Daycare Keeps Inflating DD's Temperature
Over the past couple of months, DD has been sent home three times with a "fever" which is always between 101-103. But when we pick her up, she isn't warm to the touch, and when we get her home, she's never over 99. This time, we even took her to the doctor and they measured 98.4. Getting really frustrated with these exclusions that aren't based on actual fact. What gives?
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Is she ever given anything to help her feel better before you take her temp at home? Does anything, anything at all, go in her mouth before her temp is taken?
Where is the daycare taking her temp vs where you are? Under arm or mouth? Forehead ? And what kind of thermometer is the daycare using vs you? Anytime I’ve even had a temp discrepancy between home and daycare it was because Tylenol or ibuprofen or some kind of ‘make you feel better’ thing was used, temperature was just checked by feeling the forehead (no thermometer being used), child was given something cold to eat/drink right before temp was taken, or the like.... Not that is what’s happening, but... |
ask to take her temp again at pick up
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Nice try, but believe it or not, some parents are actually honest. I am a scientist, and integrity of data is paramount to me. No NSAIDs, nothing to artificially depress temperature. I take my own temperature as a control. We use a temporal thermometer, daycare uses axillary. Should be roughly the same, but regardless, not enough to explain 98 vs. 101.
What I'm talking about is: I get a phone call about the fever, pick DD up within 15-20 min, already not warm to the touch. Get home 10 min later, no fever. Doctors office, no fever. Repeatedly. Originally Posted by Denali: |
I would bring my thermometer the next time she is called for pick up. Take it with yours the second you walk in the door and also ask the daycare to show you how they take her temperature.
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That's the plan from now on. I try to give them the benefit of the doubt, but.....
Just to be clear, I have no problem taking her home if she needs to go home. Sick kids don't belong in daycare. My issue is with being told something that isn't true. Originally Posted by hwichlaz: |
Can you ask them to show you the temperature or take it in front of you? I don’t see why they would lie. Specially since it’s something you can instantly disprove.
And you’d be amazed how many people don’t think about itbehen they say their child doesn’t have a fever but they gave them a fever reducer medicine. Which is why most schools and daycares have to specifically say that child has to be fever free without the use of a fever reducer for 24 hours. |
Absolutely, from now on I'm getting them to repeat the reading in front of me until either my readings start squaring with theirs, or I understand why they don't.
And once again, we haven't given her ANY meds whatsoever, at all. In weeks! Nothing, nada, zero. It's the kind of thing I'd remember doing, because getting any med to go in her mouth is a battle of epic proportions. |
Originally Posted by Unregistered: |
How old is your child?
Are the days she’s been sent home the same in any way? (same day of week or beginning of week/month etc) |
Their thermometer could be off caliber and they may not realize it. I had one that I recently replaced that was reading low and I didn’t realize it at first until a child felt much hotter than the thermometer reading. I bought two new ones, an oral and a forehead. These new thermometers vary by 2 full degrees from my old one that was reading low. The one that was reading low was older and I’d had it almost 10 years so as with many things these days, I suppose it just wasn’t meant to work forever. Perhaps theirs is reading higher than what the true temperature is?
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Originally Posted by Unregistered: If what you say is true, ask for it to be checked again before you leave with her. That won’t mean that she can stay, because that is ultimately up to the daycare, but it will be something. Side note: For 4 months my daughter’s temp would go up to 102 for about 20-40 minutes a few times a day and sometimes only once a day. Every time I took her to the doctor her temp was 98-99, never more. It was frustrating and we never figured out what was going on. I recorded taking my DD’s temp with my phone to Show that I wasn’t crazy. Maybe ask nicely if your daycare will do that and send it to you so you can show the doctor next time? This will help you with the “I’m not seeing it so it’s not happening” and on the other side of it if they are lying you’ll see it for yourself 👍 Also start looking for another daycare, if they are sending home because they just don’t want your daughter there and using fever as a way to do that then you’ll need another place soon anyway. Doesn’t sound like you trust them either. It can be frustrating. |
Originally Posted by HappyEverAfter: |
Originally Posted by Denali: |
Yea I was going to say at least I know even center that uses auxiliary thermometers usually get them for around $1-3 so I doubt the reading could terrible accurate. Calibration could be off, she could be adding degrees to it too I know at a few centers I worked at they told us to add a degree too to the temp of the child. That’s just the rule I guess cuz of the type of thermometer? not a scheme.
