So it's confirmed, James has Hand, Foot, and Mouth (HFM) disease. :( I saw more of the little dots pop up and saw how they transformed into blisters. He has a few around his knee and some on his toes and hands.
The blisters don't seem to hurt him as far as I can tell but he does have some aches and pains from the fever. I thought the fever passed but he still had a temp around 6:00 this evening so we are back on Tylenol.
Poor baby still has a bad ear infection that hasn't really improved. Now he has some mucus forming in his eyes that I understand is due to the ear infection as told by a couple of my mommy friends who have been through this. My heart hurts when I see James screaming in agony over the pain he feels. The poor guy can't even sleep by himself. I have to physically hold him all night. If I dare try to put him in his crib or even next to me in my bed he's in hysterics. I can't imagine what he's going through right now. He's enduring so much pain and still breaks a smile when he can.
The Tylenol is helping but he's far from 100%. He's barely eating anything and it's because it hurts him to eat. I looked down his throat as he was crying earlier and I could see little white bumps around his tonsil and at the back of his throat. I read that it hurts babies to swallow so that is probably why he's not eating. I even see he has a difficult time drinking water.
As for James hydration, he is basically living off breast milk which is in lower supply as I'm working now. So I'm trying to supplement as much as I can with water. I know he's hungry and wants food but he keeps refusing it. Since I know his favorite food is rotisserie chicken and that he also has a sweet tooth, my mom got him a chicken and a blueberry muffin. Boy he loved that. He ate a decent piece of chicken and a small amount of the muffin. I feel so much better now that something is in his system besides milk and the occasional Cheerio.
I think James has slightly improved from yesterday. I only say that because he's basically traded the fever for blisters. He is uncomfortable and I find it helps when we massage his arms and legs. He's a pretty good walker but now he's really wobbly and falls a lot so my mom and I run after him all day.
I can't wait until he feels better. I've read mixed reviews on a time frame for him to get better. I've heard 3-5 days and 5-7 days. I hope it's the lesser and pray he heals soon. So this outbreak is due to daycare and I now it's easy to blame them but what can we really do to prevent it. Not being in daycare is not the answer as I have friends whose kids are not in daycare and still get HFM. It's a virus and can spread easily among children. I am sad that James has it but I stand by my decision of having him in daycare.
Otherwise I had about 1.5 hours sleep last night and am running on empty. I anticipate more long nights to come until he feels better.
Has your child has HFM? How long did it last? Do the blisters hurt? Does the baby scar? Please share your thoughts with us on the blog.
Happy reading!
Rachel
Showing posts with label Hand. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hand. Show all posts
April 4, 2012
April 3, 2012
Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease :(
I am sure most of you are wondering what this is so here's a definition from babycenter before I go on:
"Hand, foot and mouth disease is usually a mild illness caused by one of a group of coxsackie viruses. It gets its name from the little sores that develop on the hands and feet, and in the mouth. It’s common in children under 10, although adults can get a milder form of the virus. "
Now here's why it's important. James developed a high fever overnight so I gave him Tempra (infant tylenol) and it started to go down. James was really clingy and didn't want to sleep in his crib so I brought him to bed with me. After hours of nonstop nursing he finally gave me 2.5hrs of sleep. This meant that I had a terrible migraine in the morning. I can never properly function with a migraine so I didn't go to work today.
As for James his fever was decreasing, but still there. I called his daycare to let them know about his absence. While discussing the administrator advised me that there were 2 cases of HMF and 1 of chicken pox. So I asked if that was at the center or his classroom and she said his classroom! I was mortified as I didn't want either for James.
I remember a friend of mine's daughter had HFM soon after starting daycare so I was wondering how kids get it and what the symptoms were so here they are:
How can my baby catch HFM:
"Hand, foot and mouth disease is contagious and easily passed on from person to person. Your baby can catch it if someone with the virus coughs or sneezes near him, or from contact with stool, saliva or fluid from the sores. If your baby catches it he will be most contagious a few days before symptoms appear, so it can be hard to anticipate or prevent.
Not surprisingly, outbreaks of hand, foot and mouth disease are common in daycares and nursery schools. Hygiene is very important to prevent it spreading, so wash your hands and your baby’s hands frequently with soap and water." - Baby Center
What are the Symptoms:
"The telltale signs of the virus are small, blister-like sores in your baby's mouth, and on his hands and feet. The sores may spread up the backs of his legs and onto his bottom and genitals. The blisters can be extremely sore, and your baby may not want to drink or eat because of the blisters in his mouth. Your baby may also feel unwell, and have a sore throat and mild fever for a day or two, and go off his food.
