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Original poster

To be freaked out after farm visit

149 replies

Janel85 · 26/04/2018 19:10

Went to petting farm yesterday with three-year-old son, was religious about hand washing due to e-coli and various infections, signs up everywhere warning to wash hands. Son is very accident prone in the sandpit he managed to jump forward and somehow get loads of sand in his mouth. I tried not to go into worry overdrive and washed his mouth out best I could with water. He has been complaining of tummy ache all day and I’m now very worried. No upset tummy today, but I’ve read up on it and it’s normally 3-4 or as many as 14 days after. What has me crazily worries is that I saw sandpits at farms are often a source. I want to take him gp tomorrow but I don’t know if that’s over reacting and if they could even reassure me this early?

OP posts:
JustVent · 26/04/2018 19:57

greatthat I’m not sure you understand how the immune system works if you think e-coli is beneficial for the immune system?

The OP may be over worrying but read what she has actually written at least.

PerfectlyDone · 26/04/2018 20:02

If he develops diarrhoea or vomiting or both, contact the surgery and ask for a stool sample to be sent, explaining the circumstances.
The vast majority of gastroenteritis in otherwise health children do not require specific treatment, allow to eat to appetite, encourage sips of fluids every few minutes, enough to keep them peeing, Paracetamol if they develop a fever or crampy abdominal pain, TLC from a reassuring parent, warm water bottle or similar for the tummy.

If he is more unwell, lethargic, unable to drink enough to keep hydrated, if it keeps going for more than 1 week or you have other reason to be worried for his safe recovery, seek medical help.
Don't make an appointment if he is well in himself.

Just for the record, most E.coli does not cause serious illness, unpleasant enough, but not serious. There are some subgroups that are dangerous.

Merrz · 26/04/2018 20:02

Think you're definitley over worrying! Don't take him to the GP. I grew up on a farm, we were in and out of everything and often ate before washing our hands, he'll be fine. Although if you are that thorough with everything the chances are he hasn't built up much immunity so will be more likely to pick things up Confused

frumpety · 26/04/2018 20:03

I honestly would try not to worry too much at the moment, unless he becomes actually unwell , so vomiting a number of times and passing copious amounts of loose poo and not eating or more importantly drinking. If that does happen , you could ring the GP and alert them to the fact that you have visited a farm park.

Minnie13 · 26/04/2018 20:09

I feel for you OP because I also used to get anxious about things like this when my daughter was small. Thankfully though it was harder to find the time to 'read up' on stuff because we had no internet. Ignorance really can be bliss!

It's understandable we over-worry about our kids sometimes (usually when we're stressed about other things) but it really is hugely unlikely your son will have caught anything awful from this. All he's done is boosted his immune system a little bit more :-)

FunkyHeroCat · 26/04/2018 20:14

The E.coli that causes food poisoning outbreaks on farms is a specific one, E.coli O157, which causes a very nasty disease. Most farms are unlikely to have it, it just pops up as an outbreak every now and then, and gets stomped on by Public Health England (or similar bodies) as soon as it does, so it doesn't spread. Most types of E.coli are just normal gut bacteria and the chances are they won't cause any problems if small amounts are ingested.

The hand washing after touching animals is just a precaution, risks of catching anything in a sandpit is really really low, or people just wouldn't take their children to these places (and the places wouldn't be allowed to host children).

If your child is well, don't worry about it. At all.

Uniquack · 26/04/2018 20:20

My toddler licked a sheep and lived to tell the tale

My DD once lay down and licked the pavement outside school lol - five years later she's still the picture of health.

I honestly wouldn't worry about it OP. If sandpits were dangerous then most of wouldn't have survived our childhoods.

greathat · 26/04/2018 20:22

My response was to some good healthy outdoor play not to imaginary E. coli thanks. My understanding of the immune system is fine

3stonedown · 26/04/2018 20:23

To be honest I'm more wary of the germs at the GP surgery than the farm...

I don't mean it to sound patronising but you realise that some children live on farms and are perfectly well.

LittleRen · 26/04/2018 20:24

My child got ecoli from a farm when he was just under one. It was horrendous health protection got involved and were coming around to see us all of the time and we kept having to give samples, couldn’t be signed off until he was clear... it was awful, took about 2 months for it to go.

