To be freaked out after farm visit

[Janel85]

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?

Both dds have been there and either helped birth or touched newborn lambs depending on their age and neither have been ill as a result Dd1 has also frequently fallen in pigshit and had to be hosed off. (Veg farm with a huge collection of waifs and strays that has built) I can understand you being anxious though dd2 has a history of ill health (non animal/bacteria/virus related) and the worry is awful though, but I am of the belief that being overly sterile is actually a bad thing and this was confirmed by paeds during one of many long nocturnal discussions while dd was sleeping and I was sleepless climbing the walls

Also dd1 is as healthy as an ox but the one time she was ill was cryptosporidium from the mains water and 3/4 of the town was very sick indeed

Personally think you need to chill... I mean that in the nicest possible way!
I worked on farms most of my life before having kids and still have my own horses now which are stabled at a farm, so my kids are there regularly. We're generally always filthy, as much as I'm prepared for the barrage of abuse when I say this; we very rarely remember to wash hands before we eat. I've never known any of the farm workers to either (20 minutes lunch break out of a 12-14hr working day it kind of gets bypassed!) saying all this, I am (touch wood!) never ill and same goes for my kids. They (again touch wood!!!) seem to skip any sickness bugs which go round school and I'd put a lot of that down to having a good immune system built on muck :) When I say filthy we're not a bunch of stinkers, we have a shower at the end of the day etc but in between that I'd never even think to wash hands after touching an animal? We'd never be out of the bathroom if we did!
Recently assisted on a school trip with some other mums which was largely based outdoors. One of the Mums was forever following her child round with flippin hand sanitizer after anything he touched.... funnily enough he's a child who is prone to every bug going round!
Moral of the story is, see how he goes. Likelihood is he'll be fine

When DD was a toddler 'exploring' the garden she picked up pigeon shit and stuck it in her mouth...we did the whole sluicing thing pretty damn quick. She was fine.
Also went to a petting farm and saw bored kids "gumming" the bars of a cow enclosure. NIce.
I grew up with horses, cats, dogs and poultry and I'm hardly ever ill. A dollop of germs does us good!

FFS, I am getting sick of posters diagnosing people with Health Anxiety at the merest hint of concern over a child’s health.

The OP said they were warned about eColi, which is a very serious illness from which people sometimes die.

OP, I think if there was a current outbreak, they would close the farm. They have the restrictions in place as a precaution. Try not to worry.

LeilaBriggs it’s the holier than thou posse who frequent MN in the last few years.

In response to someone who, rather safely IMO, asked why a sand pit in a farm would be any worse than a sand pit in anywhere else.... the clue is in the question. Farm, farm animals, unsanitary animals, e-coli. It was in the the OP’s post quite clearly.

My response was to some good healthy outdoor play not to imaginary E. coli thanks. My understanding of the immune system is fine Ah I see. You must have accidentally posted on the wrong thread. This is a thread about a sandpit in a farm yard with farm animals that can carry ecoli.
You must have got mixed up with a thread that was talking about a little sandpit in someone’s animal free back garden. I see why you’re confused.

*daftly not safely. Bloody phone

Thanks for the replies, some have been very helpful. To answer one or two points, I’m particularly worried about the sandpit at a farm because it’s more likely to have farmyard faeces in it from the bottom of children’s wellies than a normal playground sandpit, over the top maybe but that was my thinking. Children under five are far more likely to suffer more serious complications from E. coli, that is a fact and while it might not be common, it does happen, hence articles like this- www.theguardian.com/society/2009/sep/14/ecoli-outbreak-godstone-farm-children. Yes I am a worrier, I wouldn’t have posted otherwise, but that doesn’t mean that what I am worrying about isn’t a valid cause for concern does it? My son is always digging around in the garden and I am well aware of the immune boosting benefits of that, but I freaked out a bit on the farm due to the sheer amount of signs and washing stations, which are there for a reason. I did not fall apart when he got sand in his mouth, I calmly sluiced it out with water and went on with the trip, it was later that it played on my mind. My son is none the wiser. He has a tummy ache and has independently said that several times today, i know better than to probe him about it because he is three-years-old. But thanks to those who have reassured without recommending therapy, it is appreciated.

