Hand Foot Mouth Disease

Hi, I have a question about my ds who will be 1 on wednesday!!  Well, this Saturday we noticed an ulcer on his tongue.  The next day it was larger and he was being impossible!!  Well, when I say large it covers the whole entire tip of his tongue.  I called our pediatrician to see what to do and can he go to daycare.  Well, they tell me that the disease is a category of illnesses capped all into one and is viral.  They are contagious if they have a fever, which he does not have at this point.  they also told me that classic case would be a rash on hands and feet and the BACK of the tongue.  No worries, send him to daycare...well, this morning I get a call and they have me pick him up.  He won't eat, well....so what, his tongue hurts!!  They say he is being cranky but he hasnt cried since he was picked up at 8:30 am ( he is droppped at 6:30).  My dh had to take a whole day off b/c daycare was freaking out over something which I would say is pretty trivial.  Ok, and let me vent here, when I get there to pick him up there are five women inspecting his body for a rash.  I can understand they don't want him to infect anyone if that was the case, but obviously my lil guy got it from there in the first place if it is viral!!!  When is he safe and is this something someone else has had to deal w/ ??

[amberd5191]

Never had to deal with that in particular but daycares are awful. You stated it perfectly he got if from being there! How terrible that they can't keep him there. My son kept getting sick and eventually it got to the point where they were calling me at the clinic because he would cry and they wanted me to come get him (no fever or anything). Maybe you would have better luck with someone being paid to come to your house? Best of luck to you, hope your little guy feels better soon!

[tmv]

I think if the shoe was on the other foot, you would appreciate the caution. I know that it is hard to miss work/pay, but those things happen when you have children esp. young children. There is a good chance that he may have got this there, and that they are taking precautions to prevent a further outbreak of the disorder. But, seriously, if his tongue hurts too bad to eat, he should be kept home and offered more fluids and soft foods often. He probably feels rotten and being in a daycare away from the one's he loves to comfort him would be hard. He probably feels better and comforted around his parents. I'd say that a few days and he will be fine to return. Monitor for fever and keep him hydrated well. Best wishes and hope he heals up real soon.

[pertykitty]

yes its very contagious.  he needs to be at home, the ulcers in the mouth and throat do hurt.  not all kids who get this (my son had it and more than once!)  will get the rashy symptoms.  he needs your love and hugs for a day or two. he will be fine, it just is very uncomfortable for some.  

[fitzy11]

i hope i can help you understand it a little better. i worked in a daycare for a long time, and now that i am a mom i can see both sides. while i understand your point about having to leave work and take days off, it is a never ending cycle of sickness at daycare. and it is mostly b/c parents don't keep their kids out long enough to recover. when you have 8-10 infants in the same room for 9 hrs a day it is very hard to stay on top of cleaning each toy each baby has just put in their mouths. so you can clean as much as possible, but sicknesses are still going to be passed around. and if you have a baby who doesn't feel well and is cranky, it affects all the other babies, and that is not fair to them. so while a baby may be fever free and happy it would definetly pay off to keep him/her home for one more day. if every parent were able to do that perhaps the cycle of illness would cease just a little bit.besides if your little one is not feeling well wouldn't you want them to be home anyway. also, many daycares have strict state regulations that require dr's. notes confirming that they have been seen, are not contagious, and may return to daycare. i hope this helps, and i hope your little guy is feeling better soon.

[jifnif]

pretty understandable that i would love to have the same courtesy...obviously, he got it from someone who wasnt so curteous.  like the post said, he has had it probably since the end of last week.  he has been loved and catered to extra special just b/c he doesnt feel up to par....but the reality of it is....i pay a lot for daycare and there are no "days off/sick days" and i actually work in a hospital and can take him to the sick room if i really wanted to (this is really a hastle b/c of staffing) and if he really was sick or contagious i wouldnt have dropped him in the first place and i had him seen by the dr who said at this point he is not contagious.  i pay for them to watch my child, and i would never leave him if he was sick.....i am thinking there was undue panic .....i had a drs note...

[pertykitty]

no there is reason for him to not be there.  when my son was a baby other moms wouldnt keep their kids home and my kid was sick.  i did not have sick days so i lost wages plus i paid daycare as well.  i think its selfish to say well someone passed it to him now ill pass it back.  my sis' babies were preemies, now they stayed home , but what about the ones who are in daycare and are more suseptable to infection?  is that fair?  its life and that is what happens when you are a parent, they get sick and we miss work and we still pay daycare, unfortunatly you have to get used to it.  those daycare rules are there to help everyone.

[pertykitty]

i meant to say the other sick kids would get my son sick.  

[deanne11]

I know how horrible it is.  My DD got it twice last year and yes, it's a pain to pay a butt load of money for daycare but it is highly contagious and I had to keep my DD out of school for 5 days, before our Dr would give us a note that she could go back....luckily 2 days were over the weekend but still.

It is a double edge sword.  The parents of the child in school who spread it, knew their child had it.

They were called 4 times during the day because their child had a fever and they refused to pick him up....a week later 4 other kids had it including my DD.

About 3 weeks....same kid, same parents...fever, refused to leave work and pick him up...another 2-3 kids out because of their neglect.

I do believe if you had a Dr note, they should have allowed your son back in however....

[pertykitty]

they refused? !! the daycare should have then dropped the child from their roster, parents need to be more responsible.

