HFMD

WTH is HFMD, you might ask? Well, I didn't know either until yesterday.  

This past Monday, Sarah was very clingy and cranky the whole day.  We didn't know why.  She was a bit warm, but SQ and I thought it was just because it was a hot day and she did have that furry kitty costume on.  We finally measured her temperature and it was about 100 degrees. Low grade fever.  She was drooling a lot - so maybe she's teething.  We gave her some Tylenol and she slept OK. The next morning, she woke up, again with a low grade fever. She was whiney and just not herself.  We decided to keep her away from daycare so SQ worked from home to watch her.  When I came back from home, I noticed that Sarah has small blisters on her tongue.  They are like canker sores, except she has about 5-6 of them on her tongue. Some were bigger than others.  So I searched the internet on her symptoms - mild fever, blisters on tongue. And low and behold, the results came back:

Hand Foot Mouth Disease = From the Center on Disease Control:  Hand, foot, and mouth disease is a common viral illness that usually affects infants and children younger than 5 years old.  Symptoms of hand, foot, and mouth disease include fever, blister-like sores in the mouth (herpangina), and a skin rash. Hand, foot, and mouth disease usually starts with a fever, poor appetite, a vague feeling of being unwell (malaise), and sore throat. One or 2 days after fever starts, painful sores usually develop in the mouth (herpangina). They begin as small red spots that blister and that often become ulcers. The sores are often in the back of the mouth. A skin rash develops over 1 to 2 days. The rash has flat or raised red spots, sometimes with blisters. The rash is usually on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet; it may also appear on the knees, elbows, buttocks or genital area.


This is what Sarah has.  She not only has blisters in her mouth but also on her buttocks.  Poor thing!!  So we kept her away from daycare for another day.  She is doing much better today because she's actually eating more.  Like the common cold, the virus can incubate in the body for 3-7 days before showing any signs. There is no cure or medicine for HFMD - it just needs to run its course (about a week). Meanwhile, we need to keep Sarah hydrated and well-rested.  Apparently, 2 of her other classmates got the same thing - so it must be going around.  I also emailed my pediatrician and he said that he saw a lot of children with HFMD lately.  The disease is spread via saliva and nose secretions... so remember to wash hands thoroughly and stay healthy!