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Parenting

Hand, foot and mouth

12 replies

Luckystar1 · 23/12/2015 08:29

DS has been in contact (almost a week ago now) with two children who developed h,f&m. DS now has spots on his legs, groin and arms with about 2 near his mouth and 1 on his hand.

He has also been up all night screaming and I'm concerned as I understood this was a mild virus?!

We have a doc appointment for later, but has anyone any tips to keep him comfortable? He has no temp and is 14 months.

Excuse the garble I have had 2 hours sleep and am 8 weeks pregnant so I'm bloody wrecked!

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lionheart · 23/12/2015 09:03

Luckystar1.

It can be mild but can also be extremely painful. Have you been able to look into his mouth?

When DS1 had it, his mouth and throat were covered in ulcers and he could barely swallow, drink or talk for three days. He still remembers it a decade later!

DS2 then caught it and it was barely noticeable. It can be really horrid.

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Luckystar1 · 23/12/2015 09:29

Thank you. I have had a glimpse in his mouth, I can't see any blisters, it may well be that he has inherited my penchant for drama!

I would just like it to go now, I'm too tired to be a nice mummy today.

How long (if you remember) did it take to get over the worst of it?

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HalfStar · 23/12/2015 10:06

IME (my two dc both caught this at around the year old mark) the worst was over in a day or two. However if they get ulcers inside their mouth or throat that's unfortunate and they'll be miserable longer, dd2 was off her food for a bit. Would keep him tanked up on calpol or neurofen and the usual fluids. The rash isn't itchy I don't think although it can be if older teens or adults get it

Hope he's okay, you don't necessarily need to see a GP as there's nothing they can do but of course you may want to go for peace of mind.

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Luckystar1 · 23/12/2015 10:29

Thank you, I'm hoping we see an improvement by tomorrow. Rather selfishly I just really, really need some sleep before I breakdown in tears.

I know he's obviously going to get all of these things but by god it doesn't stop me cursing the children he caught it from... Especially at 3am!

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anotherdayanothersquabble · 23/12/2015 11:01

It is exhausting especially at the 'I have left my life behind and will never feel normal again' stage of pregnancy.

Unfortunately illnesses are horrible but we can't always tell what is a relatively benign slightly raised temperature or what then goes on to reveal something more contageous.

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Luckystar1 · 23/12/2015 11:05

I know, bless them, they are going through the same as me (well, DS!)

Once they've had h,f&m are they immune or is this likely to be a regular occurrence?

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anotherdayanothersquabble · 23/12/2015 11:49

Unfortunately, it seems immunity is not guaranteed and the virus can hang around in faeces for up to 10 weeks so unfortunately HF&M is quite common in environments where there are lots of young children. There is no recommended isolation period in the UK for this virus, outside of keeping the child home while they feel unwell.

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Luckystar1 · 23/12/2015 12:31

Oh god that sounds grim well hopefully it's an infrequent occurrence at worst!

Thank you for your very knowledgeable posts. Merry Christmas.

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lionheart · 23/12/2015 12:38

Lucky: 3 or 4 days of real misery and then another week or so before it was properly better.

Hope it does not get too bad and that you are able to rest too.

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Luckystar1 · 23/12/2015 15:03

Oh god! I was hoping for a nice Christmas

Oh well!

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Chocolatestain · 26/12/2015 07:26

I think there seems to be a bit of an outbreak at the moment. DH, DS and I all have it (there is a lot of uneaten food this Xmas 😕). It's rare for adults to get it but DH and I were already run down after a nasty bug so may have been more susceptible. It can be caused by several different viruses, so it is possible to get it more than once. This is the second time DS has had it. I think he suffered more with it last time because he had more mouth ulcers.

There's not much you can do other than Calpol and plenty of fluids as other posters have said. Soft foods will be easier to eat - DS has lived of baked beans and banana custard for a few days. When he had it really badly in his mouth he wouldn't eat at all. Acidic foods, like yoghurt (which is normally all he eats if he's properly poorly) were particularly bad, but milk was ok.

I see the last post was a few days ago - hope you are past the worst of it and managed to have a good Xmas.

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Luckystar1 · 26/12/2015 09:01

Oh goodness you poor poor things!! DS seems much better although the spots really are like something from the Middle Ages!!

I hope you all get better soon. I came down with something last night but I am praying it's just a bad cold as I'm still first trimester and I don't want to take any medication!

Get well soon, you have my every sympathy.