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Does your daughter cry or tantrum a lot in daycare? Is there a particular time of day it seems to be happening?
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AFAIK she isn't any worse behaved than any other kid. The teachers actually tell me she's cooperative and well behaved. The phone calls about the "fevers" are always in the afternoon, and they start "she woke up from her nap and seemed a bit off, so I checked her temperature, and it was 83 bajillion degrees..."
Originally Posted by Cat Herder: |
Originally Posted by Unregistered: I kind of feel like it might be something to do with staffing issues or afternoon/next day activities...I don't know, immediately my first thoughts were that they were simply trying to reduce #'s for that time period/day etc and if the calls for pick up always come at a similar time of day, it makes that thought even more plausible. Do you have any other concerns about the program or staff? Anything that seems off? How long have you attended there? Other children of yours enrolled as well? What is the staff's attitude like with you when you pick up? Do they exclude the following day as well? |
Originally Posted by Blackcat31: If your daughter is too young to be moved up a class and too old to be moved down a class, sending home for ratios is a thing some centers do. It is not an ethical thing to do. It is usually about payroll or a staffing shortage. Few parents catch on to it because there are only small age windows that kids cannot be legally combined for ratios. |
I don't see why the provider would lie but you never know. I think calling her out will make her mad though because as others have said trust or lack of is a big deal. I would address it as a concern for your child's health instead of accusing the daycare of lying. I mean, if she actually has a temp they are addressing her health in the only way they can by letting mom know so she can make the decisions to "get to the bottom of it".
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FWIW, most kids wake up warm from sleep. ;) That is why most do not call it a fever until it is sustained for 20 minutes. ;)
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Originally Posted by Unregistered: |
I've had several kids over the years that sleep hot.
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My son was at a daycare that routinely checked children’s temperatures after nap time to claim children had fevers so they could send them home. After about the 5th time in 2 months I withdrew my child. After talking with other parents, they said the same thing. My little guy is always hot when he sleeps. He’s 4 now and sleeps in underwear and will still wake up sweaty. I would start looking for alternate care.
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Originally Posted by Unregistered: By following manufacturer instructions, I am now able to get accurate and consistent readings. I would actually purchase an Exergen temporal thermometer and give it to the childcare, along with usage instructions, and ask them to use it on your child. Remember that temporal readings will be a LITTLE lower than an oral or rectal reading, but that they will be consistent. Ask for a photo of the temp when they contact you. I always send a photo of temps, and haven't had a parent argue with me about their child not being sick since I started doing this. |
Interesting theory, the timeline makes sense for it. The first shift starts at 6:30, 6:30 plus 8 hours is 2:30. Care to guess what time I always get these calls?
I can't go into it assuming this unethical behavior, but I will certainly keep my eyes peeled. To answer your other questions... she's 18 months, and we already have had an incident that eroded my trust in them. Last year, I got a phone call saying she bit herself, and the teacher saw her do it. We picked her up, and the bite mark had 12 teeth. Problem is, she only had two teeth! So very, very clearly, some other child bit her, and the teacher lied about watching her do it. After this, we had a chat with the director about the importance of being truthful about what happens with DD. After these calls, I haven't been bringing her back the following day, because I've been adhering to the policy of 24 hours with no fever. But if there really was no fever though, and she's feeling fine, I don't think I'd be wrong to bring her in. Originally Posted by Blackcat31: |
I just bought a brand new (EXPENSIVE) thermometer and it reads insanely high. I didn't catch it until I took my husband's temperature when he was sick and it read 105.5. We re-took underarm and he was just slightly over 101.
