Hand, Foot and Mouth

[Growing1atime]

We got Hand, Foot and Mouth disease. UGHHHH!

Last week my 3yr dd started to run a fever on Monday. I kept her away from the other kids, called the parents to let them know. They all kept their kids here. Tuesday my dh took her to the doctor and she said it was just a little virus nothing to worry about. Wednesday my 1yr ds starts with fever I am thinking there is nothing to it. By Thursday his fever is gone but his mouth looks horrid! I take him in and yep they both had it!

I have closed the daycare for the suggested 7 day period (wed-wed) according to my own child's contagious period.

Yesterday a dcm expressed that she is really upset about the closure. She and her husband are all out of PTO and are having a hard time finding someone to watch their twins.

One of her twins has already contracted HFM. I had to call for pick up on Thursday when he started to run a fever.

I feel really bad. We have no idea where it started. I know that at least 2 of the daycare kids have it.

It was suggested to me that I should just let the kids come to daycare because they were all exposed and are going to get it anyway.

I see the logic. But....my two older children haven't caught it from the two younger. I don't want to expose them again, but I don't want to lose any families either!

What would you do?

[Michelle]

that's a hard one!
I know what it's like because when I take vacation I'm afraid they might find some one else they like better,( it never happens but I fear it will)

According to licensing regulations, you have to close if your child has a communicable disease. Or, have your children stay with grandma or someone else.
It's pretty clear cut about this subject.
I think the parents will understand if you have to stay closed.
Hope your little ones get better soon...hugs

[Growing1atime]

that's a hard one!
I know what it's like because when I take vacation I'm afraid they might find some one else they like better,( it never happens but I fear it will)

According to licensing regulations, you have to close if your child has a communicable disease. Or, have your children stay with grandma or someone else.
It's pretty clear cut about this subject.
I think the parents will understand if you have to stay closed.
Hope your little ones get better soon...hugs

You are so right! It is just so hard. I know they are in a hard place too! I am going to stick with my original plan and reopen on Thursday. I will also have to make sure that they keep their kids home till they are no longer contagious. At this point I am so tired of the feeling of "if I do what is right and by the law, they will go somewhere else." I say let them. I refuse to continue to feel like they have me hostage!

My kids are much better today. The baby got the worst of it. His mouth and hands looked horrible. Thanks for the hug!

[rbmom]

So sorry you are having to go through this! I agree to stick with your original plan and close. I'm always worried about the parents having to take off from their work too but it's just one of the things everyone has to deal with when we have kids!

[sahm1225]

We had hand, foot and mouth disease in my daycare too...

This is from the CDC website:
Infected persons are most contagious during the first week of the illness. The viruses that cause hand, foot, and mouth disease can remain in the body for weeks after a person’s symptoms have gone away. This means that infected people can still pass the infection to others even though they may appear well. Also, some people who are infected and shedding the virus, including most adults, may have no symptoms.

I didnt' close the daycare. By the time we realized what it was that was being passed around it was too late and they were all exposed or had gotten over it already. All their sympoms were different - some had the mouth sores, some had sores/rash on their bottoms and only 2 had a fever.

I would do it on a case by case basis (how much does that family mean to you) and decide if you are going to watch their kids and reopen. Chances are they are all already exposed and your older ones may already be immuned to it if they havent caught it.

[Sunshine44]

I stayed open

When we all had HFM we stayed open. The CDC says there is no reason to exclude the kids with it. Just my experience.

[Sprouts]

We just recently had it the end of September, I know it ****s! My son had the worst of it, his fever was so high he had a febrile seizure...and it stays in the body and is passed through FECES...so even though it has passed you have to be SUPER careful when changing diapers or when children use the bathroom. I make sure EVERYONE who enters daycare washes hands when they enter. I wash babies hands after each diaper change as well and soak changing table in clorox solution. I also wrap diaper in gloves when throwing it into the diaper pale and put on a new glove to put on diaper ointment. As long as sores are gone and there are no fever i would say okay to come back, but yeah i know it is scary because you feel like parents blame you for the kids getting sick

[sharlan]

I never closed when the kids got it. Usually only 2 or 3 kids would get it. I never had the whole crew get it.

[Growing1atime]

The reason I closed is because MY kids got it. I have four kids and my two youngest caught it. I didn't close because of the dck's. If my own children hadn't caught it I would have excluded only the sick ones. But since the sick ones live here I had to close.