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Original poster

Is this chicken pox or hand foot and mouth?!

50 replies

MintGreenLife · 21/08/2022 15:22

This is a long one, sorry…

So my SIL found out her 14mo had chickenpox last Thursday in the evening, and myself and my 13mo had been round for a play date in the day. I was really upset when we got this news, as we are due to get married two weeks from this weekend. Looked up the incubation period and it was 10-21 days, so seemed very much likely my DS would have it over our wedding.

On Sunday he had a rash on his chest and a temperature. He had calpol and a nap and when he woke up the rash was gone. Went to bed and at 1am was up very upset and we discovered a load of red spots on his feet. The first 24 hours were awful and we actually ended up in A&E on the Monday night as he was crying all day, didn’t sleep in 24 hours and wouldn’t feed either (he’s BF), plus wouldn’t take much water. He finally fell asleep in hospital and when he woke up had a feed.

SIL was told her DS had chickenpox by the GP. I took my DS to see the GP too and he said he thought chicken pox but couldn’t rule out HFM. A&E said the same.

My DS has spots on his feet (soles and tops), ankles and calves, knees and bum, plus hands (palms and tops) forearms and around his mouth/chin/nose, but not in his mouth. Also had a scattering on the nape of his neck, scalp and tummy. A few blistered but not all, blisters mostly red-yellow, rather than the grey-white the NHS says with HFM.

Last few days DH has had a sore throat, and now has spots on the palms of his hands.

We want to know if it’s CP or HFM to help us plan ahead for the wedding. What I’m worried about is his cousin had CP and my DS had HFM, and as we were around his cousin in the hours before his first spot came up, does that mean we may also have chicken pox to come, or do they have the same thing?! HFM seems more likely with the short incubation period, but SIL was told CP for her DS, and I was told more likely CP for my DS, despite most of his spots being on his hands and feet!!

please help me solve this mystery. Photos in case they help.

OP posts:
FallOutPloy · 21/08/2022 15:27

I've never seen chicken pox like that myself. I think the most distinctive aspect of CP is that there should be some spots at each stage: red, fluid filled blister, crusted.

FallOutPloy · 21/08/2022 15:30

Also, CP doesn't usually start with a rash- it's usually a couple of isolated spots that then spread. Usually starts with a few clear spots on the torso, and even after a few days there tends to be one clear "mother spot". HFM spots tend to congregate in sweaty areas - elbow creases, nappy area etc.

jugglerofballs · 21/08/2022 15:34

That doesn’t look like chicken pox to me. Hope he feels better soon.

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Original poster
MintGreenLife · 21/08/2022 15:36

@FallOutPloy a friend said that to me too - that she had never seen CP like this, but two GPS said CP, plus I sent some images to another GP and had a telephone consultation as I was especially worried about the rash on his bum on day 3 - his entire bum was covered and it looked so painful and angry!’ His cousins rash looked similar, but none on the feet, no sores in the mouth, but some on the hands, around the mouth, on the knees, bum and behind the knees. I feel like it’s more obvious it’s HFM, but GPS seem to disagree!

OP posts:
Original poster
MintGreenLife · 21/08/2022 15:37

@jugglerofballs thank you, he’s definitely improving thank goodness, I’m just nervous that his cousin had something different (CP, if my DS has HFM) and that we are now waiting for CP!!

OP posts:
Aak · 21/08/2022 15:40

Is it itchy? My little one currently has similar but not itchy so we are leaning towards hfm

Original poster
MintGreenLife · 21/08/2022 15:42

This is his cousin’s spots, which looks more like HFM to me with the grey-white colour to the blisters, but SIL took him to see two GPs on day 1 and 3 and both said CP 🤷🏻‍♀️

HFM also seems more like with DH now having spots on his hands/feeling unwell, 7 days after DS got a temp, which was 3 days after we saw his cousin. DH had chickenpox as a child, and I know it’s not unheard of to get it again, but seems more likely he would get HFM 🤔

Is this chicken pox or hand foot and mouth?!
OP posts:
Original poster
MintGreenLife · 21/08/2022 15:43

@Aak how have they been? I would say it is itchy as he keeps scratching at his head and running his palms down his legs

OP posts:
Jalepenojello · 21/08/2022 15:43

That doesn’t look like chicken pox

jayhoo · 21/08/2022 15:45

German measles?

dementedpixie · 21/08/2022 15:46

Doesn't look like chickenpox to me. Given the presentation I'd think its more likely to be HFM

MumUndone · 21/08/2022 15:47

I think it's HFM

Original poster
MintGreenLife · 21/08/2022 15:47

@jayhoo i think that’s Rubella? He’s had his MMR so shouldn’t be x

OP posts:
jayhoo · 21/08/2022 15:49

On reflection I'd agree that's a nasty case of HFM,

Original poster
MintGreenLife · 21/08/2022 15:50

So funny everyone is saying it doesn’t look like CP, after what the GPs have said! I didn’t think it did either, but just thought I’m not going to know as not from a medical background. What does everyone think of the photo I’ve posted of his cousin’s above?! Am really worried my DS is going to get CP from his cousin, but surely they have the same thing?! I hope 😭

OP posts:
HubbabubbaT · 21/08/2022 15:52

Looks and sounds more like when my LO had HFM - specially the bum rash.

jayhoo · 21/08/2022 15:55

Cousin really doesn't look like cp, you dc naturally looks a bit behind. Has yours got any blisters in his mouth?

Original poster
MintGreenLife · 21/08/2022 15:59

@HubbabubbaT was it horrible for yours too? It’s been awful for us 😭

@jayhoo no mouth blisters I don’t think. Although he did refuse to BF for 24 hours, but he would eat, so that doesn't seem to add up to him having mouth sores and that being why he wouldn’t feed, as why would he eat if it was painful 🤔

OP posts:
jayhoo · 21/08/2022 16:07

In a way it doesn't matter what it is because the only treatment options are relieving pain and itching etc. what does matter is transmissibility (love a big word :) )
I suppose that would impact your wedding plans if any of you were contagious

Original poster
MintGreenLife · 21/08/2022 16:18

@jayhoo well yes that’s what I’m worried about - I would be completely devastated if DS couldn’t attend, but of course would be a complete nightmare if DH can’t come (fyi we are already married, got married in 2020, and had to cancel the big wedding, so redoing it this year for everyone who couldn’t be with us first time). To cancel again would be awful, but obviously that’s what we would have to do if anyone was contagious, which is why it would be helpful to know what we’re dealing with!

OP posts:
acorntotree · 21/08/2022 16:20

Looks like HFM to me. My ds had it horribly and was initially diagnosed as chickenpox. I also caught it from him.

Original poster
MintGreenLife · 21/08/2022 16:22

@acorntotree oh no! Were you ok with it? Yeah I’m pretty convinced it’s HFM now tbh!

OP posts:
acorntotree · 21/08/2022 16:24

Yes I didn't have it badly like he did. Just got run down and had lots of blisters in my mouth and what looked like acne around my mouth. My ds had HFM far worse than he had chickenpox which was mild for him.

LairyMcClairy · 21/08/2022 16:25

Looks like HFM.

Haroted · 21/08/2022 16:27

I would say it’s a bad case of HFM.

My DS had HFM with a similar rash at 17 months, took him to GP who said chicken pox, but he didn’t have a single spot on his torso which is where chicken pox tends to start. DS then had chicken pox aged 4.

picture 1 is HFM, picture 2 is chicken pox