Hand, Foot & Mouth

Took Sean to the doctor this morning due to he has thrown up 2 nights in a row (every 20 minutes from 1230-4am the night before and just 1 time last night) and has had diarrhea for the past 2 days. Glad I took him due to she discovered that he has "hand, foot & mouth" disease. He has 2 blisters in his throat - 1 on each side and his hands are a little red, but other than that, no blisters on his feet or rear end. He had a fever of 99.5 while we were there, but other than that, no fevers and has been acting normal. Doesn't feel like eating, which I can understand due to the blisters can't make that easy or painless. He did eat half a Jamba Juice my mom brought him this afternoon and I have been giving him plenty of fluids to help keep him hydrated. My poor little guy... With the info I found on it, my best guess is that he must've contracted it from when we were at the playground on March 3rd. He hasn't been around any other children except for some friends of ours, but he started getting sick a tad over 24 hours after he had played with the girls so I know he couldn't have gotten it from them. I made sure to contact their Mom though so she was aware in case either one of her girls should come down with it. I called my doctor as well to make sure that the fetus would be ok if I ended up getting it and they assured me that Jaycie would be fine. - Not dangerous to a pregnant woman unless she is in her 1st trimester. Apparnetly, H,F&M is going around within the toddler community right now and is fairly common.


Below is the information I found on webmd.com about the virus.


What is hand-foot-and-mouth disease?
Hand-foot-and-mouth disease is a common childhood illness. It causes sores in the mouth and on the hands, feet, and sometimes the buttocks and legs. Mouth sores can be painful and may make it hard for your child to eat. The disease is not serious, and it usually goes away in a week or so.
It can occur at any time of year, but hand-foot-and-mouth disease is most common in the summer and fall.
Hand-foot-and-mouth disease is not the same as other diseases that have similar names: foot-and-mouth disease (sometimes called hoof-and-mouth disease) or mad cow disease. These diseases almost always occur in animals.
What causes hand-foot-and-mouth disease?
Hand-foot-and-mouth disease is caused by a virus called an enterovirus.
The virus spreads easily through coughing and sneezing. You can also get it by coming in contact with infected stool, such as when you change a diaper. Often the disease breaks out within a community. Children are most likely to spread the disease during the first week of the illness. But the virus stays in the stool and can sometimes spread to others for several months after the blisters and sores have healed.
It usually takes 3 to 6 days for a person to get symptoms of hand-foot-and-mouth disease after being exposed to the virus. This is called the incubation period.
What are the symptoms?
At first your child may feel tired, get a sore throat, or have a fever of around 101F to 103F. Then in a day or two, your child may get sores or blisters on the hands, feet, mouth, and sometimes the buttocks. In some cases a child will get a skin rash before the blisters appear. The blisters may break open and crust over. The sores and blisters usually go away in a week or so.
How is hand-foot-and-mouth disease diagnosed?
A doctor can tell if your child has hand-foot-and-mouth disease by the symptoms you describe and by looking at the sores and blisters.
How is it treated?
Hand-foot-and-mouth disease does not usually need treatment. Most cases go away in 7 to 10 days. You can use home care to help relieve your child’s symptoms.
Offer your child plenty of cool fluids. Your child may also have Popsicles and ice cream.
Do not give your child acidic or spicy foods and drinks, such as salsa or orange juice. These foods can make mouth sores more painful.
For pain and fever, give your child acetaminophen (such as Tylenol) or ibuprofen (such as Advil). Do not give your child aspirin. It has been linked to Reye syndrome, a serious illness.
To help prevent the disease from spreading:
Teach all family members to wash their hands often. It is especially important to wash your hands after you change the diaper of an infected child. This is because the virus may stay in the stool for several months after the blisters heal.
Do not let your child share toys or give kisses while he or she is infected.
If your child goes to day care or school, talk to the staff about when your child can return.
Wear latex or rubber gloves when you apply any lotion, cream, or ointment to your child's blisters.