https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Thu, 07 May 2026 11:20:56 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/strep-at-school-wwyd#post-2875156 Wed, 06 Mar 2019 09:10:48 +0000 lindseykaye 2875156@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MamaG: Ok - I am going to remain on the no-symptoms, no-doctor approach then. I really appreciated you chiming in. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/strep-at-school-wwyd#post-2875127 Tue, 05 Mar 2019 22:41:18 +0000 MamaG 2875127@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@lindseykaye: yes i misunderstood, no fever. No doctor. 😀 </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/strep-at-school-wwyd#post-2875125 Tue, 05 Mar 2019 22:04:54 +0000 lindseykaye 2875125@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MamaG: Thanks for sharing as someone whose kid was affected by this a few times. That is what I am concerned about - getting kids who easily catch it sick. To be specific,, she had her fever about 2 weeks ago. Her other symptom at the time was a runny nose but both have been cleared up for a week. Right now, absolutely no symptoms. Strep was already circulating at that time (and a stomach bug, and a a cold virus, and pinworms! Ugh winter). I feel like I might have not been clear and was curious if you’d still go in at this point. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/strep-at-school-wwyd#post-2875119 Tue, 05 Mar 2019 20:41:00 +0000 MamaG 2875119@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Strep is ridiculously contagious. We have had more than our share of it with our younger child. I’m in the minority here but I would take her in. The fact that you are keeping her home due to an elevated temperature speaks to her being unwell. I would think she would likely have more symptoms but some kids don’t. My kid gets a stomachache and will typically vomit as well. Headaches are also common. We had the symptoms down to a science and were right 100% of the time when we took her to the doctor. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/strep-at-school-wwyd#post-2875054 Tue, 05 Mar 2019 14:20:37 +0000 Mrsbells 2875054@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@lindseykaye: At age 6 I wouldn't take her in to the doctor unless she had some symptoms. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/strep-at-school-wwyd#post-2875052 Tue, 05 Mar 2019 14:12:35 +0000 lindseykaye 2875052@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Thank you everyone for the info and experiences! I really appreciate this community especially in times like this &lt;3</p> <p>I think we will not pursue testing since she is not showing any symptoms of illness. If that changes we'll head to the doc and see where it goes. I really hope it can stop circulating soon! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/strep-at-school-wwyd#post-2875025 Tue, 05 Mar 2019 11:46:55 +0000 SproutBee 2875025@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yeah, I could kind of tell what you were getting at (and not to mention all the other strep strains out there...) but I just didn’t want people thinking you never need to treat strep! I get that the US makes a lot of public health decisions based on a cost-benefit ratio... but I have seen (and still see!) rheumatic heart disease from untreated strep abroad and it’s not something I would wish upon my kids if it’s so easily preventable! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/strep-at-school-wwyd#post-2875023 Tue, 05 Mar 2019 11:29:40 +0000 peachykeen 2875023@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@SproutBee: I think we're coming at this from different perspectives. I respect your experience as a pediatrician but rheumatic fever occurs in 1% or less of strep A infections (whether treated with abx or untreated) and is thereby a high-impact, low-incidence risk. Given increasing levels of antibiotic resistance, there is a movement among some physicians and public health authorities to reconsider whether to treat all strep infections by default. Obviously, physicians treat individuals, not populations, and like to be cautious (understandably so). Just wanted to explain what I was trying to say, not counteract your point. I would and have treated strep infections in a child with antibiotics :happy: Luckily it is very treatable with antibiotics, unlike something like measles.</p> <p>ETA: this is what I meant by "treated out of precaution" but maybe I didn't word it well </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/strep-at-school-wwyd#post-2875020 Tue, 05 Mar 2019 11:03:32 +0000 SproutBee 2875020@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@peachykeen: sorry, I usually don’t give medical advice on these forums, but there is some false information here so I feel the need to speak up. (I am a pediatrician.) While it is true that strep throat is a “self-limiting” disease - meaning your body will fight it off naturally without the use of antibiotics - we don’t actually treat it to help the sore throat. We treat it to prevent the complications of group A strep infection - mainly rheumatic heart disease, which is a rare but possible complication that involves damage to your heart valves. I see a population of immigrants and I have a number of patients with rheumatic heart diasease from untreated strep throat abroad. </p> <p>That said, many of us are asymptomatic “carriers” of Group A strep. This will not cause any harm or complications. So, yes, I would only test/treat my child if they were showing true signs of strep INFECTION, which would be fever, sore throat, sometimes with headache and stomach ache. