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| Vol. 21, No. 15 |
| August 15, 1999 |
 Guidelines Offered on Returning Child to School After Illness For most parents, sending a child back to school after an illness can be a tough call. Dr. Jan Drutz, an associate professor of pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine, says the decision should depend on whether the child is still contagious and how he or she feels. "If you have a child who is still coughing or sneezing, for the sake of the other children, keep them out of contact as much as possible," Dr. Drutz says. He offers these guidelines:
"Even after the child with chicken pox is no longer contagious, most schools still will say they don't want you back until the lesions are all scabbed over," Dr. Drutz says. Parents want to return a child to school as soon as possible, but waiting the appropriate amount of time protects the child and classmates. - From Baylor College of Medicine Texas Children's Experts Say It's Wise to Immunize Diseases such as polio, measles and diphtheria still pose serious threats to children's health. Parents who are not aware of this fact may not realize the importance of having their children immunized. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that the immunization rate for children in Houston is only 66 percent. By the year 2000, it is the goal of the state of Texas to immunize 90 percent of children by the time they are 2 years old. Children should receive 80 percent of their vaccinations in the first two years of life. They should receive most shots between 2 and 18 months of age and then at 4 to 6 or 11 to 12 years of age. In addition, effective Aug. 1, 2000, Texas has mandated that children must receive the chicken pox vaccine on or after their first birthday. An Immunization Help Line established by Texas Children's Hospital is in place for parents and caregivers. It offers information in English, Spanish and Vietnamese. The Help Line provides information on special immunization events in Houston and Harris County and the location of clinics, as well as details about documentation needed to receive immunizations. Parents can enter their child's birth date and get information about the number and type of immunizations their child should have received to date. The Texas Children's Hospital Immunization Help Line number is 713-770-2061. Children can be immunized at their primary care physicians' offices. Parents who do not have health care coverage or cannot afford to visit a doctor can get their child immunized free by contacting the state or local health department. - From Texas Children's Hospital Parents Who Smoke Can Lessen Effects on Children Secondhand smoke continues to be a major health problem in the United States, but parents who smoke can take steps to lessen the ill effects on their children. Many studies have described the health risks to children of secondhand smoke, such as respiratory problems and the increased chance of ear infections. Fewer studies have looked at ways to intervene with smoking parents to reduce or eliminate exposure, says Dr. Marianna Sockrider, an assistant professor of pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine. She outlined several steps that parents who smoke can take to reduce the risks to their children:
The steps listed won't eliminate exposure to tobacco smoke, but will limit it. The lower the exposure, the less the risk, Dr. Sockrider says. - From Baylor College of Medicine
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