How long would you quarantine a kid with HFM?

lexusolsen

Dd has had hand foot and mouth since Saturday. The urgent care pedi said yesterday that there was no need to quarantine, that good hygiene would keep it from spreading. It seems irresponsible to knowingly expose other people to HFM even if it is just annoying and not dangerous (that was his argument).

I canceled our plans for today and when my friend found out she canceled on us for Wednesday. However, I'm thinking of taking her to preschool tomorrow. She isn't in pain, she is playing and acting normally, and those kids have all already been exposed (that's where dd got it).

When would you be comfortable taking a kid with HFM out with other kids?

zbeesma86

Hope DD feels better!

spring_time

I would wait a couple of days.  The doctor said that good hygiene should prevent its spread, but I doubt the preschool teachers will be as vigilant as you are.  I would be more likely to take her out and about myself, than send her to preschool and expect the teachers to keep a special eye on her.

Aussie45

When we had HFM (me and DD), DD had no symptoms other than high fever and extremely sore throat. It wasn't until after her fever had broken did she get the little blisters on her feet and hands. It was the same thing for me. It wasn't until my fever went away did my blisters come to the surface of the skin. I think once you are fever free for 24 hours, you're not contagious anymore.

lexusolsen

No sores in her mouth and none of the bumps are open. He said it's the coxasackie virus. She never had a fever.

lexusolsen

MrsMuq said:

twolittlewheels said:

MrsMuq said:

Our doctor told us 5 days from the onset of symptoms, and must be fever-free for at least 24 hours.

This and, similar to chicken pox, wait until the sores scab.  The fluid that oozes from them can spread HFM, as well as saliva if there is open sores in her mouth.

When DS had it, he just had sores in his mouth, but a pretty high fever (103.8 I think) plus an ear infection. Needless to say, he felt like crap for about a week.


That sounds miserable! Poor guy! Dd barely notices them. She keeps asking when we are going somewhere.

LoveBeingMama

I wouldn't send her to preschool just yet. Maybe give it another day. But I wouldn't exactly quarantine her either. If you have things to do (errands, etc.), go do them. Play outside. That kind of stuff.

rosesandpetals

DD had HFM and she had it worse than most kids because she had other things going on at the same time, but I kept her quarantined until the fever was gone for 24 hours. Her fever did go from 104.1 one day to completely gone the next morning, though. The sores were awful, she still has them and she has been better for 2 weeks. I think they may actually scar, they look terrible.

So anyway, I would let her go out with the sores as long as the fever has been gone. And really I am side-eyeing the pedi calling it "annoying but not dangerous". It might not be dangerous but it is more than annoying. It was a million times worse than a cold, which I would call annoying.

lexusolsen

rosesandpetals said:

DD had HFM and she had it worse than most kids because she had other things going on at the same time, but I kept her quarantined until the fever was gone for 24 hours. Her fever did go from 104.1 one day to completely gone the next morning, though. The sores were awful, she still has them and she has been better for 2 weeks. I think they may actually scar, they look terrible.

So anyway, I would let her go out with the sores as long as the fever has been gone. And really I am side-eyeing the pedi calling it "annoying but not dangerous". It might not be dangerous but it is more than annoying. It was a million times worse than a cold, which I would call annoying.

I thought it was odd despite the fact that dd is only mildly annoyed by it herself. Obviously, her case is extremely mild and I can only imagine how much worse it would be with open sores. That's why I was hesitant to follow his quarantine (or lack there of) recommendation. What kind of good hygiene does he think three year olds have?