Hand Foot Mouth disease

[Unregistered]

Does anyone have experience with Hand Foot and Mouth?

I have never had a case of it until now. I was closed for a long weekend from last Thursday until this morning. Mom thinks he got it here, but no one else has been sick in ages.

Child had a HIGH fever yesterday (104-105) but it's gone today and she wants to return child to care tomorrow. I don't feel good about this. He has blisters on his hands and feet and yesterday could not wear his shoes. He's barely one year old. He can't control where his coughs or sneezes go and it spreads that way, also through stool.

It's mostly contagious during the first week, but also for several weeks after that. Guidelines say children can return after fever is gone, but yesterday he was reported to be clingy and miserable all day.

I guess I just don't want him back already tomorrow. I want to exclude until next week when the contagiousness is less. Blisters on his hands, and then he plays with all the toys? Seems like a nightmare to me. Plus I have a new baby who just started a few weeks ago and I don't want the baby exposed.

In reality I think he will run a fever again tonight and I will be "saved", but I want to cover myself now. Thinking about saying that since it's most contagious during the first week, he needs to stay out all week and can return next week if he is without fever, crankiness, diarrhea, etc.

Thoughts? (and thanks!)

[SillyGrl]

Would requiring a doctor's note work? I would be worried about the blisters, myself. I don't have a lot of experience with it, either.

[Unregistered]

I've never had a case of this yet either and hopefully wont knock on wood. I wouldn't let him return either. Has this child been seen by the doctor? I'd ask for a Doctors note.

[playground1]

We've had it, and we just ask for a note saying that it's okay for the child to come back if he's not experiencing symptoms.

[Kabob]

My policy says I exclude if they cannot participate in daycare activities. Being clingy or in so much pain from the blisters that they can't wear shoes or eat would count. If in doubt keep them out...I always regret it when I don't follow my gut when it comes to illnesses...

[CraftyMom]

A doctor's note is your best bet. The doctor will usually state on the note when it is safe for the child to return and no longer contagious. Once you have that information you can judge as far as how clingy or needy he is.

My daughter had it when she was 4. She was miserable on and off for 2 whole weeks. The fever kept coming and going

[playground1]

So many times I've had kids come in with "but their not contagious!" reasoning, meanwhile, the child is so miserable. Take a day off, parent!

[Blackcat31]

So many times I've had kids come in with "but their not contagious!" reasoning, meanwhile, the child is so miserable. Take a day off, parent!

Almost ALL common illness/viruses have contagious periods that occur BEFORE any symptoms appear.



@OP, here is a technical fact sheet for you about Hand, Foot and Mouth

http://www.hennepin.us/~/media/hennepinus/residents/health-medical/documents/1340-s6-hand-foot.pdf

Here is a handout for parents:

http://www.hennepin.us/~/media/hennepinus/residents/health-medical/documents/1340-s6-hand-foot.pdf

In my program, I exclude for symptoms or behavior and not necessarily the actual illness or virus.

[Childminder]

At one time or another as a provider you will experience HF&M. It is a virus and will run through a daycare like a bad cold, most times by the time it's diagnosed in one child it will have infected all of the children.

I don't even exclude anymore but that is my choice.

Clean, clean, clean and notify the other parent's that's about all that can be done.

[mamamanda]

I've had trouble with that this year too. Same family has come in with it 4 times since Sept. Biggest method of passing it is through saliva and stool. When the child does come back, be extra aware when changing diapers and hand wash even more than normal. If child is coughing/sneezing/drooling it will pass very easily. I would say keeping him home for the first week is not impractical. Taking care of a sick baby who is not yours is not your job. It's his parents. Ask for a dr.'s note and be sure blisters are not open when he returns. I'm sorry you're dealing with it. It's so frustrating when parents want to send their children sick.

[Unregistered]

Doctor says he can come back tomorrow. This is without even knowing if his fever will reappear tonight. 104-105 yesterday and last night!

I am leaning toward excluding for the week (tomorrow is his last day here this week). Just trying to be sure I am not being unfair to the family OR to my other children.

[MarinaVanessa]

I had a case of this with my own son and my nephew, we think they got it while at Chuck E Cheese for my son's 1st Bday (5 days before the first spot appeared). I don't think I saw the first "spot" on DS or nephew until the following Thursday so all of the DC kids. I let all of the parents know to look out for spots starting on that Saturday since the DC kids were all exposed Mon-Thursday and I kept my own DS & DD home and quarantined them upstairs until my DS's blisters crusted over about halfway through the next week, my DH stayed home with them upstairs. They NEVER came downstairs (including DH) and I stayed downstairs even to sleep. None of my DC kids got it.

I excluded my nephew for the same amount of time that my DS was quarantined and when my SIL came to get nephew she went next door for a few minutes to my BIL's house (her brother) to say hi and my niece and my SIL's nephew got it. That nephew gave it to his cousin. SIL also dropped him off at his dads house and didn't tell him why he was being sent home and he gave it to his half brother who gave it to like 3 other kids etc.

So I'm assuming because I'm a clean freak that none of the other kids in my daycare got sick but it is very contagious. Not overly dangerous or horrible, jut really contagious.

[Unregistered]

OP here. So somehow I have managed to go 30+ years without a case of hand foot and mouth disease. Hadn't even realized it wasn't a one-time illness.
And the handouts (I have some too, but thanks BlackCat) don't say that the blisters are contagious when not dried or scabbed over - hard to imagine that they are not???

[Cradle2crayons]

Doctor says he can come back tomorrow. This is without even knowing if his fever will reappear tonight. 104-105 yesterday and last night!

I am leaning toward excluding for the week (tomorrow is his last day here this week). Just trying to be sure I am not being unfair to the family OR to my other children.

It's not just about the fever. They should be excluded until the blisters scab over at least. If the blisters are still active and weeping it is still highly contagious. I would exclude the rest of the week regardless of what a dr says.