Laura arrived at the child care center with a runny nose and cough. her mother informed the teachers that it was probably "just allergies" and left before laura could be checked in. during their daily health check, the teachers discovered that laura also had a fever, red throat, and swollen glands. laura's mother is a single parent, a student at the local community college and works part time at an early childhood program in another part of town. how should the teachers handle laura's immediate situation? should she be allowed to stay or should they try to contact laura's mother?

Maybe Laura's mother thinks her daughter only has a sore-throat or a simple cold and that it will go away on a day or two. Or maybe, it's just allergies, as she said.

However, if Laura also has fever and swollen glands, she might have STREP THROAT, which is cured with antibiotics. Also, it is contagious, as it is spread by close contact by coughing and sneezing, also by sharing food and drink, so Laura shouldn't be in contact with other kids.

The most characteristic symptoms of strep throat are sore throat and painful swallowing. Other symptoms include:

Chills and fever

Swollen and tender glands (lymph nodes) on the sides of the neck

Red and swollen appearance inside the throat

Pus-like white or yellow patches or spots may be visible on the back of the throat and on the tonsils

Headache, nausea and vomiting may also be present

Body aches and pains.

If Laura doesn't get treated, it might evolve into otitis, sinusitis or pneumonia. Rheumatic fever is also a serious complication of strep throat.