When is a child too sick for school?

In the 1980s cult flick “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” Ferris (played by a young Matthew Broderick) earned a day off from school by feigning illness. His “performance” was so convincing that his schoolmates were convinced Ferris was actually on his deathbed. In actuality, he was gallivanting around town with his girlfriend and best friend.

Each day, kids put their parents’ sleuthing skills to the test when they say they’re too sick to go to school. After assessing the symptoms and pulling out the thermometer, Mom or Dad determines if an absence is warranted. After all, a day home for a youngster often means a day off from work for a parent in order to provide supervision at home. This can lead to lost wages and confrontation with the boss – particularly if absences are frequent.

Before sending their children off to school, says the Atlanta Center for Disease Control Handbook for Day Care Centers, parents should look for the following symptoms, as they usually indicate real illness:

• Temperature above 101 F in the morning

• Diarrhea (more than one abnormally loose stool has occurred in the last 24 hours)

• Vomiting anytime after 6 p.m. the preceding evening

• Severe coughing during which the child gets red or blue in the face or the child makes a high-pitched croupy or whooping sound

• Difficult or rapid breathing

• Yellowish skin or eyes

• Pinkeye (conjunctivitis), evidenced by tears, redness of eyelid lining and irritation, followed by swelling and discharge of pus

• Infected skin patches that are crusty, bright yellow, dry or gummy

• Any contagious disease – chicken pox, measles, mumps, mono and the like

• Severe itching of the body or scalp, which could indicate the presence of lice

• Severe sore throat or trouble swallowing

• Constantly running nose

If an antibiotic has been given for an ear infection or sore throat, wait 24 hours before sending a child back to school.

When validated, keeping a sick child home from school prevents the spreading of disease, which results in healthier schoolmates and fewer missed school days for all.