
child’s allergy and the information will be transferred to the child’s contact card.
If medication is required parents will train staff on the administration of the
medicine and required forms will be completed. (see Administration of Medicine
policy) The child’s key person or friend will administer the medicine. A medicine
form is to be completed each day for the child and parents to sign before and
after it is administered or each 6 months when it is a chronic ongoing allergy or
condition.
SICKNESS POLICY
The following advice is taken from the Kent Health Protection Unit (document
publication 2008) and applies to all staff and children.
Any staff absent from work due to ill health must notify the nursery by phone as
soon as you are aware of their sickness, the duration of the sickness or sick note
and when returning to work. They MUST phone the nursery by 4pm the day
before they intend to return to work.
Exclusion from Nursery
Infectious diseases are common among young children and nursery settings often
present an ideal situation for diseases to spread. Some diseases may present a
risk to others such as pregnant women, and children may need to be excluded.
Many diseases are so trivial that excluding them from education cannot be
justified.
There are some general rules about the exclusion of children from school and
other childcare settings.
 Children who are unwell should be in the comfort of their home, even if
they are not infectious. This is up to the key person’s discretion. If parents
are unavailable to collect the child the alternative named person will be
called.
 Children who are contagious may be excluded from Nursery. It is at the
discretion of the nursery to decide who and when they will exclude, eg
conjunctivitis noticed in one child is contagious bacteria and very easily
transmitted between young children and in such circumstances the
manager will make a decision to exclude the infected child. Please see
attached Common communicable diseases document.
 Children and staff with diarrhoea should be excluded for 24hours from last
bout, unless the diarrhoea is known to be due to a non-infectious cause (e.g
celiac disease, ulcerative colitis)
 Children and staff who have vomited, whether at home or nursery shall be
excluded from the setting until 48 hours after the last episode of vomiting.
If the vomiting is due to a medical condition the manager must be
consulted and exclusion will be at their discretion.
 Children who have been prescribed antibiotics or any other medicine can
usually return to nursery before they have completed the course, providing
they are well. The child will need to be at home for the first 24hrs of
receiving the medication if they haven’t had that specific drug before.
Common Communicable Diseases
Chickenpox
Chickenpox and Shingles are caused by the same virus (varicella-zoster virus).
Chickenpox may start with a headache and a temperature, but the rash itself may
be the first sign of the illness. The rash appears as small red ‘pimples’, usually
starting on the back, chest and stomach and spreading to the face, scalp, arms
and elsewhere. Within a few hours the ‘pimples’ become blisters which begin to
dry and crust within about 2 days. The rash appears in a succession of crops over
3-5 days.
Chickenpox is spread from person to person by contact with the blisters or by
airborne droplets. It is highly infectious for one or two days before the rash
appears and for not more than five days after the appearance of the first spots.
The incubation period is 14 to 21 days.
Staff or children with chickenpox or shingles must stay away from the nursery
for at least five days from the onset of the rash. There is no need to stay away
until the lesions are healed.
Conjunctivitis
This is an infection of the outer structures of the eye and the inside of the eyelid
which may be caused by several different organisms, including bacteria and
viruses. The first signs of infection are excessive watering and irritation of the
eye, followed by swelling and possible discharge of pus from the eye. The
infection can be spread between people by direct contact and in circumstances
where spread with the nursery is evident, it will be necessary to recommend
exclusion of affected children until they recover.
Slapped Cheek Syndrome
This is a mild viral disease due to parvovirus B19, spread by respiratory droplets.
By the time the ‘slapped cheek’ rash appears most patients are no longer
infectious and excluding children with the rash serves no useful purpose.
German Measles (Rubella)
Rubella is now very rare in school age children. It spreads by contact with
droplets from the respiratory system of infected individuals. The incubation
period is 14 to 23 days, the child is infectious for one week before the rash
appears until one week after its onset.
Children or staff with rubella should be excluded for five days from when the
rash first appeared.
Glandular Fever
Although it can occur in younger children, this viral disease is much more
common in adolescents. There is no treatment. This is not a very infectious
disease and the child should only be kept away if feeling unwell.
Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease
This is a mild disease caused by the Coxsackie’s virus. A fever is common, with
ulcers in the mouth and a red, raised rash on the hands and feet, which then
develops into small blisters. The incubation period is three to seven days. As this
is a mild disease and is most infectious before the blisters appear, it is not
necessary for children to be excluded from school.
Measles
Measles is an acute and highly infectious condition which can be a serious
disease. The illness starts with what appears at first to be an ordinary cold, sore
eyes, sneezing, coughing and a runny nose. These symptoms are accompanied by
a fever. They are usually present for about four days before the rash appeals and
during this period the child is very infectious. So, if measles is suspected it is wise
to keep the child away from nursery.
Scarlet Fever
Scarlet Fever illness is caused by certain strains of streptococcal bacteria. This is
usually a mild diseases, starting with fever a sore throat, followed by a rash which
does not affect the face, but there is a blushing of the cheeks. The infection can
be treated with antibiotics. An infected child should stay away for 24 hours from
the start of antibiotics.
Impetigo
A skin infection usually caused by the staphylococcus or streptococcus bacteria.
The infection usually affects the face, particularly around the nose and mouth and
is spread by direct contact. The incubation period is usually 4 to ten days and the
child can return to nursery once the scabs are completely crusted and healed.
Whooping Cough
The disease is most infectious in the early weeks before the typical ‘whoop’
develops and is spread by droplets. Children should stay away from nursery until
five days from commencing antibiotic treatment.
Vomiting and Diarrhoea
Children and staff who have symptoms of vomiting should be excluded from
nursery until that person has been symptom free for 48 hours. If the vomiting is
due to a medical condition, pregnancy or travel sickness this will be at the
discretion of the manager.
Children and staff who have symptoms of diarrhoea should be excluded from
nursery until that person has been symptom free for 24 hours. (Not 24 from the
first bout of diarrhoea but 24 hours from the last bout of diarrhoea.)
Kb’s Day Nursery Jan 2016
Kb’s Review Date: January 2017