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Original poster

Hand foot and mouth disease - toddler, small baby and don't know what to do.

33 replies

WinterOfOurDiscontent · 04/11/2013 13:43

Nursery reckons dd (2) has this. I noticed lots of small red spots on her bum on Friday but didn't think anything of it other than nappy rash and have been putting sudocreme on it.

Nursery said today they noticed small spots on her hands, I couldn't see them but they said they're there.

She feels fine and hasn't been unwell, eating and drinking fine, lots of energy playing loads etc. I've been told to keep her off nursery for a week.

My worry is ds is 10 weeks old, will he get it? And if he does, is it dangerous? Nursery told me, dd will be fine and it'll go away in a week, just need to keep her away from nursery.

Also will I get it? I've had a few very itchy spots around my neck, scalp and one on my finger. Is this it?

What do I need to do practically? Shall I keep her inside for 7 days like I did when she had chickenpox? Or am I okay to take her to the park, shops etc, just not nursery?

It's definetly not chickenpox, she's had this before and it's very different - not itchy and not blister/liquid filled, just small red spots.

OP posts:
BeaWheesht · 04/11/2013 13:49

I've just had this, they're tiny red spots at first but then turn to yellow oval blisters. They hurt a bit rather than itch as such though my scalp was vvv itchy.

Nhs advice is that you don't have to stay in or even be off school / work unless you actually feel unwell with it.

Nobody else in my house had caught it fwiw.

Spottybra · 04/11/2013 13:55

I had a special cream and medicine for 21 month old ds. I had a newborn dd at the time. Dh caught it and said he felt atrocious and was apologetic for shouting at ds before we knew how ill he was.

I had to change to sheets everyday and wash on ninety degrees. Ds had to wear socks on his feet at all times so the blisters didn't burst and spread the infection around.

Dd didn't catch it, luckily. But ds couldn't understand why I didn't want him to go near her. We had been out if hospital 3 days when this happened.

Luckily it was June and a warm spell do the sheets dried outside quickly.

NaiceAm · 04/11/2013 14:00

My DD aged 2 has just had it. She was a bit miserable mainly because she had blistering ulcers in her mouth particularly her tongue. My 10 week old twins just had bad cold like symptoms as did DH and I. Nothing that pain relief and fluids didn't sort out quickly. All 3 children then got wheezy post viral coughs which was not a lot of fun at all.

In short if your 2 year old has spots already then given the incubation period your baby probably has it already - apparently it is v contagious. Really it is just a bit miserable for everyone for a few days - enjoy Grin

Original poster
WinterOfOurDiscontent · 04/11/2013 14:00

Oh my god spotty this sounds awful. Is this what I'm going to experience with dd then?

bea nursery said to keep her away for a week. She doesn't seem unwell at all, but will she become unwell soon?

Really nervous as to how bad this going to get.

So is the small red spots just the start then??

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Original poster
WinterOfOurDiscontent · 04/11/2013 14:04

naice will the baby get the ulcers in mouth also? Will this affect breastfeeding?

I'm confused, nice the spots appear is that a sign it's going to go away soon or just the beginning?

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Spottybra · 04/11/2013 14:11

The red spots are the start. If advise seeing a doctor for a definitive diagnosis rather than the say so of a nursery worker. Once the spots start to blister they are extremely contagious if burst, hence the washing bedding everyday to prevent reinfecting.

It was horrendous at the time. I'd had a section and dh took himself off to ds's bed for the remainder of his paternity leave.i had to kick him out to change the sheets and ds slept with me so my bedding was changed everyday. Dd slept in a Moses basket until ds was better.

I was extra cautious and paranoid as I had a newborn though. To the point of washing myself down before feeding her in the night and washing my hands between touching ds and her. It must have paid off as dd didn't catch it.

NaiceAm · 04/11/2013 14:12

Neither of the twins got ulcers in their mouths and I think the fact I was breast feeding them meant they suffered a lot less than DD1. If they had, I suspect they would have wanted to feed more not less.

DD1's nursery doesn't require the children who catch it to stay away because apparently by the time the spots appear, because it is so contagious they have probably all caught it.

Most children at Dd1's nursery didn't have blisters in the mouth just on their hands, feet and legs.

Original poster
WinterOfOurDiscontent · 05/11/2013 00:24

Doctor confirmed it as HFMD and said to expect ulcers to appear in her mouth. A. Very nervous as from what I've read up on this is sounds horrendous.

My biggest concern is if little ds gets horrendous mouth ulcers how will he feed? He's ebf and still so tiny.....and also, I'm personally worried about catching it myself as there is no once,se to look after the children if I get ill.

I didn't realise what a horrendous illness this was....in fact I never even heard of it before. And the scary thing is, it's so contagious that dd could repeatedly keep getting it!