LittleRen · 26/04/2018 20:25

Sorry posted too soon. So basically it can happen so just keep your eye on him. Our little boy had diarrhoea for weeks which wasn’t clearing so that prompted the test.

DairyisClosed · 26/04/2018 20:25

Why would a farm sandpit be any dirtier than a regular one?

Lovemusic33 · 26/04/2018 20:26

You will be wasting gp’s time if he isn’t actually ill. I think your worrying about nothing.

I had my hand in a calf’s mouth last week (love it when they suck your thumb) and then ate my lunch without washing my hands, I’m still alive Grin

Bi11yOneMate · 26/04/2018 20:27

My D's picked duck poo off a fence and ate it at a wildfowl sanctuary absolutely plastered on "wash your hands" signs. In fact he did it frequently, and as a thumb sucker there was no way I could keep him from ingesting all sorts of mud and muck. He would go splat in the mud, wail, mud-covered thumb straight in mouth.
He's only ever had one tummy bug and that was brought home from school by his older sister....

I worry as well. If they gave out gold medals for worrying i would be on the Olympic team. So I understand l. Flowers

Bi11yOneMate · 26/04/2018 20:29

Actually I remember a particularly panicked OP I wrote when he was about 1 week old about his middle sister sticking her toes in his mouth after she'd been running around barefoot in the garden - so he had muddy feet in his mouth at one week old. He was fine then as well!

Iswallowtoothpaste · 26/04/2018 20:31

FWIW we live on a farm and also have a sandpit.
Both DC’s are outside as much as possible and very rarely get ill.

I wouldn’t worry about it, I’m sure he’ll be absolutely fine.

Degustibusnonestdisputandem1 · 26/04/2018 20:32

Erm. I grew up on a farm in oz. we drank water apparently not fit for consumption, played in the dirt, with animals, etc etc.

Degustibusnonestdisputandem1 · 26/04/2018 20:33

Sorry meant to add.... this is probably the reason I travelled Thailand and Cambodia and ate whatever I liked and drank whatever I wanted without getting ill!

derxa · 26/04/2018 20:35

We've just done a lambing. I've scarcely washed my hands for a month.
I'm as fit as a flea. Keep an eye on your DS but I'm sure he'll be fine.

Turquoisetamborine · 26/04/2018 20:37

I wouldn’t have been worried a year ago but last lambing season my niece and nephew were taken to a friend’s farm to see the lambing, held newborn lambs and the both contracted cryptosporidium. They were very sick and both in hospital for over a week. Yes the farmer and people brought up around farms are probably immune but they didn’t have that. It took them months to get over it.

I don’t go to farms with my kids now.

derxa · 26/04/2018 20:39

cryptosporidium. What is that Turquoise Sounds bad

Motoko · 26/04/2018 20:45

I think every parent has a tale of something horrible their child has eaten and been none the worse.

My son came in from the garden with something in his mouth. He'd been going through a phase of putting pebbles in his mouth, so I got him to spit it into my hand. And then I noticed that this "pebble" was all frothy on one side.

It was a snail. Envy

NathusiusPip · 26/04/2018 20:48

Is he immunocompromised and at high risk of infection? If not, what is it that's worrying you? Kids are meant to get dirt on their hands and in their mouths - it's vital for their microbiome and their immune function. The huge risk in autoimmune conditions over the past decades has been linked to the fashion for drenching everything in antibacterial cleaners and trying to eradicate all bacteria. Embrace the microbes!

Petalflowers · 26/04/2018 20:49

We’ve all got worried about health with children, so I can understand your concerns.

However, I wouldn’t go to the gp unless he has more symptoms. Maybe he has eaten too many sweets etc or is tired, hence the tummy ache.

Haemolytic Uraemic syndrome is extremely rare, so,it’s unlikely your son has it. However, if the pains continue, or he gets diarrhoea and other symptoms, then make an appointment.

DistanceCall · 26/04/2018 20:55

Son is very accident prone in the sandpit

You mean he falls in the sandpit?

You definitely sound overanxious. It's normal for children to fall down. It's normal for children to get sand in their mouths. I would get help for your anxiety - you really shouldn't pass it on to your child and make him afraid of doing normal things.

And PPs are right - children need to be exposed to germs in order to build up immunity.