Messages from the School Nurse

You’ve pulled an attached tick off your child, now what? According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, the risk of Lyme disease after a deer tick bite is low, especially with brief attachment. Even in high risk areas, like CT, only 2% of deer tick bites cause Lyme disease. The […]

Ear Discomfort in Children Ear discomfort is a common complaint reported by children during allergy season. Children may report a stuffy or plugged up feeling in the ear, crackling or popping noises or muffled hearing. Complaints of this type, without pain, are usually caused by ear congestion. Causes of Ear […]

Chest Pain in Children While chest pain in an adult can be serious, chest pain in children is usually not. Below are some things to consider if your child reports chest pain: Muscle Overuse. Chest pain can follow sports, lifting or upper body work. This type of muscle soreness often […]

It’s Time to Start Seasonal Allergy Prevention! On the unusual warm days in February, I started to see students reporting seasonal allergy symptoms which include sneezing; stuffy or runny nose; cough and scratchy throat due to postnasal drip; puffy, watery, itchy eyes and itchy mouth or skin. Allergy symptoms are […]

Healthy Sleep Habits: How Many Hours Does Your Child Need? The American Academy of Pediatrics endorses the recommendations developed by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. ? Children 3 to 5 years – 10 to 13 hours of sleep every 24 hours (including naps). ? Children 6 to 12 years […]

When to Keep Your Sick Child Home from School It can be difficult to decide when your child is too sick for school. Common sense, concern for your child’s well-being and the possibility of infecting classmates should all contribute to the decision. If your child is so uncomfortable that they […]

Common Finger Injuries Now that basketball season has arrived, I often see students who report “jammed” fingers. Below are some helpful tips from the American Academy of Pediatrics. Diagnosis Comparing the injured finger to the same uninjured finger on the opposite hand is always helpful. Seek medical care if the […]

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends the Take 3 approach to fight the flu: 1. Get the flu vaccine every year 2. Take preventative actions to stop the spread of germs: -Wash hands often with soap and water or use alcohol-based hand sanitizers when soap and water […]

Vision and hearing screenings will be done at the beginning of October. Connecticut state law requires that all students enrolled in grades K, 1 and 3-5 undergo yearly vision and hearing screenings. The purpose of the program is to identify possible problems as early as possible. Early detection and intervention […]

Poison Ivy Treatment Poison ivy commonly causes skin rashes in children during the spring, summer, and fall seasons. An allergic reaction to the oil in these plants produces the rash. The rash occurs from several hours to three days after contact with the plant and begins in the form of […]