It usually takes between three and five days for symptoms to appear once your baby is infected. Hand, foot and mouth disease will be uncomfortable for your baby, but rest assured that it's not a serious illness. " - Baby Center
So this afternoon I saw a little bump on his chin then a little later saw a bump on his palm. This is when we went to the doctor. We didn't have an appointment so we had to wait until almost closing time. The doctor advised us that the bumps we saw could just be from the fever but the ones he found on his knee looked like more cause for concern. He said that it's probably not chicken pox as sores start on the belly of which James had none.
He was more concerned with James' fever so he asked us to monitor it and come back if he worsened in 2 days.
So all we know right now is that he doesn't have chicken pox, has a fever, and may or may not have HFM. So on the way home from the doctor I stopped by daycare to collect my milk for James. Once there I heard that there are 2 cases if chicken pox and 4 cases of HFM. The odds don't look promising for James.
I'll continue to monitor him and keep him comfy in my arms. For pain relief the doctor recommended infant tylenol of which he is taking. Also I need to continuously nurse him since he's not eating much food.
Has your child ever had HFM? What did you do to comfort them? How long did it last? Please share your experience with us on the blog!
Happy reading!
Rachel
"Hand, foot and mouth disease is usually a mild illness caused by one of a group of coxsackie viruses. It gets its name from the little sores that develop on the hands and feet, and in the mouth. It’s common in children under 10, although adults can get a milder form of the virus. "
Now here's why it's important. James developed a high fever overnight so I gave him Tempra (infant tylenol) and it started to go down. James was really clingy and didn't want to sleep in his crib so I brought him to bed with me. After hours of nonstop nursing he finally gave me 2.5hrs of sleep. This meant that I had a terrible migraine in the morning. I can never properly function with a migraine so I didn't go to work today.
As for James his fever was decreasing, but still there. I called his daycare to let them know about his absence. While discussing the administrator advised me that there were 2 cases of HMF and 1 of chicken pox. So I asked if that was at the center or his classroom and she said his classroom! I was mortified as I didn't want either for James.
I remember a friend of mine's daughter had HFM soon after starting daycare so I was wondering how kids get it and what the symptoms were so here they are:
How can my baby catch HFM:
"Hand, foot and mouth disease is contagious and easily passed on from person to person. Your baby can catch it if someone with the virus coughs or sneezes near him, or from contact with stool, saliva or fluid from the sores. If your baby catches it he will be most contagious a few days before symptoms appear, so it can be hard to anticipate or prevent.
Not surprisingly, outbreaks of hand, foot and mouth disease are common in daycares and nursery schools. Hygiene is very important to prevent it spreading, so wash your hands and your baby’s hands frequently with soap and water." - Baby Center
What are the Symptoms:
"The telltale signs of the virus are small, blister-like sores in your baby's mouth, and on his hands and feet. The sores may spread up the backs of his legs and onto his bottom and genitals. The blisters can be extremely sore, and your baby may not want to drink or eat because of the blisters in his mouth. Your baby may also feel unwell, and have a sore throat and mild fever for a day or two, and go off his food.
It usually takes between three and five days for symptoms to appear once your baby is infected. Hand, foot and mouth disease will be uncomfortable for your baby, but rest assured that it's not a serious illness. " - Baby Center
So this afternoon I saw a little bump on his chin then a little later saw a bump on his palm. This is when we went to the doctor. We didn't have an appointment so we had to wait until almost closing time. The doctor advised us that the bumps we saw could just be from the fever but the ones he found on his knee looked like more cause for concern. He said that it's probably not chicken pox as sores start on the belly of which James had none.
He was more concerned with James' fever so he asked us to monitor it and come back if he worsened in 2 days.
So all we know right now is that he doesn't have chicken pox, has a fever, and may or may not have HFM. So on the way home from the doctor I stopped by daycare to collect my milk for James. Once there I heard that there are 2 cases if chicken pox and 4 cases of HFM. The odds don't look promising for James.
I'll continue to monitor him and keep him comfy in my arms. For pain relief the doctor recommended infant tylenol of which he is taking. Also I need to continuously nurse him since he's not eating much food.
Has your child ever had HFM? What did you do to comfort them? How long did it last? Please share your experience with us on the blog!
Happy reading!
Rachel
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