<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><xml><records><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="6.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Kahan, E.</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Gross, S.</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Cohen, H. A.</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Exclusion of ill children from child-care centers in Israel</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Patient Education and Counseling</style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Absenteeism; Administrative Personnel/psychology; Adult; Animals; Attitude of Health Personnel; Child; Child</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Preschool; Communicable Disease; Consensus; Fever/prevention &amp; control; Guideline Adherence; Humans; Israel/epidemiology; Lice Infest</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2005</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Jan</style></date></pub-dates></dates><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">56</style></volume><pages><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">93-97</style></pages><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">The aim of the study was to examine criteria for ill children in child-care centers. A questionnaire on practices of exclusion/return of children according to specific signs and symptoms was mailed to the directors of care centers in central Israel. Thirty-six of the 60 questionnaires (60%) were returned by mail and the reminded were completed in personal visits to the CCCs achieving a response rate of 100%. About half (51.7%) used &quot;common sense&quot; and &quot;personal feelings&quot; to exclude children and to allow their return, and 29 (48.3%) used the guidelines of the Ministries of Education and Health or other authorities. The percentage of centers excluding children by signs/symptoms was as follows: high fever (&gt;38 degrees C), 100%; low-grade fever, 76.7%; asthma exacerbation, 80.0%; heavy cough, 75.0%; eye discharge or conjunctivitis, 83.3%; diarrhea and vomiting more than twice per day, 100%; rash, 72.3%; otalgia, 46.7%; and infected skin lesion, 66.7%. Only four centers excluded children with head lice. Most centers required a physician's note on return of a child after high fever (76.7%), eye discharge or conjunctivitis (48.3%), and from 75 to 80%, respectively, for frequent vomiting and bloody or mucinous diarrhea. The results show that exclusion practices among child-care centers (CCCs) vary widely, suggesting the need for the establishment of a uniform exclusion and return policy in Israel, with distribution of clear, up-to-date guidelines on the prevention and control of communicable diseases to all day-care centers. In a simple way, this study identified attitudes concerning the exclusion/return of sick children in CCCs and was useful for the discussion of the related policy with CCCs responsible and national health and educational authorities.</style></abstract><issue><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">1</style></issue><accession-num><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">44674</style></accession-num><notes><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">JID: 8406280; 2003/06/15 [received]; 2003/12/14 [revised]; 2003/12/28 [accepted]; ppublish0738-3991Journal</style></notes></record></records></xml>