Is this allowed?

[Abbie]

Definitely not allowed if it's a school program. You aren't allowed to carry medication without the proper forms. My son wasn't allowed to carry his own meds at school until he was out of grade school. He's in high school and still has to have the new paperwork on file each year allowing him to carry his meds.

In our area, albuterol (inhaler) is the ONLY med the kids are allowed to carry around with them. Even the high schoolers can't have so much as a tylenol in their pocket, backpack, etc.

OP, I'm not sure I understand the concern either. Chances are high that this girl has done nothing wrong by having her inhaler in her backpack. If it's a concern, I'd have the teacher remind the kids of the importance of not touching anything that doesn't belong to them! As pp's have said this is not a med that they are going to get much effect from, even if they do figure out how to use it properly.

 

[minkydog]

I don't know about other states, but in the state of Georgia students of all ages are allowed to carry their inhalers. I'm a school nurse and I have two thoughts on this: as someone who has asthma, when I need my inhaler I need it NOW. I sure wouldn't want to have to walk to the other end of the school to retrieve it.

On the other hand, the bane of my existence is getting kids to actually carry their inhalers! Everyday I have at least one teen who comes to school without their inhaler, starts wheezing and getting tight, and then we have to jump through hoops to get Mom or Dad to leave work, go home, find the inhaler and bring it to school. So I strongly encourage my kids with asthma to leave one inhaler in the clinic, just in case!

Personally, I don't think I'd say anything to the teacher about the little girls inhaler. it's none of your business.

 

[scottishduffy]

It sounds like this little girl is *responsibly* handling her own asthma. She carries the inhaler with her and takes two puffs before an activity which she knows may trigger an attack.

She may very well be allowed to carry the inhaler. Many kids can.

I would mind my own business on this. Tell you daughter not to touch the medication because it is to help her friend breathe better and may hurt someone who is not really sick (or hurt her friend if she doesn't have it). Tattling on her won't do this little girl any good. It sounds like she is responsible in managing her own illness and successfully participates in sports without being inhibited by the asthma.

Just let it be....she is fine... other kids are not likely to mess with the inhaler or even know how to use it if they wanted to. They don't exactly scream "Look at me I'm tasty".

 

[Magic Mom]

I would just tell my child not to touch the other childs inhaler and then mind my own business!!

Me too.

 

[minkydog]

Just let it be....she is fine... other kids are not likely to mess with the inhaler or even know how to use it if they wanted to. They don't exactly scream "Look at me I'm tasty".

No kidding!

 

[Stacerita]

I wouldn't say anything.

 

[laurie31]

Can you stand ome more person telling you that it's VERY likely that the mom had to fill out all kinds of forms to allow her DD to have the inhaler with her, so I would be very surprised if the teacher and the coach were not aware. Especially considering the mom must have made the swim coach aware that the child has asthma. All those forms for sports ask about medical history.

Also, I can second the poster who said it's VERY unlikely that another child would be able to use this if they did go into the girl's bag and find it. It's pretty hard to teach a child to use an inhaler (it's difficult for a child to coordinate pressing the canister to release the med with inhaling. If they don't, they won't get any of the med). It's a rare child who doesn't require a spacer to get their full dose, and I doubt a kid who'd never seen one before would know how to put it together and use it. And even if they somehow did, I don't think one dose of albuterol would harm them.

I think the epi pen senario is more concerning, as a child might be able to use that...but again, a dose of epi isn't going to cause any harm. It's not like it's an antibiotic or a pain medication...and no one's allowed to have those anymore...

So, as others have suggested, the OP can use this an an opportunity to educate her DD about asthma - that her friend takes the med before she exercises to help prevent her from getting sick. She should know that asthma isn't caused by a germ than you can "catch" like a bad cold, even though the person might be coughing.

Actually, the way the OP's child referred to the other girl "taking puffs" makes me think the teacher or nurse (or maybe even the girl herself) has already talked to the class about it.

 

[corndog]

Is this meant to be sarcastic?

 

[KikiFan]

Definitely not allowed if it's a school program. You aren't allowed to carry medication without the proper forms. My son wasn't allowed to carry his own meds at school until he was out of grade school. He's in high school and still has to have the new paperwork on file each year allowing him to carry his meds.

Not allowed? I guess that depends on where you live. In Texas, it's state law that kids are allowed to carry their inhalers on their person. No school has the legal right to prohibit a child from carrying the inhaler, as long as the file the proper paper work.

Frankly any parent with an asthmatic child that allows them to hold on to the inhalers is making a big mistake in my book.

In first grade my daughter had an asthma attack on the playground.

- She had to walk across the playground to the playground attendant who apparently didn't know what to do.

-She sent her to the teacher, (two long halls and up a flight of stairs)

- The teacher had to send her to the nurse (where the inhaler was kept) it was down a flight of stairs and another long hallway.

-The nurse was out to lunch and my daughter then had to wait in the office while the staff located the nurse.

It took 20 minutes and a lot of physical exertion for my daughter to get her meds. In the event of a major attack, minutes make the difference.

After that episode, I asked the school to let her carry it. They refused. I didn't have to go any further then a consult with an attorney to find out that they didn't have the legal right to prohibit it.