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BeaWheesht · 05/11/2013 01:52

Honestly it's not that bad. Ds had it when dd was 12 weeks and she didn't cArch it

JimbosJetSet · 05/11/2013 02:13

I'm not sure nursery can insist you keep your child off for a week? The NHS website says not to keep children off school/nursery unless they are unwell with it. Try not to panic, it's usually not that bad. DD has had it two or three times now. I've never been asked to keep her off nursery. It sounds worse than it is I think because it sounds so similar to the cow disease! You are bound to find scary stuff on the Internet about it, as you could about any common illness.

roundtable · 05/11/2013 04:28

Both my ds have just had it. Ds 2 is still bf and got mouth ulcers. He just reverted back to fully feeding for a day and they had cleared up my the morning.

Still waiting for the spots to go. They had been ok within themselves up until today but today they were very teary and wanted cuddling constantly so I'm presuming they're still not feeling well.

It affects all children differently. Hopefully yours is a mild case.

changeforthebetter · 05/11/2013 06:04

dd1 got it when dd2 was 4 weeks old. dd2 was ebf and completely fine. there will be antibodies in your milk. however see your gp to be on the safe side as she is tiny.

Gooseysgirl · 05/11/2013 06:24

DD got this mildly when she was about a year old, only symptom was blisters all over the inside of her mouth... v painful for her but after a shot of nurofen she was fine within a couple of hours... GP misdiagnosed it as something else but three days later DH had the spots all over his hands and feet, plus flu like symptoms... it took him almost three weeks to fully recover from it, he said it was one of the worst illnesses he's ever had!!! DDs nursery don't ask that the children are kept away when they have it - I think it's v strange you've been asked to keep her off for a week

Original poster
WinterOfOurDiscontent · 05/11/2013 12:45

I'm absolutely shaking. Just had a row with a nursery worker at dd's nursery. They said every time she gets it she'll have to stay off nursery for a week. The doctor told me there was no reason for this if dd is well in herself and as it's so contagious is likely she will get it repeatedly. I asked the nursery if she will need yo be kept off every time she has it and they were so rude and nasty to me asking me if I have problems hearing as they already said yes. This means I'm paying hundreds of pounds a month to look after dd myself. I have no problem keeping her off if she's unwell or has an illness that will make others unwell but the doctor told me its not serious like chickenpox can be and is so contagious its likely dd will get it many many times. This worries me about paying for childcare when I'm doing it myself.

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cathpip · 05/11/2013 13:05

Well I wonder where she caught it from?! Nursery probably! My dd had H F and M and was absolutely fine, nursery were also fine about her going in. I think you need to look for another nursery, irrelevant of he H F and M do you really want your dd going to a nursery where the staff are rude to the parents?

KatyMac · 05/11/2013 13:12

have a look here maybe email the link to the Nursery

It is not excludable unless they have had a specific warning from HPA

DismemberedDwerf · 05/11/2013 13:25

Blimey. dd2 had this when she was a toddler, I'd never even heard of it. The GP told me what it was, said she would be fine and so I toddled off home, calpol in hand. There was no advice about boil-washing or that it would be so contagious that she would need quarantining. She was the youngest of three kids in the house at that time. They never got it, and she's never had it again either.

Original poster
WinterOfOurDiscontent · 05/11/2013 13:35

Also, the workers said they all have it, but are continuing to work.

I am worried about paying Hundreds in wasted fees every time she catches this. the doctor was blase about it and said as long as she felt well in herself there was no reason to keep her in and it was in no way like chickenpox.

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Original poster
WinterOfOurDiscontent · 05/11/2013 13:37

Thank you katy they said they didnt care what nhs or doctors advice was, their policy is to keep a child off for a week if they have any ill, including d&v for example.

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nickelbabe · 05/11/2013 13:43

my friend's toddler had thiz last month.
no treatment, but the blisters appear.
it's worst in the mouth but bonjela teething gel helped.
and calpol.
quarantine is a week.
baby might not get it - dd was sharing food and cups etc with him and didn'tget it.

nickelbabe · 05/11/2013 13:47

the blisters in the mouth made him fuss a lot but still fed okay.

Original poster
WinterOfOurDiscontent · 05/11/2013 14:15

How long after the spots will the blisters appear?

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Original poster
WinterOfOurDiscontent · 05/11/2013 20:53

Petrified about how bad this is going to get. I've read some horrendous things about HFMD online and I'm so scared as to how bad this will be. Bon myself and dh have the small red itchy Spots on hands, neck, and back of knees and now I've got a sore throat. It hurts to swallow. I'm scared about looking after a toddler who also has it as well as a small baby while I'm going through.

Toddler on the either hand seems absolutely fine (so far touch wood)

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sittinginthesun · 05/11/2013 20:57

DS had this too - don't panic, it's not too bad. His mouth was bothering him, and he ate nothing but custard for five days, but was otherwise fine.

Adults seem to just get a sore throat.

I thought you could only catch it once?

nickelbabe · 05/11/2013 20:59

the blisters were the next day or so.
it could be bad but it's more likely just to be uncomfortable.
it'll make an unhappy toddler, and clingy, so don't make any plans.
your nursery sounds s awful

calpol/nurofen and something to soothe her mouth should ne enough.