Hand foot and mouth - toddler not eating

[OtterMummy2024]

My toddler has hand foot and mouth disease, with a cough, sore throat and mouth ulcers. They are 18 months. They haven't really eaten a proper meal since Monday - banana, water, bits of yoghurt and puréed fruit. They otherwise are very enthusiastic about solids, including crusty things. They are making wet and dirty nappies like normal. Giving paracetamol an hour before the meal doesn't help.

I'm wondering how long it will take for them to get their appetite back, based on other people's experience? They had HFM as a baby and it had no effect on breastmilk appetite but was mild compared to this!

Hello! My DD had this at around the same age and was exactly the same. It took her over two weeks to eat normally again. Don’t worry if they’re having wet and dirty nappies - yogurt etc is good! I hope they feel better soon, it’s such a nasty virus!

I’d say about two weeks! As long as they are having wet nappies don’t stress! And focus on soft cold foods like yoghurts, it’s better than nothing

Eeek. Well, I won't worry too much in that case - I took LO to the GP yesterday because of the cough and fever and the GP said both were normal with HFM :/

I've got little treats like rice pudding and custard pots to tempt them, and I'm trying to get fruit in where I can.

Mine had HFM at almost a year old and was fine. Caught again at 22 months and it was awful. No eating, no drinking, fever. Then the blisters appeared all over the top lip and along tongue and was clear why! Change how you're offering food. Due to the placement of the ulcers baby cups like the tommee tippee or 360 were painful but would drink from open cup. Wouldn't suck food out of a pouch for same reason but would take yoghurt on a well placed spoon. Anything harder was a no as it hurt the tongue ulcers. We even syringed liquid and fed them while sat on our knee in front of the tv to distract them from the pain - needs must!

My son had it when he was 10 months. I am still traumatised by it. It was horrible. He screamed in pain for a week. All he had was some breastmilk and some weetabix with a few smashed in raspberries (cooled, not warm). Took about 10-14 days to start eating again.

I caught it from him and i confirm it is the worst illness I have ever had. I was in pain and on fire and had a high fever and chills at the same time. The blisters on my feet were so sore, i couldn't leave the house for 4 days, I could barely take a few steps.

It was a particularly horrible strain, several of the kids in his playgroup were hospitalized. One of the mums lost all her toenails and fingernails, that's a particularly fun side effect that can come about a month afterwards.

Paedetrician said as long as he is having some liquids, it's all fine but to go to A&E if he didn't drink anything.

Thanks everyone. I caught it last year so maybe I'll be spared this year?!

Toddler now on 4th day of fevers over 38C but at least they come down with Calpol :/

Oh yes, I forgot about the peeling nails!

If your toddler had it last year too, that would have been a different strain, so you may catch it again....apparently there are multiple strains of HFM going around and if you get one, you're not immune to the other. The joy.

Yeah hfm is baaaaad

I don't understand why there isn't a vaccine for it yet?

It'll take your ds about ten days to get over it completely

Yeah there are different strains of it.

But from what I saw, the first time DD caught HFM was worse than the second. They don't seem to suffer as much the second/third (🙄) time