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/strep-at-school-wwyd#post-2875017 Tue, 05 Mar 2019 10:55:10 +0000 bhbee 2875017@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I voted yes but honestly I never get it checked until there is sore throat so I should have voted wait and see! My oldest had it 4 times in K and once in 1st but all got painful for her and involved 100 up to high fever. If you go in too early in the infection, even if she has it she may not test positive! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/strep-at-school-wwyd#post-2875014 Tue, 05 Mar 2019 10:44:27 +0000 peachykeen 2875014@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>From a public-health standpoint (my background/profession), I wouldn't even consider taking my healthy child in to be tested/treated. I definitely appreciate your concern/care though! Most strep actually doesn't really need to be treated and is only treated out of precaution/lessening symptoms + duration of illness. It is miserable, but rarely a major health concern despite the reputation it has gotten with scarlet fever. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/strep-at-school-wwyd#post-2875012 Tue, 05 Mar 2019 10:30:37 +0000 lady baltimore 2875012@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>What would you do if she came back positive? Would you treat (essentially) asymptomatic strep? Keep her home until it clears (I don't know if that is how strep works)?</p> <p>My experience is certainly colored by never dealing with strep, but I wouldn't give antibiotics to my kid for the symptoms you describe, so I wouldn't see much point in getting her tested. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/strep-at-school-wwyd#post-2875001 Tue, 05 Mar 2019 10:02:05 +0000 creativemomma15 2875001@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Not sure how helpful this is but our pediatrician always said that he could go into a crowd of 100 people and a certain percentage would test positive even though they did't truly have the infection and he made it sound like they wouldn't need treated. Maybe you could call and talk to a nurse? See what they advise? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/strep-at-school-wwyd#post-2875000 Tue, 05 Mar 2019 10:01:58 +0000 Ajsmommy 2875000@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We just had this occur in our home. DH got diagnosed with strep and his dr suggested we get DS tested even though he had no symptoms... my PEDIATRICIANS office refused to do it. They said I could take DS in and they'd do a check and if they felt it was warranted they would then swab BUT they would NOT swab just bc I wanted them too and bc DH had tested positive even though DS had shared drinks/food w dh just the day before..</p> <p>Sooooo they may not even test her unless she has symptoms. I guess I'd call and ask the nurse line first and see what they say. It'd be terrible to go in, pay your co pay/ded whatever and then they refuse to test her </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/strep-at-school-wwyd#post-2874996 Tue, 05 Mar 2019 09:50:33 +0000 Mrs. Lemon-Lime 2874996@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Not too long ago, I tested positive for strep and although LO hadn’t shown any signs I brought him in for test. He was positive as well. Then, we both went on meds. We went to an urgent care facility. I don’t know if that could possibly save you money. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/strep-at-school-wwyd#post-2874994 Tue, 05 Mar 2019 09:45:12 +0000 lindseykaye 2874994@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My DD is 6yo and in kindergarten at a small private charter school. Her class is 13 students in a mixed K-2 classroom. There is another building that has a preschool with children age 1-5 (daycare/preschool/pre-k classes). They have one main playground for all children that they use during the day as well as a smaller playground just for the elementary class.</p> <p>In the last several weeks there have been multiple cases of strep reported in both the K-2 class as well as one of the other classes. The school has contacted the health department to determine if they're doing everything they can (they are) and sent multiple reminders to parents to keep children home if they are sick. This version of strep apparently can range from having no symptoms (one student who recently tested positive with their sibling who had symptoms) to a runny nose/cough, to a full-blown fever and throat soreness. </p> <p>Now here's my question - my DD has been out of school during this time with a mild fever but we did not go to the doctor for it (below 100). Should I take her to the doctor at this point just to get her swabbed for strep to see if she is a carrier and get her treated? I don't really want to take my otherwise healthy kid in and pay for an appointment (I have a high deductible plan so likely it would be pricey). But I also don't want to be unknowingly spreading this around school still. </p> <p>What would you do? </p>