Parent Health Request
January 18, 2012
In the news recently, you may have heard of the death of a 7 year-old Virginia girl as a result of a reaction to a peanut allergy. It seems the parents notified the school of a suspected peanut allergy, but did not provide medication to treat the student in the event of a reaction. It is such a sad story and one whose outcome may have been avoided. Hearing a story like this brings to attention the need for schools to be appropriately informed of student health conditions, particularly if those conditions could be life threatening.
A few examples of health conditions that should be shared with the school include: heart conditions, asthma, diabetes or borderline diabetes, low blood sugar, seizure disorders, allergies to food or other substances, as well as any other serious health condition. Of course there are many other diagnosis too numerous to mention that would warrant notification to your child’s school. Even asthma that seems to be well controlled and does not require regular use of an inhaler could become life threatening. If your child has an attack and the school is unaware of your child’s diagnosis and/or does not have an inhaler available to use, your child could be at risk. Schools can only administer medication to students that is provided by the parent specifically for that student. Schools cannot and do not keep stock supplies of any medications for student use.
Please make sure that your child’s school is kept informed and is able to help as needed if a situation involving a health condition were to arise. All student information is kept confidential and shared only with staff that would be directly involved with your student. Make sure all contact numbers are current and up-to-date particularly if the school needs to contact you in the event of an emergency. Thank you for helping us provide your child with the best care possible.
An article regarding the information above is available at WIBW.com and was posted Jan. 4, 2012. http://www.wibw.com/home/headlines/Allergy_Kills_Young_Girl_at_Virginia_School_136714368.html
