Your 3-year-old is playing listlessly with her oatmeal. “My tummy hurts, Mommy,” she says. There’s no fever, no vomiting and no diarrhea, but she’s not her normal bundle of energy.

Now comes the tough part. Do you send her to day care, or keep her home?

Th e American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Public Health Association have guidelines that can help you make up your mind. The guidelines say kids in group care or school should stay home if the illness:

• Poses a risk of spreading a serious or harmful disease
• Needs more care than the staff can provide without risking the health and safety of other children
• Would keep the child from joining in activities

“Parents know their children better than day care/school professionals,” says Dr. Rick Stanford, pediatrician with INTEGRIS Health. “If the child is just ‘not acting like his or her normal self,’ the child should stay home, as this may be heralding the onset of something more serious.”

Keep Children Home for:

• Fever higher than 101° F orally or 102° F rectally
• Diarrhea or blood in stools
• Persistent abdominal pain
• Vomiting twice or more in 24 hours
• Conjunctivitis (pinkeye), strep throat or chickenpox, until no longer contagious
• Sluggishness, uncontrolled coughing, constant crying or other signs of possible severe illness.

Children with colds, runny noses or mild fever may be able to go to school or day care, depending on other factors. For instance, will they feel well enough to take part in activities? To learn more about health and safety practices in day care and school, visit the National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care at www.healthykids.us.

INTEGRIS Health 3300 N.W. Expressway, Oklahoma City, OK 73112 (405) 949-3011 | HealthLine: (888) 951-2277