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Illnesses and children in a preschool center
Insights
Preschool children experienced common illnesses like respiratory and gastrointestinal issues. Health coordinators managed care decisions based on child well-being and public health, a role adaptable for pediatric nurses.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Health
- Public Health
- Early Childhood Education
Background:
- Preschool settings present unique challenges for managing child illnesses.
- Health coordination is integral to maintaining a healthy learning environment.
- Early identification and management of childhood illnesses are crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the types and frequency of illnesses in preschool children.
- To understand the decision-making process for ill-child care in a Headstart program.
- To explore the potential role of pediatric nurses in ill-child care.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of health records from a Headstart health coordinator over 9 months.
- Inclusion of teacher observations regarding children's symptoms and behavior changes.
- Data collection on illness types, care provided, and disposition decisions.
Main Results:
- 161 illnesses were recorded in 95 out of 241 children.
- Most common illnesses included respiratory infections, fevers, gastrointestinal symptoms, and skin changes.
- 73 illnesses resulted in children being sent home, seeking medical care, or exclusion from class.
Conclusions:
- Child well-being, risk to others, and need for medical evaluation influenced care decisions.
- The Headstart health coordinator role demonstrates effective ill-child care strategies.
- Pediatric nurses can adopt and expand this role for comprehensive family health services.
Abstract:
The illnesses experienced by children in a preschool center over a 9-month period were analyzed from the records kept by a Headstart health coordinator. These records included a description of both the illness and the care given. Comments made by children such as "feeling funny" or "something hurts," as well as changes in function or behavior were described by the teachers. Ninety-five children out of a total sample of 241 developed 161 illnesses. The most common illnesses were respiratory infections, fevers, gastrointestinal symptoms, and skin changes. In 73 of these illnesses children were sent home, sent for medical care, or excluded from class. Factors which affected decisions about the care of children's illnesses were their well-being, risk to others in the school or public health considerations, and perceived need for medical evaluation. Ill-child care has been one part of the health coordinator role developed by Headstart; in its many functions this role might be adopted by pediatric nurses as a valuable role for providing general health care to young families.