Does this warrant an emergency appointment?

[HelloThen]

Toddler ok in himself but he has had diarrhoea twice, he's happy though. Very disturbed nights sleep for two nights. He's woken up this morning with this rash, his feet look a bit red too, and the bit on his stomach looks worse in real life than the photo. Am I being a panicky first time mum or does this warrant a same day docs appointment?

That looks like chicken pox to me? In which case no doctors appointment, follow the NHS advice to keep at home until the last spot crusts over, make sure he has plenty of fluids, paracetamol if needed (not ibuprofen).

Oh no 😭 how do I know for sure if it's chicken pox?

Our local pharmacist is the chief diagnoser of chicken pox for the unsure round here. Comes out has a look and prescribes calomine lotion/ paracetamol..

I am sure that's chicken pox and please don't take your child anywhere to get someone to confirm it, it's very infectious and in a pharmacy or doctor's waiting room you are likely to be near vulnerable people who will catch it easily and be extremely ill. Please just keep your little one at home. Order some fab new toys for next day delivery (we got a mini trampoline the day my FS got chickenpox) and make a plan for keeping home fun until the infectious phase is passed.

Could also be hand foot and mouth. Would wait and see if the spots on his tummy blister before deciding it’s definitely chicken pox.

I don’t think I’d bother with the GP if he is happy though as i think they’ll just say fluids/rest. Obviously if he goes downhill would call them.

No, it's almost certainly chicken pox. No need to see anyone if he's reasonably well in himself.

Maybe contact any groups/nurseries you use and see if it's doing the rounds.

Is it itching him?

Bicarb in the bath was what helped my DC most.

I think HFM also highly contagious!

Typically with chicken pox you get some smooth red spots, some blisters, some fluid filled blisters and some burst blisters all at once. I reckon if your DS has chicken pox it will be unmistakeable in a couple of hours as some of the spots on his tummy will have changed to blisters and he’ll probably have even more spots! It develops really quickly.

H,F&M the spots on his tummy probably won’t blister. You might find little blisters or spots on his hands or feet/soles of feet. (Chicken pox doesn’t usually appear on the soles/palms.)

H,F&M is contagious too but you can send them back to nursery after they are no longer feverish and are well in themselves. Chicken pox you need to keep them in until all spots have completely scabbed over. (Usually a week or so). If CP, I would also inform nursery and anyone pregnant/vulnerable you have seen in the last couple of weeks as it’s more serious for those people if they don’t already have immunity.

N.B I’m not a medical professional. I’ve got four kids and they’ve had both viruses (H,F&M more than once!)