So just spotted a white blister on the bottom of my kids foot. She also recently had a strange blister in her groin area. I just joined a gym and have been putting my kids in the kids club. Which is likely where they got it if in fact they have it. I have two appointments that would be very difficult to reschedule. So I'd like to wait one more day until we go to the Dr. Do I dare expose people to my kids over one white blister? Doesn't hand foot mouth start out with fever not blisters? If it were easy to stay home and get a Dr.s appointment tomorrow I would, even for one blister. But its just one of those days, we will be a lot of places and exposed to a lot of people, kids included.
Gram T thanks but going to the dr. means altering my plans prior to a diagnosis, thus the question. But yes, wish I had that option.
From http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001961/
Prevention
Avoid contact with people with known illness. Practice strict hand washing if in contact with infected children.
I would re-schedule and not want to infect others.
What about urgent care tonight? Ours is open until 10 pm.
Personally, if I thought my child had something highly contagious I wouldn't expose others to it, regardless of where I thought they got it, ya know?
I would definitely not bring my kids to your appts if they have HFM. It is highly contagious and, while not serious, it can be very painful and make it almost impossible to eat if you have bad sores in your mouth.
Can you hire a babysitter for the day? Most adults have had HFM, so the likelihood of them catching it is much lower (though not impossible, as a friend of mine did recently catch it when her kids had it).
Otherwise, maybe call the people you have appts with and see what they think.
I would be pretty annoyed if a parent brought their children around mine knowing that they had (or thinking they had) a highly contagious disease. Also, only one of my kids started with a fever when they had it and one had it a lot in her groin area, so it does sound like HFM is a likely diagnosis.
When my son had it, the dr said if he had a fever to stay home, if he had no fever he could go to day care.
When I got it from my son (I never had it as a child), I only had a few blisters on my hands and feet, had no fever and I didn't have the sick days to stay home from work.
It was great for keeping people away from my keyboard and desk for a few weeks.
I wouldn't worry about it.
You could get a sitter to stay home with her while you go to your appointments.
Well I guess the real question is, where are you kids going to be when you are at the appointment? Who will you be exposing...do they go to daycare, is someone watching them?
I think that if they're going to be going around with you, I guess maybe I'd let it ride, but have your kids wash their hands when they get there and when they leave. Don't let them share snacks or toys with anyone, even siblings, until you can get it figured out. You may want to tell the adults in charge that your daughter has a strange blister so advise the others to wash hands, toys, etc.
To my knowledge it does start with a fever. This year's "batch" is pretty brutal from what I've heard and I would think that if she did have it, you'd know it. If she wakes up with a fever though, I'd cancel your plans.
My friends kids had it they were sicker than heck. super high fevers, and her dd had a horrible rash all over her face. If they had it I think you would know, take them to the doctor, but if they arent feverish, they shouldnt be contagious. A few sores could be anything.
I'd get the diagnosis from the doc first and then alter your plans if you have to.
HFMD is contagious from saliva, from poop, and when the blisters pop. My son had it recently, and was utterly miserable with a high temp right before the blisters appeared (not all kids get a fever); the blisters first appeared as a red rash and then developed a small white center (the blister) then popped. The rash is (not surprisingly) centered around the mouth, hands and feet. And it's pretty prevalent--not just one or two red bumps, but lots.
If she doesn't have a temp, and doesn't have mouth sores and not open weeping blisters, I'd take her out.
i'm not really a proponent for quarantining over every little illness - but i just had to chime in that HFM CAN be very very serious indeed - not life-threatening in our experience, but a literal nightmare to deal with. my son's blisters were ALL in his mouth and he could not eat solid foods for a week - in fact i had to practically beg him every waking moment, to take tiny bits of pediasure shakes, just to get by, he was SO miserable. :( the screaming, the crying, the pain he was in was heartbreaking. i'm not sure i would stay home for just a couple small blisters, because you don't even know if that's what it is AND she has no fever or other symptoms...but just wanted to share our experience with HFM. it's not just a walk in the park. i'd be pretty ticked off if my ped told me "don't bother staying home". i wonder if that's what some ped told the kid that gave it to mine. appreciate it dude! my son is almost 6 and still remembers being that sick - and he was 3 at the time.
My friend's little guy just had it and his started with a fever before the blisters showed up. I think he had a fever for about 2 days before the blisters showed. He was also sick and crabby overall. He also didn't want to eat much.
I'd compromise and call the doctor's office first thing to ask if they think you need to bring her in or not. They might be able to save you an unnecessary trip. A couple blisters doesn't sound too concerning so far.
We just got it last year. I say we being all six of us that live in this house. It is very so ever contagious... but I don't remember getting fevers. I also have a bad memory. I just more specifically remember the sores.
HONESTLY, it isn't the worst. It is annoying, and that is about it. Does she have a sore in her mouth? That was the indicator for us all last year (although I think you can have it w/o).
What I would do: keep her hands clean and keep contact to a bare minimum. You don't have a exact diagnosis, so just go and do the things you have to do as long as she isn't feeling so bad that she herself wants to stay home...
THAT being said, what KIND of appointments are you talking about? I would have to say that there are some things that she should NOT do with others if she was in fact contagious with something.
ADDED: I like what Grammarocks said. that would be ideal if you could go to an urgent care to see what they say...
Hand Foot and Mouth isn't very serious. It is one of those viruses that most kids will get anyway. My kids pediatritian told me not to bother keeping the kids home. Most of those viruses that have rashes have pretty much run their course by the time the rash shows up. They are more infecteous a few days or a week before the rash. It does start with fever, but often the fever and other symptoms are so mild no one notices. There isn't even much of a point to going to the doctor, except to comfirm diagnosis. There is no treatment or medication.
