You have plenty of other things to do at 6:30 in the morning than play amateur doctor. Yet that's the situation many parents face when a child awakens with a health complaint and you must determine whether the complaint is serious enough to warrant a sick day.
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Monitor any symptoms of illness before your child goes to sleep at night. Make time to evaluate the symptoms in the morning. Symptoms can get worse overnight. How does your child appear? Is he or she active, alert, and comfortable or slow, lethargic, whiny, irritable, feverish, or have other significant symptoms?
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Children can attend school with the sniffles as long as they feel all right otherwise. But keep your child at home if he or she has a heavy cough or a steady stream of mucus. Also keep the child home if the cough is accompanied by breathing that is rapid or labored and describe these symptoms to your doctor.
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If your child has a rash, it's important to determine its source. If it's poison ivy, for example, the child can go to school as long as the rash is being properly treated. But an unexplained rash may be the first symptom of a contagious illness. Note whether the rash is accompanied by such other symptoms as fever, crankiness, lethargy, unusual crying, or a general feeling of discomfort. Keep the child at home and describe these symptoms to your doctor.
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A common complaint is an upset stomach. This can be caused by several things, including an upcoming test or a situation in school that your child may be reluctant to confront. The pain probably isn't caused by something too serious if your child is able to play or do other activities. But keep your child home from school if the stomach pain is accompanied by vomiting, diarrhea, or fever. If the child complains of stomach pain for several days, you should call your physician for advice.
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A child who is vomiting should be kept at home. Unless the source of the vomiting is obvious (for example, a reaction to a new food), you should also check with your doctor. Diarrhea is another reason to keep your child at home. Younger school age children may not be able to prevent accidents.
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When it comes to temperature, a reading below 100 degrees is generally not cause for concern, child experts say. A fever above 100, especially when combined with a sore throat, a rash, or other symptoms, could indicate a more serious illness. Keep the child at home and then describe the symptoms to your doctor.