OP: 7 may seem young to you, but by 7 my daughter had had asthma for 5 years and she was very well versed in managing it. She'd already attended asthma camp, she knew not only how to use the inhaler, but how to take all her daily meds, use a peak flow meter and set up the nebulizer.

Frankly I think calling the school to tattle is a waste of your time and theirs.

 

[emma'smom]

I used to teach in a school where "administration of medication" wasn't allowed. There were no school nurses (school was in a very low SES district)...thus...no medications. However, as we know, asthmatic kids sometimes need their inhalers. Lots of kids had asthma....inhalers were not uncommon. They kept them in their bookbags and used them when they needed them by administering the "puffs" themselves. BTW- This was first and second grade.

 

[NCDisneyMom]

In our school, children with asthma and life-threatening allergies are not only allowed, but encouraged, to keep their medications on them at all times. My son has been wearing an epi-belt to carry his epi-pen and Benadryl from the time he entered Kindergarten. Yes, we did have to have papers filled out from his doctor, but that was no problem. All of his friends know exactly what is in his epi-belt, and nobody has ever expressed interest in using it (heck, it's a huge needle...what kid would WANT to do that? ). BTW...he is now 8 and in 3rd grade.

I just wonder how the OP is so certain that nobody knows about the inhaler? Are you privy to this child's medical history, medical forms on file, etc? I say just mind your own business on this one.

 

[Briarmom]

I would just tell my child not to touch the other childs inhaler and then mind my own business!!

If my dd isn't allowed to carry her inhaler at school when we move back to the US, I guess I'll have to keep her home! I don't want someone calling and getting her in trouble.

Breathing is something I want my kids to do.

 

[golfgal]

Definitely not allowed if it's a school program. You aren't allowed to carry medication without the proper forms. My son wasn't allowed to carry his own meds at school until he was out of grade school. He's in high school and still has to have the new paperwork on file each year allowing him to carry his meds.

It is allowed at some schools. Our kids have asthma and have been allowed to carry inhalers since they were in 2nd grade. Before that they had to be kept in the nurses office, who was only there between 9-1:30. Our kids had PE at 2:00 and the gym teacher had them run 1/2 mile for kids under 3rd grade and a mile for kids 3rd grade and over--not having access to inhalers before they ran--there were MANY kids that ended up having major asthma attacks, one of mine included. From then on the kids had their inhalers with them AND one in the nurses office.

 

[Mermaid02]

I'd MYOB and tell my child to do the same. It's called a "rescue inhaler" for a reason.

 

[mjkacmom]

It's not a dangerous substance - I was told I could albuterol my toddlers as much as I deemed necessary (when they had bad attacks), because it's harmless. Some schools have ridiculous rules that the nurse needs to hold the inhalers - my gf, who's ds has bad asthma, finally got permission for him to hold it, since the nurse takes an hour for lunch.

 

[I_Know_You2!]

I would just tell my child not to touch the other childs inhaler and then mind my own business!!

no stinkin' kidding.

What kind of person wouldn't want a kid to have their inhaler available at all times?

 

[I_Know_You2!]

Breathing is something I want my kids to do.

Man, aren't you picky...

 

[RadioNate]

I'm willing to bet that someone knows about it. Asthma is serious business and I doubt a 7 year old needs supervision to use an inhaler.

I'd be MORE concerned about the girl having an attack and NOT having immediate access to an inhaler. I'd much rather my 7 year old witnessing the girl taking puffs before swimming than dying because she can't breathe and no one can get to an inhaler in time. Asthma is a potentially fatal disease.

By 7 years old, most children should know not to touch other's things. I have albuterol rescue inhalers all over the house, in the car, in my bag and I've never been worried about my 7 year old using one.

And to answer the most basic of your questions...YES it could very well be allowed. Many school and states let children carry their inhalers at school.

 

[Erin1700]

Boy you guys are rough!

Of course I would want to have a child be near their inhaler if they needed it!
Of course I have taught MY kid about not touching medication that belongs to her or others.

I know it is not my business which is why I am talking about it here and not running to the school.
I do know that the kids are NOT allowed to carry the meds on them.
I won't say anything, but I will feel badly for the little girl if she gets caught with it and gets in trouble.

 

[Mkrop]

I hope if you do call that this girl does not become embarrassed to use her inhaler as deemed necessary by her Dr. We are new to all this inhaler stuff, DS11 just got his inhaler (xopenex) and his spacer in May. He never used it in school, his first attack was actually in June on a Disney bus coming home from HS. He has cough variant asthma and had a violent coughing attack. I whipped out his inhaler and spacer and he did his treatment right there. He told me later he was so embarrassed bc everyone on the bus was looking at him (or so he thought).

I became extremely concerned about this, esp at school and since he was starting football, I did not want him to feel awkward using his inhaler if necessary. The doctor and I had a LONG discussion with him, and I told the Dr about the Disney bus. We convinced that this was an absolute necessity!

Also his football coach (who is also his friends dad) asked me to get the stuff for the medical bag, so even though the extra inhaler was covered, the spacer was not but I paid regardless, this coach asked me to explain exactly what he needed to do, and I showed him, well one day duirng practice after running, DS had a coughing attack. He couldnt talk. That coach knew exactly what to do and ran and got the medical bag. No one on his team cared and that was huge for my DS. We did find out later that DS forgot to do his inhaler before practice, so this attack probably could have been avoided but it was still handled extremely well.