Hand, Foot, and Mouth

[swrc00]

DS was diagnosed with HFM on Monday. He has the blisters in his mouth, rash on hands and feet, and fever. The last two days have been miserable. I don't wish this virus on any mama. The pedi told me once DS was fever free for 24 hours he could return to daycare. He pretty much has been fever free since 8 last night without medicine. Most of the blisters have dried up, but he still has one on his hand. I would think this would need to be dried up as well before he could return to daycare. What do you think? Is he still contagious? I am probably going to keep him home tomorrow anyways, but I am just curious.

To top it off today is DS's first birthday. :( We had hoped to go out to dinner tonight and make a trip to Toys R' Us to spend some of his giftcards. I don't see it happening!

[Jen841]

Sorry, we had this too. We did the Motrin/Tylenol 3 hour mix to survive it. It was 2 days of H E double toothpicks!

My understanding is 24 hours fever free if I recall, the blisters are not the concern.

[belovedgandp]

Yeah, it's a tricky one since the virus will continue to live and technically be contagious for quite a while. But yes, fever free for 24 hours would be fine for daycare. Both my kids had it a couple weeks ago. Once they start to heal it goes really fast. One afternoon the 2 YO still had several large sores in his mouth, but the next morning only one that was almost healed.

With the younger one I kept him away from other kids until his mouth sores had healed because he drools constantly and has no problem making all food communal whether he knows you or not.

[swrc00]

Thanks! Do you think I should still have DS's party on Sat.?

[nrp]

Thanks! Do you think I should still have DS's party on Sat.?

I would think you would be totally fine to have a party on Saturday. My DS had a worse case than my DD did, and his was completely over it in four or five days. IME, and according to the ped, the blisters on the hands and feet don't really bother them at all. It's just the mouth blisters that are uncomfortable. If you wanted to be really considerate, maybe you can email or call your guests to let them know about the HFM, so that they can decide for themselves. I think you can in good conscience advise them that it is unlikely to be very contagious at that point.

[aa2mama]

I feel for you! Both of my kids and my hubby caught this a month ago, and it was not fun! I called the school nurse for DS's school, and she told me that he was ok to go back to school after the fever had cleared for 24 hours. I told her that he still had blisters, and she said that the blisters were not how the virus was transmitted. The virus can still shed for months, but it isn't as contagious and you realistically can't keep them quarantined for that long!

[mominmarch]

My DD had this last year, at nearly 2 years old. It was the sickest she ever was, very scary. But once they do start to heal, boy they do heal fast!

[codex57]

Yeah, DS got it last year and gave it to me. Not fun at all. But it's the fever you gotta watch out for. Once that's gone for 24 hours, you're good. The blisters, while nasty looking, are more "side symptoms" than the real problem.

[swrc00]

For those of you who got HFM from your DCs, how soon after DC got it, did you get it?

[aa2mama]

For those of you who got HFM from your DCs, how soon after DC got it, did you get it?

For us, it was four days after the initial exposure.

[dcmom2b3]

Even though DD didn't have external blisters, we were advised that 7 days minimum was the safe from contagiousness zone. Which I put some stock into, given how she contracted the virus in the first place.