When to send a child back to school after sickness

Pediatrician Tanya Altmann, MD, FAAP, shares advice for parents on how to tell if your child is healthy enough to return to school following a sickness
How To Tell If Your Child Is Healthy Enough To Return To School
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When to send a child back to school after sickness

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Parents often call me when their children are sick and say when they can return to school. How long do I have to keep them home? So in general if your child has a fever. He or she should stay home until the fever is gone for at least 24 hours. With a cough as long as their feeling fine and there is no trouble breathing and the fever is gone, they can return to school. Now vomiting and diarrhea is never fun and if your child is actively throwing up and having massive diarrhea, yes they should stay home. But once the symptoms are under control, they are drinking fluids and running around and acting okay, they can return to school. I often like to remind kids to please not share drinks with their friends and wash their hands more frequently if they have been sick in the last week. But once they are feeling better and their symptoms have resolved and it’s been a day or two at home, send them back to school where they belong.

Pediatrician Tanya Altmann, MD, FAAP, shares advice for parents on how to tell if your child is healthy enough to return to school following a sickness

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Tanya Altmann, MD, FAAP

Pediatrician

A leading medical authority for the popular press and entertainment industry, Dr. Tanya Altmann is a best-selling author, parenting expert and media spokesperson. A working mother and UCLA-trained pediatrician who practices in Southern California, Dr. Tanya is a designated spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics, communicating complicated medical issues into easily understood concepts.  She is a child health expert for numerous news programs and talk shows including Today (NBC), and KTLA (CW Los Angeles). She stays on the cutting edge through her position as an Assistant Clinical Professor at Mattel Children’s Hospital at UCLA, as the Chief Medical Advisor for the Newborn Channel and her private practice.

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Transcription: 
Parents often call me when their children are sick and say when they can return to school. How long do I have to keep them home? So in general if your child has a fever. He or she should stay home until the fever is gone for at least 24 hours. With a cough as long as their feeling fine and there is no trouble breathing and the fever is gone, they can return to school. Now vomiting and diarrhea is never fun and if your child is actively throwing up and having massive diarrhea, yes they should stay home. But once the symptoms are under control, they are drinking fluids and running around and acting okay, they can return to school. I often like to remind kids to please not share drinks with their friends and wash their hands more frequently if they have been sick in the last week. But once they are feeling better and their symptoms have resolved and it’s been a day or two at home, send them back to school where they belong.