School Nurse

The Center's Infirmary is a welcoming place for any child who feels ill or needs medical attention during school hours or during before- or after-school care. Our nurse is on duty during all hours when students are on campus and is our in-house educator in matters of health and nutrition.

A Note from the School Nurse...

What is Whooping Cough???

 Allergies | Cold vs Flu | FDA Recall: Children's Medication

What is Whooping Cough???

As the cases of Pertussis rise in California, there are ways as a community that we can help lessen the spread of the disease. Please take the time to read below.

Pertussis (Whooping Cough) Symptoms

Pertussis can cause serious illness in infants, children and adults. The disease starts like the common cold, with runny nose or congestion, sneezing, and maybe mild cough or fever. But after 1–2 weeks, severe coughing begins. Infants and children with the disease cough violently and rapidly, over and over, until the air is gone from their lungs and they're forced to inhale with a loud "whooping" sound. Pertussis is most severe for babies; more than half of infants less than 1 year of age who get the disease must be hospitalized. About 1 in 5 infants with pertussis get pneumonia (lung infection), and about 1 in 100 will have convulsions. In rare cases (1 in 100), pertussis can be deadly, especially in infants.

How Pertussis Spreads

People with pertussis usually spread the disease by coughing or sneezing while in close contact with others, who then breathe in the pertussis bacteria. Many infants who get pertussis are infected by parents, older siblings, or other caregivers who might not even know they have the disease.

Pertussis in the United States

Since the 1980s, there's been an increase in the number of cases of pertussis, especially among teens (10–19 years of age) and babies less than 6 months of age. In 2008 there were more than 13,000 reported cases including 18 deaths from pertussis nationally.

Preventing Pertussis

The best way to prevent pertussis is to get vaccinated. In the US, the recommended pertussis vaccine for children is called DTaP. This is a safe and effective combination vaccine that protects children against three diseases: diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis. For maximum protection against pertussis, children need five DTaP shots. The first three shots are given at 2, 4, and 6 months of age. The fourth shot is given between 15 and 18 months of age, and a fifth shot is given when a child enters school, at 4–6 years of age. Parents can also help protect infants by keeping them away as much as possible from anyone who has cold symptoms or is coughing.

Vaccine protection for pertussis, tetanus, and diphtheria can fade with time. Before 2005, the only booster vaccine available contained tetanus and diphtheria (called Td), and was recommended for adolescents and adults every 10 years. Today there are boosters for adolescents and adults that contain tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (called Tdap). Pre-teens going to the doctor for their regular check-up at age 11 or 12 years should get a dose of Tdap. Adults who didn't get Tdap as a pre-teen or teen should get one dose of Tdap instead of the Td booster. Most pregnant women who were not previously vaccinated with Tdap should get one dose of Tdap postpartum before leaving the hospital or birthing center. Getting vaccinated with Tdap is especially important for families with and caregivers of new infants.

The easiest thing for adults to do is to get Tdap instead of their next regular tetanus booster—that Td shot that they were supposed to get every 10 years. The dose of Tdap can be given earlier than the 10-year mark, so it's a good idea for adults to talk to a healthcare provider about what's best for their specific situation.

Allergies

In the spring and summer, trees and grasses can be a common allergen, or trigger of your child's allergies.

Allergic rhinitis, or hay fever, is a common problem in infants and children. The most common symptoms include a stuffy or runny nose with clear drainage or congestion, repeated sneezing, itchy eyes and nose, sore throat, throat clearing and a cough that may be worse at night and in the morning. Children with allergies may also breath through their mouth a lot and have dark circles under their eyes (allergic shiners).

These symptoms usually occur during certain times of the year for people with seasonal allergies, corresponding to being exposed to outdoor allergens, such as tree pollens, grasses and weeds.

Other children may have perennial allergies, with symptoms occurring year round from exposure to indoor allergens, such as dust mites, pets, second hand smoke and molds.

Although it can be helpful to avoid the things that you are allergic to, such as dust mites or cats, it is harder when you have seasonal allergies. Although it isn't practical to not go outside during your allergy season, there are some steps you can take to minimize your child's exposure to allergens (things that cause allergies), such as:

• keeping windows closed in the car and home to avoid exposure to pollens, especially on days when the pollen forecasts predict medium or high pollen levels
• limiting outdoor activities when pollen counts are highest (early morning for spring time tree pollens, afternoon and early evening for summer grasses, and in the middle of the day for ragweed in the fall.)
• not hanging clothing outside to dry, instead, use a dryer or hang the clothes inside
• taking a daily bath at bedtime, which may help to wash off allergens and prevent nighttime allergy problems
• take any preventative allergy medications, such as an antihistamine and/or nasal steroid spray before your child's allergy season begins and continuing them on a daily basis throughout your child's allergy season.

If your child's allergy symptoms aren't getting under control with your current medications, a recheck with your Pediatrician might be a good idea.

The Cold vs. The Flu: Know Your Symptoms 

IMPORTANT:

• Wash your Hands!
• Keep your hands away from your nose, mouth and eyes.
• Get plenty of rest.
• Take a multi-vitamin each day.
• Most importantly stay at home if you have a severe cold or any flu-like symptoms to avoid infecting others

FDA Recall: Children's Medication

The FDA has recalled a massive amount of McNeil Children's medication.  This list includes:

• Children's Tylenol
• Infant's Tylenol
• Children's Motrin
• Infant's Motrin
• Children's Zyrtec
• Children's Benadryl

It is advisable to discontinue use of these products until further notice from the FDA. Generic forms of these medications are safe to use, CVS" Ibuprofen", Walgreens" Benadryl" etc….

For more information, please click on the link below.

http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm210441.htm

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.

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