Update & ? About Thimerosal in Eyedrops: Can the Hand, Foot, & Mouth Disease Spread to Other Areas?

[wencit]

We called the on-call doctor last night, who said that if DS didn't have a fever and was still breastfeeding, he should be OK until Monday. However, this morning the pediatrician called and asked us to come into the office. At first, the doctor said that we would just have to wait it out; however, he then noticed that DS had one of those bumps right on the corner of his eye, which seemed to concern him. He said that if the bump was so close to the eye, he wanted to be more aggressive about fighting the infection because he didn't want DS's eye to become infected.

He gave me a prescription for an oral antiviral and some antiviral eyedrops (1% trifluridine). I gave DS the first dose of the eyedrops before reading the ingredients. It contains 0.001% thimerosal. I feel so sick to my stomach. I'm one of those people who avoided the flu shot during pregnancy because of the thimerosal issue. DH said he thinks in this case, the benefits outweigh the risks. Please, please, please assure me that he is right. If the thimerosal is given as eyedrops, is it still going to enter my baby's bloodstream?

By the way, the doctor diagnosed DS as having HSV1 (Herpes Simplex Virus 1), although he said it could be a combination of things. I have no idea where my baby could have picked this up, as neither DH nor I have any kind of cold sores or diseases otherwise. I'm just so upset about everything.

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Warning: Serious TMI Alert!

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Please help me figure out if we are dealing with two separate issues here. I feel so bad for DS!

On Monday morning, during a regular diaper change, I noticed these bumpy, pimple-like things on DS's scrotum (gross, I know). I took him to the pediatrician, who said it just looked like he was irritated there, and told me to simply put Desitin on it. On Thursday, DS started developing lots of tiny bumps all over his hands and feet and a little on his mouth. The pediatrician said it might be Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease, but he was puzzled because DS does not go to daycare, nor has he been exposed to many children. He told me the virus runs a 7-day course and to come back on Monday if it hasn't started getting better.

Well, this afternoon I took a look at DS's scrotum, and those pimples seem to be getting worse -- more raw and red, almost like the blisters have "broken." Can HF&M affect the scrotum area? Is that what this is? Or is it something else, something more serious? The good news is that DS does not have a fever, nor does he seem to be bothered by all the bumps, other than a little extra fussiness.

Please help me! Is it normal for HF&M to invade the scrotum? Or does DS have a different issue down there? The bumps on his hand and feet are smaller and seem different from the pimples on his scrotum.

Thank you so much. I'm just a worried first-time mom.

[hobokenmom]

My guess is that he's got a yeast infection on his scrotum, and that all you need to take care of that is a prescription for nystatin.

Call your doctor and ask him to call in an Rx for a yeast infection. It'll go away in a few days.

Good luck!

[mamato1]

When my DS had HF&M it started in his scrotum area and spread from there. However, what you are describing does not really sound like Hf&m to me. I would check back with your ped on Monday.

Chris

Mama to Brendan (aka Boomer) 01/04


http://b3.lilypie.com/FnI6m5/.png

[mommyoftwo]

Amelia had H,F&M diseases twice. Both times she got some in the groin area. However, the second time she got a really bad yeast infection and I didn't realize what it was a first because of the H,F&M thing. It sounds to me like that is what is going on with you. I have found that the best thing for us (we deal with this regularly with Linnea) is to use baby probiotics (acidophilus and other helpful bacteria). I would be happy to give you more details if you want, but basically I put it in her food and if it's really bad I sprinkle some on the rash. It has been far more effective for us than prescription anti-fungals. Just make sure you get the refridgerated probiotics. The stuff on the shelf isn't worth much.

[mariza]

My DD had a similar outbreak on her vagina and around her mouth last month; I also posted here looking for answers. I'm no doctor, but I agree with the PP, DD's case (though not on her hands or feet) ended up being a case of thrush. A course of liquid nystatin suspension we gave her orally (make sure you ask the pharmacy to flavor it if they can, DD HATED it!) and nystatin cream for her vagina took care of it in about 10 days. Actually, she hated the liquid medicine so much we could barely get it in her, we ended up mostly rubbing it around her mouth and it worked fine. Hopefully, you won't need the oral medicine. Good luck!

[kaylinsmommy2]

I have a daughter, so I'm not even sure what a baby scrotum looks like, but yes, Hand Foot and Mouth Disease appears in the diaper area: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/revb/enterovirus/hfhf.htm

And, sometimes, the red bumps on the skin breaks and forms blisters. Is that what you think they look like?

My other thought was chicken pox, which also often first appears in the diaper area, too. But those look different (you can google chicken pox and find pictures of what they look like). We've had both diseases in the past 3 months. :) I hope your little one feels better soon.

Caroline
mommy to Kaylin 6/5/04

http://tickers.baby-gaga.com/t/bunbunadb20040605_-9_Kaylin+is+now.png[/img][/url]

[kwc]

Sounds like HFM to me... I'm a ped and when I was in residency, one of my attendings called it Hand, Foot, Mouth and Butt disease. Doesn't look like thrush... more like the broken blisters you describe. The ones on hands and feet are often almost unnoticeable and rarely break open unlike the oral and genital lesions (think of the mouth and tush as all part of the GI tract).

If he is well, just go with it! I wouldn't start any antifungals unless it persists and starts to get raw around there. You can check the Dr. SEars site for pics of yeast rash.

Hope he is better soon!

[dules]

This is what my DD's were like too. Your poor DS. I hope he can still nurse. My DD's sores in her mouth and throat were so bad she couldn't/wouldn't nurse so I'd pump and put it in the fridge, then when it was chilled, swirl it and give it to her in a bottle (she was used to EBM in a bottle from daycare).

FWIW the sores on her hands and feet also blistered and were painful.

I hope he feels better soon. I can't comment on the Thimerisol but IMO it's worth a call to the pediatrician to see if there is an alternative, if it makes you uncomfortable.

Best,
Mary