I've also had cryptosporidium from mains water supply.

I meant to add, in response to this particularly helpful assumption that I am not only worrying too much but stupid as well....

*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.*

Yes, funnily enough as the parent of a three-year-old I am aware that it is normal for a child to fall down, I wasn’t worried about him falling down, I was worried about the farmyard sand going in his mouth. Had this been a normal run of the mill sandpit I wouldn’t have posted.

The thing is though that if there was E. coli in the sand, your child would be exposed to it just by playing in it. A three year old is going to put hands to mouth, nose or eyes whilst playing. Getting sand in his mouth is unpleasant but it's not going to change whether or not he'd be exposed to any thing.

The hand washing facilities and signs are there because it's good practice. It's good that they have such clear facilities and are encouraging people to use them.

Ecoli is a very serious illness if youre a baby or someone immuno compromised or elderley. For everyone else, including kids, it's generally just the shits for a few days.

Also if this was Farmer Teds their standards are spotless and unless he licked the baby lambs hooves you're pretty safe.

Some children live on farms! By god those Dettol adverts have a lot to answer for. Don’t worry too much, even if he does have a tummy bug, children need to get ill in childhood to build up their immune systems :)

It could be from a different source entirely. If he had a tummy ache at any other time you probably wouldn't have worried so much. But you know your son - if something isn't right get him seen asap.

I raised two boys on our farm and they were very rarely ill. We kiss and cuddle animals - sheep, cattle, horses, ducks, chickens etc whenever we get the chance and hand washing is not a big deal - only when we prepare food/eat. We drink raw milk as well.

Stop worrying so much.

Ecoli is a very serious illness if youre a baby or someone immuno compromised or elderley. For everyone else, including kids, it's generally just the shits

Ecoli 0157 (I think that's the right number) is serious. DS1 had it and he had 'the shits' so badly he was soiling himself, along with excruciating cramps, fainting, and a fever causing him to hallucinate. He was at risk of kidney failure, the GP was in contact daily reminding us of what to look out for. On top of that there was the high possibility of spreading it to the rest of the family, we had to give stool samples for weeks to be sure nobody else had caught it.

The risks of bugs and illness from farms and petting farms are very real if children don’t wash hands then eat etc but just wait a day or two before worrying. Equally children brought up with animals on farms are likely develop robust immune systems. My DC are never sick: we in the city suburbs but they are out all the time and we have a big garden so have no doubt developed immunity to much stuff !

I agree the “My kids grew up on a farm and did X Y Z with the animals.” Is absolutely pointless contributions to the thread.
They are much more likely to have a more robust immune system to a child who’s only been to a farm twice for example.
It’s also a weird kind of boasting as well.

Yes, E coli 0157 is one of the very serious subgroups, which alongside the usual diarrhoea/vomiting/abdo pain can cause kidney failure and death. It's not common though.

Op, I hope your son is ok.

When i was 3yo, walking through the woods with my family, i ate a 'malteser'. Tasted funny

Just keep an eye on your ds. I'm sure anything icky he may have digested would have prevented itself by now

Did you seriously expect anything less from mumsnet?! 😉😆

Children who grow up on farms have stronger immunity. A few germs are good for you and I’d say a bit of sand in the mouth is fairly normal. Would you worry if it was beach sand? I would only let your anxiety be dictated by any genuine symptoms, not what MIGHT happen.

@Janel85 it will be fine I promise.... my dd is on a farm, eats snails straw and find lamb creep in her nappy.... not picked up infection yet! Wash hands is the most important

@Notso

Ecoli is a very serious illness if youre a baby or someone immuno compromised or elderley. For everyone else, including kids, it's generally just the shits

Ecoli 0157 (I think that's the right number) is serious. DS1 had it and he had 'the shits' so badly he was [etc etc].

the GP was in contact daily reminding us of what to look out for. On top of that there was the high possibility of spreading it to the rest of the family, we had to give stool samples for weeks to be sure nobody else had caught it“

That does sound a terrible experience but tbh I did wonder if you might have been a bit more tactful given that the OP is obviously already very anxious! Not doubting that it can be serious