Aside from being ill at only a few weeks old, we've been very lucky with David. He's only had one minor tummy bug and a couple of snuffly noses, which is the complete opposite of John who had been on antibiotics for a number of chest infections by this age. That was until a few weeks ago when David picked up Hand, Foot & Mouth.
I'd read a little about Hand Foot & Mouth back when John was younger and had developed a couple of spots around his mouth (which actually turned out to be cold sores), so I knew the symptoms but was still surprised when I picked him up from nursery one night to find that the one little blister on his chin - which I assumed was due to a combination of his dummy & teething - had multiplied in what the nursery said was only the past hour.
It was unsurprising really as the days prior David had an unexplained fever and had been off his food & milk, a sure sign that he is definitely out of sorts! If like us, you find yourself dealing with a wee one with Hand Foot & Mouth, here's my top tips for identifying Hand, Foot & Mouth (HFM) & getting through it!
Blisters. In retrospect, David was ill with HFM before the blisters appeared but it was impossible to know with what until those blisters flared up; the fever, being out of sorts & off food are all signs of HFM but can also be signs of other illness. The blisters will appear as quickly as chicken pox do but will generally be secluded to around & inside the mouth, the hands & the feet (hence the name!). Some unlucky, poor wee soles may also have blisters flare up right up their legs & onto their genitals. Similar to chicken pox the blisters also appear to be filled with fluid and often burst, leaving an open sore.
Contagious. Like most childhood illnesses, HFM spreads like wild fire. When David had it at nursery, all the other babies had it too. Thankfully, it generally only affects younger kids and by some miracles, John didn't catch it too. Because of it's contagious nature, it does mean you'll need to keep your wee one off nursery and out of baby groups until the blisters have healed. Annoying when you know they more than likely caught it there, but it's important to consider those wee ones who may have compromised immune systems & couldn't deal with HFM as easily.
Diagnoses. Given the secluded nature of the blisters with HFM, it's quite easy to self diagnose. However, if you're unsure of any symptoms or wish to have a professional diagnoses, speak to your pharmacist. Given the nature of HFM, unless your wee one has other health issues, there's not a lot a doctor can actually do so save yourself the long appointment waiting times and head to your pharmacist as a best & first port of call.
Treatment. Again, like most childhood illnesses, there's no cure for HFM and it's simply a case of letting it run it's course. Most wee ones will have had the temperature & been out of sorts before the blisters appear so generally fever monitoring & control is to be considered then. But in terms of the blisters, there's not a lot you can really do.
If your wee one if over a year old & really itchy with the blisters, you can speak to your Pharmacist about a oral antihistamine but it's important to not put creams on the blisters, given the location of them; hands & feet end up in wee ones mouths numerous times a day after all!
One ointment I did use with David however was a little coconut oil, dabbed onto any particularly sore looking blisters, mainly to keep them clean & act as a barrier but also taking into consideration coconut oil's magical healing abilities. Plus it's all natural & completely edible, so no worries!
Goodbye Finger Nails! This is one that's less talked about but when you do some searching, it's actually a common after-affect of HFM. Since having HFM, David has lost a finger nail. Like I say, it's not hugely known about so I can't say for sure but my theory is it's due to blisters underneath the nails causing them to come away. Thankfully David has only lost the one finger nail but I've read of many babies losing quite a few, including toe nails.
If this does happen to your wee one, let them be. The nail will come off in it's own time with little intervention. And any attempts to help it on it's way are likely to cause unnecessary pain. If like David, you find your wee ones nail is almost off but they're catching it & in pain as a result, wrap a loose finger bandage around it and pop on a glove or mitten over it for a few days (remembering to check it routinely). This will allow the final part of the nail to grow out without your little one ripping the dead nail off. A soak in the bath can also be a enough to let that nail drop away.
And don't worry! Like a normal finger nail injury, the nail should grow back normally, with no long term affects.
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Blisters. In retrospect, David was ill with HFM before the blisters appeared but it was impossible to know with what until those blisters flared up; the fever, being out of sorts & off food are all signs of HFM but can also be signs of other illness. The blisters will appear as quickly as chicken pox do but will generally be secluded to around & inside the mouth, the hands & the feet (hence the name!). Some unlucky, poor wee soles may also have blisters flare up right up their legs & onto their genitals. Similar to chicken pox the blisters also appear to be filled with fluid and often burst, leaving an open sore.
Contagious. Like most childhood illnesses, HFM spreads like wild fire. When David had it at nursery, all the other babies had it too. Thankfully, it generally only affects younger kids and by some miracles, John didn't catch it too. Because of it's contagious nature, it does mean you'll need to keep your wee one off nursery and out of baby groups until the blisters have healed. Annoying when you know they more than likely caught it there, but it's important to consider those wee ones who may have compromised immune systems & couldn't deal with HFM as easily.
Diagnoses. Given the secluded nature of the blisters with HFM, it's quite easy to self diagnose. However, if you're unsure of any symptoms or wish to have a professional diagnoses, speak to your pharmacist. Given the nature of HFM, unless your wee one has other health issues, there's not a lot a doctor can actually do so save yourself the long appointment waiting times and head to your pharmacist as a best & first port of call.
Treatment. Again, like most childhood illnesses, there's no cure for HFM and it's simply a case of letting it run it's course. Most wee ones will have had the temperature & been out of sorts before the blisters appear so generally fever monitoring & control is to be considered then. But in terms of the blisters, there's not a lot you can really do.
If your wee one if over a year old & really itchy with the blisters, you can speak to your Pharmacist about a oral antihistamine but it's important to not put creams on the blisters, given the location of them; hands & feet end up in wee ones mouths numerous times a day after all!
One ointment I did use with David however was a little coconut oil, dabbed onto any particularly sore looking blisters, mainly to keep them clean & act as a barrier but also taking into consideration coconut oil's magical healing abilities. Plus it's all natural & completely edible, so no worries!
Goodbye Finger Nails! This is one that's less talked about but when you do some searching, it's actually a common after-affect of HFM. Since having HFM, David has lost a finger nail. Like I say, it's not hugely known about so I can't say for sure but my theory is it's due to blisters underneath the nails causing them to come away. Thankfully David has only lost the one finger nail but I've read of many babies losing quite a few, including toe nails.
If this does happen to your wee one, let them be. The nail will come off in it's own time with little intervention. And any attempts to help it on it's way are likely to cause unnecessary pain. If like David, you find your wee ones nail is almost off but they're catching it & in pain as a result, wrap a loose finger bandage around it and pop on a glove or mitten over it for a few days (remembering to check it routinely). This will allow the final part of the nail to grow out without your little one ripping the dead nail off. A soak in the bath can also be a enough to let that nail drop away.
And don't worry! Like a normal finger nail injury, the nail should grow back normally, with no long term affects.
Oh bless him- great advice. We have yet to have it here- or chicken pox! x
ReplyDeleteThank you, Katie! Fingers crossed your girls will escape it. We've yet to face the dreaded chicken pox too - not one I'm looking forward too! xo
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