Nursery - Hand Foot Mouth - ok to attend?

[encantorerun]

Hi - think DC has Hand foot mouth.

DC (nearly 18mths) been a bit snotty for 2 days - not at all unwell (and currently snottiness is an almost constant feature in our house).
Yesterday afternoon uncovered a rash on lower legs, lower arms. A couple of parents have mentioned hand foot mouth disease at pick up - so that's why I'm assuming this is what it is.

I checked the NHS and various other websites and it said - keep your child off nursery until they are well but when well they can go in even with the rash - however, DC is not at all unwell (currently anyway).

DC has a pretty bad rash and crying occasionally when eating - pointing/poking at mouth sort of thing (but still continues to eat), but other than that DC is bouncing around, no fever etc - up until the rash appeared I thought the mouth poking was teething and considered them totally well.

This is also a disease where you are contagious before the rash appears, so no doubt DC and nursery class have been spreading it to one another the whole of last week.

Would you keep your DC off with this? NHS guidance doesn't seem particularly clear (to me) and nothing about it in Nursery policy documents. I can't get a sense of whether it's something they are likely to say - nope can't come in this week (like is stated with Chickenpox)

If DC isn't going to nursery tomorrow - I need to figure out what to do with work tomorrow. So that's why asking here. What's been your experience with nursery and HFM etc?

Hi, my daughter is 15months and came out in the blisters today. She’s been unwell last week but I put it down to teething (mild cold, crying, sore mouth) but upon looking on Friday I noticed ulcers inside her mouth along with oral thrush. Today is the first day she’s been well and eating a little more, but more blisters have appeared today.
ive been the same as you - unsure weather to send her in as she is well but still has the rash. I was thinking of keeping her off but it’s so hard with my job to get time off.
hope we find the answers soon 😊

I'm sure they are allowed in with it but I'd check with your nursery first.
The thing is with HFM is that the child can be infectious for months afterwards so it would be daft to keep then off if they are well in themselves.

Our nursery says send them in. We have done l, got a few dubious looks from other parents while I explained this in the foyer to the keyworkers, but ultimately if they're allowed in we can't afford to have them home and take days off work.

No need to keep them off with HFM. Different if it's impetigo (as I discovered).

Same. My DS had HFM and was told he had to go in. His face got infected and as soon as I told the office his doctor said impetigo, he was kicked back out again.

I work in a nursery and it's spreading like wildfire through our children at the minute but yes they can still come in.

Great - thanks everyone! 😊

@Ells567 - it's a nightmare right now for viruses. GP keeps telling me it does get better! That next year and next round of viruses DC will fair better and not pick up as much - fingers crossed!

My child (And I) have recently got over this. We were allowed to send them in to nursery if they were well in themselves but I was told by a staff member there it varies by nursery.

It does. The first year my child in nursery was post all the covid lock downs and it was horrendous. It's not so bad this year.