•When siblings can return to school or daycare?
Siblings may continue to attend school or daycare as long as they are immunized or immune. If they have not been immunized, they may need a measles vaccine or immune globulin.

Pediculosis - (Head Lice)

•Symptoms:
Itchy scalp. Live lice are tiny wingless insects that crawl into the hair. Nits are tiny egg-shaped deposits which are firmly attached to the hair. Symptoms appear eight to ten days after exposure.

•Transmission:
Spread by direct head-to-head contact or by sharing clothing, hats, combs, and brushes.

•Infectious Period:
Contagious until treated and nits are gone.

•When infected child can return to school or daycare?
After treatment.

•When siblings can return to school or daycare?
Siblings may continue to go to school or daycare as long as they are not infected.

>Pertussis -- (Whopping Cough)

•Symptoms:
Cold-like symptoms with irritating cough. Coughing is prolonged and severe, and it may be characterized by a high-pitched whoop or crowing. Symptoms appear seven to ten days after exposure.

•Transmission:
Spread through direct or airborne contact with saliva, phlegm, or articles soiled by the sick child.

•Infectious Period:
Contagious for up to three weeks after start of cough or up to five days after antibiotics are started.

•When infected child can return to school or daycare?
After at least five days of antibiotic treatment, assuming child feels well.

•When siblings can return to school or daycare?
Siblings may continue to attend school or daycare as long as they are immunized or immune. If they have not been immunized, they may need a booster shot and antibiotic.

Rubella

•Symptoms:
Mild fever, headache, cough, red eyes, runny nose. Swollen glands at back of neck. May not feel ill. Rash consists of mottled or raised spots spreading from face to neck to body over 12 to 24 hours. Symptoms appear 14 to 23 days after exposure.

•Transmission:
Spread through direct contact with phlegm, saliva, or articles soiled by the sick child. People without symptoms can spread the infection.

•Infectious Period:
Contagious from seven days before to four days after rash appears.

•When infected child can return to school or daycare?
Child should stay home for seven days after rash appears and should avoid contact with non-immune pregnant women.

•When siblings can return to school or daycare?
Siblings may continue to attend school or daycare as long as they are uninfected and have been immunized against the disease.

Scarlet Fever

•Symptoms:
Sore throat and fever; fine red rash which feels like sandpaper and fades on pressure. Most often appears on neck, chest, folds of armpits, elbow, groin, and inner parts of thighs. Symptoms appear one to three days after exposure.

•Transmission:
Spread through direct contact with phlegm, saliva, or articles soiled by the sick child. Limited spread through the air. People without symptoms can spread the infection.

•Infectious Period:
Contagious for 10 to 21 days after exposure, or 24 to 48 hours after antibiotics have been started.

•When infected child can return to school or daycare?
Child can return to school 48 hours after the start of antibiotics if he/she is feeling well.

•When siblings can return to school or daycare?
Siblings may continue to attend school as long as they are not infected.

Strep Throat

•Symptoms:
Fever; sore throat.

•Transmission:
Spread person to person.

•Infectious Period:
Contagious until 24 hours after the start of treatment.

•When infected child can return to school or daycare?
Child can return to school 24 hours after the start of treatment.

•When siblings can return to school or daycare?
Siblings may continue to attend school as long as they are not infected.

Ann Douglas is the author of The Unofficial Guide to Childcare, Baby Science How Babies Really Work, and The Unofficial Guide to Having A Baby. She writes the monthly "Mom's the Word" column for Canadian Parents Online and is a regular contributor to a number of print and online publications. She and her husband Neil have four children. Ann is frequently quoted in the media on a range of parenting-related topics, and has appeared as a guest on a number of television and radio shows. She can be contacted via her management firm, Page One Productions Inc.

Ann and her husband Neil live in Peterborough, Ontario, with their four children Julie, Scott, Erik, and Ian . A fifth child, Laura Ann, was stillborn in 1996 due to a true knot in her umbilical cord.

Copyright © Ann Douglas. Permission to republish granted to Pregnancy.org, LLC.