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

[WinterOfOurDiscontent]

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.

I think you should all dose yoirselves up and retreat to bed for a few days

My DS had this and was slightly off his food for a couple of days (mouth ulcers) but otherwise fine. The spots never really developed into much. I didn't get it, but DH did. I think it's worse for adults (or maybe husbands just complain more...)

I would say it's a fairly mild illness though, so try not to worry.

My DS had this twice at nursery but didn't get any blisters really, just a couple, he had the tiny red spots on his hands and feet. Both times he had to stay off nursey as that was their policy on HFM and the policy of all of the other private nurseries my friends had their kids at. It is a mild illness in the main and I know it's difficult not to panic when your child is sick but it's just one of those things.

Nursery do sound awful, 48 hours is standard for D&V, a week sounds excessive.

DS1 had HF&M as a toddler, he had high temp for 24 hours, no blisters but was a bit off his food for a few days. We only found out DS1 had it because DP got it and went to Dr, because his feet were so covered in blisters he had trouble walking. We were told it's generally mild in children, worse in adults who haven't had it before.

There seems to be a lot of conflicting advice as we were told you can only get it once, so DP got it as he hadn't when he was young, my mum has no recollection of me having it, but I assumed I didn't catch it as I had already had it at some point - probably a mild unrecognisable case like DS1 had.

We've just had this. 3 year old got a few mouth ulcers and rashy hands and feet, 18 mo had a mouth full of ulcers and was very grumpy with it. He's still breast feeding so that was helpful as he wouldn't touch anything else at all. It cleared up within a few days.
Try not to worry too much.

I really really think you're worrying too much. Really.

Did nursery make you aware of their illness policy when you started dd there?

Wow... I think your nursery are being completely ridiculous... A WEEK for D&V??!!! If I had to keep DD off nursery for a week each time she's been ill it would not have been worth my while to work!

bea no they didn't.

Dd seems fine eating drinking running around. I in the other hand feel rough - ulcers in mouth, sore throat headache itchy spots everywhere. Dd seems completely unaffected. Is tough looking after her and her tiny baby brother when I feel like this and wish she could be in nursery which I am paying for.

Worried about things getting worse than this.