WWYD? Supposed to go bday but bday child had stomach flu 2 days prior

[mainemommy1]

MY Ds is invited to a classmates party-he is not close with this child but was excited about going with the whole class. The family has had the stomach flu and the child has not been at preschool however they are sure the will be fine by the day of the party (in 2 days) I am leary about taking my child into a germ infested home seeing that the stomach bug virus can live on household surfaces for up 2 two weeks and the party is at their home. And when my child was young he was hospitalized with IV's for dehydration due to stomach bug. WWYD? Skip it? or Risk it??

[mamazee]

I would let my child go.

[One_Girl]

I would let my kid go. Chances are the bug is already in your children's systems from preschool and it is only a matter of time before they get it anyways. To be safe you could bring hand sanitizer and put it on your child a few times while you are there. Washing is better, but hand sanitizer is good if you aren't going to go wash in the bathroom several times but still want the protection from the germs. If/when he does catch the bug make sure to keep a bottle of water by him and encourage him to take a sip every 10 or 15 minutes. This helps prevent dehydration.

[4evermom]

It's unlikely the home has more germs than the preschool so I would let him go if he's excited to do what all the other kids are doing.

[Tjej]

I agree. Plus consider, his class will mostly be there, so if it is all over everything they will just transfer it to him back at preschool when they are infected.

Tjej

[tbone_kneegrabber]

Yea let him go the kid probably got it at school anyway!

[mainemommy1]

actually school is only on t/th and the sick kid had it over the weekend and was out of school on tues-so we have decided to keep him home. the others will be infected and come down with symptoms before school next week. thanks for your thoughts though! We just can't risk it based on other factors as well which I hadn't considered when I wrote the post.

[BellinghamCrunchie]

I would not take my child. Under those circumstances, I think there is a very high risk of being infected. And I would probably keep my child out of school next week if the other children attended the party.

I realize this sounds paranoid, but our family does not do well with the stomach flu. Colds, flu's, even H1N1, I sent DD to preschool. Not so with the stomach virus; I kept her home.

[SweetPotato]

I'd skip it as well. We were just at a party in a home that had a stomach bug over a week ago, and some of the kids have now come down with it (I'm holding my breath that dd stays well!)

[Kirsten]

I wouldn't go - and none of my kids have ever been in the hospital with IVs for dehydration. I'm FINE with colds but any type of flu - no thanks! I'd think the birthday kid's mom would push the party out a week.

[treemom2]

I'd go and not worry too much about germs. I do understand you've had problems with severe illness in the past, but exposure to germs, viruses, bacterias tend to make our bodies more resilient in the long run. My DS gets horrible colds which have turned into pneumonia requiring hospitalization. . .I still don't keep him away from sick children because I hope his little body is getting stronger by being exposed to many things.

[Bug-a-Boo's Mama]

I'd skip it. Too much sickness in the house for me to risk my child and anyone in my family catching from my child to risk it. I am quite sure other children won't go either because of the illness.

[Bug-a-Boo's Mama]

Originally Posted by Kirsten

I'd think the birthday kid's mom would push the party out a week.

Yeah, it would suck for the bday child maybe (if s/he knew what was going on) but I wouldn't want to deal with a party after being so sick.

[DanishMom]

Originally Posted by treemom2

I'd go and not worry too much about germs. I do understand you've had problems with severe illness in the past, but exposure to germs, viruses, bacterias tend to make our bodies more resilient in the long run. My DS gets horrible colds which have turned into pneumonia requiring hospitalization. . .I still don't keep him away from sick children because I hope his little body is getting stronger by being exposed to many things.

Please look into this. A child's immune system gets weaker with every new
infection. Children who have been sick more often - or more severely - than other kids need to be protected from new virus and bacteria.

[FallingLeaves]

I think you are doing the right thing to skip it. DD came down with a stomach bug and hadn't been anywhere several days before coming down with it. We stay away from sick and recently sick kids.

[LVale]

I agree with TreeMom2. The more virus's your child is exposed to now, the greater their immune systems will be. Do not keep your child in a bubble, unless of course there is an underling condition. Little one's get sick, it is just a fact of life. Usually once you have exposure to a particular cold virus or flu , you won't get it again. The last cold I had was given to me by my 1 yr. old grandson, and I am 48, that means I never had that virus. I got over it. But the really big bad bug I had was in 2005. Whooping cough, I got vaccd as a child, but I was diagnosed, and that was the most horrible illness, I ever had! Got over it, and still am alive and kicking. So don't fret over the small stuff.

[ShyDaisi]

Originally Posted by DanishMom

Please look into this. A child's immune system gets weaker with every new
infection. Children who have been sick more often - or more severely - than other kids need to be protected from new virus and bacteria.

Do you have research to this effect? Everything that I have read or learned about the immune system is that each sickness is like a test that builds the immune system's strength -- the antibodies that are created to fight one illness kind of go into reserves waiting to be called in to battle the next one. If a child were to have a compromised immune system for whatever reason, that is one thing, but a typically healthy child? I would be interested in reading about it...