Sick toddler

[AftersomeAdvice234]

I appreciate this is not an AIBU but I am a worried mum wanting some advice.

Toddler was sick last week with what I suspect Hand foot mouth. We visited a nursery for a show round a week before and they had an outbreak so I think she caught it from there.

she had a fever and ulcers on her tongue, a blister on the outside near her bottom lip. No rash anywhere else (like on her hands and feet) but I was told by someone who worked at a nursery that it’s possible to only have ulcers in the mouth

the ulcers/ blisters on the tongue are much better but we can see her gums are very swollen. She hasn’t eaten solids since Sunday morning, has been drinking milk and a little big of baby rice pudding. We know she’s refusing because her gums are so swollen.

I am after some advice- is this normal? I did contact my gp and was told to go to urgent care centre- they always say this when they have no appointments and will do so but don’t want to waste anyones time if this is normal.

i am on hold to 111 but I’m just being a worried mum and wanted to see if this has been anyone else’s experience?

toddler seems fine, sleeping much better and happier minus the sore mouth and gums

Is there anyone at all who’s had experience of this with their own kids?

My DS had something similar when he was 1 - his gums were bleeding and we were very worried. We ended up taking him to the dentist who saw him that day and said it was viral gingivitis which I'd never heard of. It went away after a couple of days.

When he had HFM he had blisters everywhere including on his bum so it was quite different.

Mine was fine when she had it, and nothing obvious in her mouth (face and arms), but not eating for that long in a little one is usually a 'get urgent medical care' in all the NHS guidance, especially the younger they are. So all I can say is in that instance I'd have already been to urgent care or paediatric a&e if you have one.

(And I say that as someone who spent 6 hours in that hell last weekend with a poorly 3yo 🙄
Take drinks and snacks for both of you, small toys/books and a phone charger!)

You called the GP and they gave you advice, why are you ignoring them in favour of randoms on the internet with no verifiable medical qualifications?

Why are you on hold to 111 when the GP has already told you what to do?m

Also I spent 2 hours to get through to 111 on the weekend. Don't wait, follow gp advice, just take her and go. Otherwise you'll spend hours with 111 and then hours in urgent care too

111 will just send you to urgent care/a&e. I'd just go now.

111 will tell you what the GP told you - take her to urgent care to be assessed

I'd be following the GP's advice and going to urgent care.

I ended up coming to urgent care so I think a 3 hour wait then we should be seen.

baby has not been eating nothing. She is having milk and the advice I had was as long as she is having milk / water she is good for a few days because they have reserves. It’s dehydration they are worried About.

the gums only started increasing in swelling today, and continued to swell.

thank you to all the helpful advice

My much older DC (7) became very unwell with metabolic acidosis after refusing to eat for nearly a week following a mouth injury so you definitely need her to be seen.

Has she had some pain relief?

Yes, she’s been having Nurofen but it’s almost been a week now, first for fever/ body aches, then for her ulcers (this was the only way she’d have her milk) and now then inflamed gums

also thank you to the poster who suggested snacks, it’s certainly caught us out before but we’ve been a few times now so we are well versed!

I want to find out why the gums are so inflamed (part of HFM?) or infection and also how long is it ok for her to not eat solids- surely she can’t have milk for much longer? She loves food and wants to eat but it’s so sad watching her cry in pain.

Also worried about giving her medication for so long. Although she hasn’t had it everyday, sometimes just once a day but still want to see how long is too long

I'm pretty sure ibuprofen isn't advised in hand foot and mouth - it wasn't when I did my OTC meds, Childs analgesia training.

been seen by dr and said he suspects gums are infected and gave antibiotics as a precaution

asked about toddler not eating (only having milk and water) and when should I be worried, he said not to be worried, milk and water are fine. It’s dehydration they are worried about. obviously this does not mean that I shouldn’t be worried if she is still refusing to eat solids in 2/3 weeks.

Same for Nurofen - give it to her as long as she is in discomfort but she should feel better soon with the antibiotics

Well done for eventually going in OP.