[jifnif]

i am not saying that other children should get sick...that is pretty harsh.  I am saying he is not contagious....i have a drs note and still cannot have him in school.  i work at a hospital and my son's pediatrician has a son in my son's class...he is the dr that wrote my note.  if he is saying it is safe to be at school and his son is in my son's class then where is the logic??  Why did i just pay the dr???  and the daycare????  give me a break...i work right where i leave my son and pick him up immediatley...the point is being missed...money is not an object when it comes to your children....you are misunderstanding me.  If he is sick so be it...but if he isnt...then so be that!!!  

[tmv]

I believe that you had a dr note, but in all actuality, no dr would say 100% that this baby is not contagious. And again, if he's not feeling well, he should be home getting love and cuddles from family. I agree that the rules are made for such an instance. Best wishes and hope he has a speedy recovery.

[pertykitty]

well i read the comments you made regarding how you pay daycare and whatever.  ive never heard of a dr saying 2 days an no longer contagious with this infection.  my son was told 5 days, my nephew had it a month ago and was considered contagious for 5 days.  appently your dr either did you a favor and said it was ok before it really was, or the daycare just has their policies in which they have to abide by them.  sorry you are getting so mad, but that is how the other parents will feel too if their kids get sick.

[jifnif]

its not mad, its a caring mother that goes and takes her son to a dr (2x: 1x on sunday and 1x today) and gets a note to have her child returned to school.  and i think that my posts werent read in entiretly...just phrases picked out....and have my son...sent home when the school has no policy...only if there is a fever, which there isn't a policy on hand foot mouth...and i ask them when he can return and they say..ummmm, not sure...try again tomorrow...i drive almost an hour to work...there should be something better to go on especially if i have a note and there is no fever....i dont care what they think he has...and my dr even said that the hand foot mouth is a general name for a bunch of various illnesses that occur around this time of year....typicall hand foot mouth is not what my son has......but i am done trying to get a few opinions on my situation....and to look at the other side of things...of course if someone is sick they shouldnt be in daycare....kids can have coughs and runny noses.....but no fevers....???  not mad...just frustrated

[pertykitty]

ask your daycare what their rule is, if it is that you have a dr note and they are allowed to come back then tell them to reimburss your $$ for today.  they cant change the rules depending on the staff , it has to be the same for all.  

[deanne11]

After the 2nd time it happened and 3-4 kids broke out in hand, foot, mouth disease the child was kicked out of school.....

TRUST me...all of us parents were in an uproar about it....they refused to pick up a child with 102 fever!  I was livid!!!

[Me2mommy2b]

Sorry you're going through this.  I hope your little one is recovered soon.  

[wonderme]

Yes, it is frustrating.  I know what you mean, too.  I take my kids to the doc if I even suspect they have strep or anything more than a typical cold.  I keep them home from school (even with a cold) and the school's policy is fever of 100 or over and/or contagious.  Not that other parents do, though!

I don't want them to make others sick -- yet, it's all the people who send in their kids sick that made mine so.  I help out in the school and when I see the kids wipe their nose with the back of their hand and then pick up the pencil and then borrow someone else's -- yikes!  When I go and a kid blows his nose, I tell them to wash their hands...every bit helps.

As for the daycare, they need to spell out the policy.  And, with a doctor's note saying it is okay to attend and they still refuse -- you should NOT have to pay for that time.  

One other thing of note, if your child is not contagious, but is still battling this virus, he will be more susceptible to come down with whatever else is going around.  So, maybe until he is a bit better, it is wiser to keep him away from anyone else who may be  coming down with (or has) something else.  It is inconvenient and expensive, but I know you just want your son healthy!

Hope he feels better soon!!

[tiredbuthappy]

if your child has an open sore in his mouth, he is contagious. this is especially true for young children who put things in their mouths and don't wash hands regualrly. i had coxsackie (hand foot and mouth disease) and i felt absolutely awful with it. i also only got it in my throat- none on my hands or feet. the center has a right to determine whether or not your child is well enough to be there. while they may not have a specific policy for each and every illness posted (which of course would be impossible), chances are they have a book they refer to in the office, which is what the center i worked for did. in general, most centers will not allow a child back with any open sores anywhere on the body. please respect their policy. they are not trying to be a pain in your @ss. they are not trying to unload your kid. they are doing what they feel is best for the entire class, and also for your child. can you imagine a nurse or someone at your work place coming to work sick and coughing all over patients??? i know it's hard, and now that i'm a mom and looking for daycare for when i go back to work, i am already worried about what i'll do when the baby is sick.
good luck, and i hope the little guy feels better by his birthday!!

[peekawho]

Get ready for parenthood.  This will happen many times.  You'll get a call to come pick up your child at daycare, school, wherever.  They have to err on the side of caution.  

Unfortunately for you, I agree with the people who say that the daycare did the right thing.  The issue of what to do with a mildly ill child is constantly debated.  You have to expect this in the future, too. Note or no note.  They have to err on the side of caution.

(A child may have come the day before symptoms appeared--they are extremely contagious then, too).

[ImmortalOne]

I wanted to reply to this earlier but Lilith needed me.  

This "disease" "virus" or whatever they call it now, is really distressing for mom's.  Especially because of the effects of it.  #2 had it when she was really young and it took cleaning the carpets of the place we were staying for it to go away.  It took so many doctors to diagnois, and not once was I told there was a fever involved.  

And Peek is so right... I remember that as a child all I had to do was rub my eyes and let a teacher see it and they'd send me home to make sure I didn't have pink eye.  It was rather amusing now that I look back at it.  But they are trying to protect other children, which is their job.