Parents will often ask me to check temps as soon as kiddos wake up if they had an off morning and they always read high. I agree with bringing your own thermometer and asking if they can re-take the temp before you pick up. I always re-check before making the call to send a kid home and it almost always goes down once they are up and moving. |
maybe not a mistake
Hi, im sorry this keeps happening to you! I had a similar issue with a child in my care who was running a fever occasionaily , and when the parents got home they would say there was no fever. I started taking a picture of the thermometer that would mark 101 and above to have proof. After about a month of this ( maybe once or twice a week) the child caught an awful virus and was out for a week and a half.
Im not sure why this keeps happening with your daughter. But I can say from my perspective as a provider that I never like to send kids home sick, especially since im aware that the parents cannot just take time off work whenever they want . I cant see why they would fake this. In my case, the reason I am on top of temperatures is because since there are so many other kids , I worry they will all get sick. However, I would just ask the provider for a picture of the thermometer ( and maybe even ask her to take it once or twice with a 15-30 min break in between readings) After nap time the children are definitely hotter, or if she was running, crying, or worked herself up, your daughters temperature may have risen temporarily . |
Originally Posted by Blackcat31: Originally Posted by Cat Herder: I just had a conversation with a dcm about this. Her child had a fever and was sent home THREE TIMES in two weeks. Mom swore up and down she had no fever, and I know she was elevated, it was 103 and she was obviously uncomfortable. Come to find out this mother thought that tylenol cured a fever. She's a nurse. I just.... :ouch: |
Originally Posted by hwichlaz: |
Originally Posted by daycarediva: |
Originally Posted by Cat Herder: |
Originally Posted by daycarediva: Sometimes it is hard to see things when it is your own kid, though. :p Mechanics drive the worst maintained cars, I've heard. |
Originally Posted by Cat Herder: Our pedi had to make sure the nurses were all trained better on it, because it was giving us a heart attack and giving all the children inaccurate measurements. It was a big deal for us because we were on the line for getting DD to grow well enough after weaning her off her feeding tube. |
Originally Posted by Blackcat31: Last week I interviewed a mom that had left the day care that I talked about earlier. She stated the same thing, that she was constantly getting phone calls for pickup due to a fever. The last time she got a call ,she stopped at her house and grabbed her thermometer. She walked in that daycare and said I'm going to take my child's temp with my thermometer, and then you take my child's temp with your thermometer and we're going to compare. Both readings were normal. She told the daycare provider she was tired of these constant made up fevers. She was missing too much work. And said she was done effective immediately. I would definitely bring your thermometer upon puck up and do a comparison, to see if you are getting jerked around. |
I think it's a pretty common occurrence in both center care and in home care for some programs/providers. NOT all.
Center care does it for staffing and ratios issues or when they know an inspection is scheduled. In home providers do it for similar reasons and for alot of other "dumb" reasons.... I knew a provider in my community that used to schedule a field trip for her older kids (not in diapers) but would still take in all her regular kids in the mornings and then around lunch would call and say the younger kids (in diapers) had a temp or had diarrhea so they have to get picked up. Since they attended at least a partial day, there was no refund of fees so she gets to go on the planned field trip and gets paid in full for all kids even though just a couple went on the field trip. You'd be surprised (maybe) at what antics similar to this that providers will post in on-line social media groups or on forum boards for providers only. I have been shocked speechless more than once at the lengths some providers will go to send a child home for frivolous and/or silly reasons. :rolleyes: |
Never take a temp right after wakeup! I always wait 30minutes so after snack and a cold glass of water. I personally don’t even take a temperature until a child is acting funny. Why else would you be “checking” a child for a fever?
I had a family that I had to repeatedly send their kids home for fevers. Like 4x in 7 months. Prior to that I had sent home kids maybe 2x for fevers...it was really rare! Every single time the illness would magically dissappear when they would get home. Still have no idea if they were lying or not but it never happened before and has not happened since! Weird. |
Originally Posted by Blackcat31: |
Originally Posted by Cat Herder: |
Originally Posted by daycarediva: |
Originally Posted by Ariana: My little girl who runs hot at nap time (even before she goes to sleep!) gets a really red face, which is why I started taking her temp. I have never sent her home for it, because I noticed right away that her temp returned to normal within 30 minutes of waking up. Such an odd thing, though, that you can almost count on a fever level temperature right around lunch time! |
Originally Posted by hwichlaz: |
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