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Toddlers: 12 - 24 Months
mrsseguin
member
Tips for dealing with hand foot mouth disease?
mrsseguin
member
DD was diagnosed with it today. Two days ago she had a fever, then yesterday she got these little red bumps on her diaper area. Today, her whole diaper area is covered, and she got some sores on her mouth. The doctor looked inside, but didn't see any sores in there. Then this afternoon she got the sores on her hands and feet. We've been giving her motrin, and trying to keep her hydrated, but she has a poor appetite. The this evening DS started with a fever...I hope he hasn't already caught it!
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Re: Tips for dealing with hand foot mouth disease?
Get in the fluids, because sometimes the sores can get bad and they don't want to drink. In that case ice pops are your friend.
Keep her pain and fever under control with acetaminophen or ibuprofen.
I will tell you that every child has it differently. My oldest has had it twice and both time landed in the hospital.
UGH awful
It's very contagious, but really only through bodily fluids. My nephew got it about 2 weeks ago. He sneezed on my brother-in-law, and he ended up with the virus a few days after. It's been a week and a half and he's still dealing with fever and blisters all over his hands and feet. It's rare for an adult to contact the virus, but it does happen, especially with those who have low immune systems. Plus the symptoms seem to be worse in adults! Make sure to wash your hands consistently. If you can, wear gloves so you don't spread the germs, especially when you change your baby's diaper.
There's nothing much you can do to treat it. The ped will probably give you a cream for the rash. Keep the baby as hydrated as possible. I heard you can take a q-tip and soak it in Mylanta and then Benadryl and swipe it in your baby's mouth to relieve the pain from any sores in the mouth. Make sure to keep the temperature down with Tylenol and/or Motrin.
The best thing you can do is try not to spread the germs. My nephew was misdiagnosed and my sister-in-law was told that the blisters were a result of "dry skin." She took him to a BBQ and ended up spreading the virus to the other children there. If he's in daycare, make sure the care provider are informed. They might not want the baby to come back until the rash is gone. Our doctor said that even after the rash is gone, the virus can still be spread for another 2 to 3 weeks. Ugh!!! This virus is so annoying.. Good Luck!
Smoothies were about the only thing my daughter would get down (my husband too for that matter, he caught it from her). Try to go diaper free as much as possible when the bumps in her diaper area start to 'pop'. We are still (two weeks out) dealing with those, it turned into a nasty rash. We did the benadryl/mylanta mixture for her mouth and her diaper area.
Keep up with the meds as best as possible, there was a time we couldn't even get her to swallow her medicine. And don't share food with them, my husband shared some with her before we knew she had it and he got it much worse than she did. He had to miss 3 days of work and even when he went back he was miserable.
Good luck. Lot's of cuddles.
You can alternate tylenol with motrin you can give it more frequently. DS was much more unhappy as the pain medication wore off. It's pretty painful (I got it from him, so I can vouch for that). Offer her whatever she will eat, but don't really stress over it. It will be over in a few days, and she won't starve.
Oatmeal baths can be soothing on the rash.
Mostly, you just ride it out. I hope you don't get it - it was hell.
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