Default Style Register
Daycare.com Forum
Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Hand, Foot, and Mouth!
MaritimeMummy 09:40 AM 08-20-2012
It's here! I'm not closing. But what do I need to do to keep it from circulating around? All the kids have some form of illness right now, whether they have spots or not, except for my daughter. My son got it first.
Reply
texascare 10:17 AM 08-20-2012
It will circulate. They are most contagious before they break out. Just bleach and Lysol and try to separate the kids.
Reply
juliebug 10:25 AM 08-20-2012
Originally Posted by texascare:
It will circulate. They are most contagious before they break out. Just bleach and Lysol and try to separate the kids.
ditto when we had it everyone one got it by the end. ugh!
Reply
My3cents 10:26 AM 08-20-2012
keep your kids separated from the daycare kids.

Very contagious.

Bleach, hot soapy water and clean everything.

Don't be surprised if you get it.

Most daycares close or don't allow the children to attend when they have this. Yikes- best of luck with it. Not fun.
Reply
jen2651 10:51 AM 08-20-2012
I just wanted to say when we got it, I didn't close but I was really lucky with how it worked out... girl came m,t,w (was infected, didn't know it until wed eve). I crazy cleaned Wednesday night. Ds developed fever on Thurs eve meaning he was contagious Thurs. Sent home two kids with a fever on Friday. Crossed my fingers my daughter would get a fever and have it break before Sunday. She did. I was then just extremely cautious about letting kids come on Monday - MUST have been fever free for 24 hours.

So, the timing for us was lucky - if my daughter hadn't developed a fever over the weekend, I probably would have sent her to work with my husband or something...

From what I learned (and I am sure we all have our own 'learnings')... Contagious for 3 days before you show symptoms, fine to go back into care/other places 24 hours after fever breaks. I also crazy cleaned and started wearing gloves to change kiddos as it can be transferred through feces. There is a really small chance someone could get it from another child's sore - but my doctor used this example - one child would have to open up the pus and another child would have to lick it or apply it directly to an open wound.

The only child who had any bumps that were exposed was my dd...everyone else had them in diaper area or inside mouth. My dd's were on her chin. It was really easy to tell when she touched her chin as she'd start crying and I would swoop in and antibacterial everything she was around...

good luck, i know we got lucky but hopefullly so will you!
Reply
jojosmommy 10:59 AM 08-20-2012
The symptoms only present themselves in 50% of those infected so possibly more of your kids or your family are already infected but not showing signs.

Pray that is goes easily. It can be hard on the little ones especially the mouth sores.

It is particuarly ranpant this summer I hear. Glove for diapers if you dont already. Wash like crazy, nail brush those who need it, bleach and sanitize daily.

Spread quickly here, passed quickly too. Although my son got it twice and one dck had 3 seperate incidences of it. Never bad though.
Reply
nanglgrl 11:04 AM 08-20-2012
I had 3 children (one of whom is mine) show the first blisters or have a fever on Sunday which means they were all exposed the week before. I closed for the next week (until all blisters healed) and none of the other children got it. None of my parents had a problem with my closing. I'm glad I did because it is incredibly contagious and one of my daycare kids was crying and uncomfortable and would hardly eat for days. As for the blisters a lot of children get them on their hands..then they touch a toy and when another kid puts the toy in his mouth it can be spread. It can also be spread when the child sucks on fingers or puts their hands in their mouth and then touches a toy or through coughing, etc. If I had older kids I would have stayed open but mine are all right around 2 and some still put toys in their mouths or suck on fingers.
Reply
MaritimeMummy 12:10 PM 08-20-2012
I'm getting so many different thoughts about it. Some say yes, close, because it's so contagious, but others say there is no point because contagiousness starts a week before symptoms appear anyway, so how can you contain it...I don't know. The CDC says that there is no reason to close any day care program or school when it's going around and that the children can re-join care once they are fever free and feeling okay themselves, whether they have the rash/sores or not.

I'm just so confused.

I can't separate my own kids from the day care kids. My house is not big at all. 2 bedrooms, one level, extremely small.
Reply
Willow 12:23 PM 08-20-2012
I closed.

Was a situation where kiddo (I believe) picked it up Thursday evening when her dad brought her to the park. They weren't scheduled to attend Friday. Fever popped up Saturday, sores on Sunday. Her brother didn't manage to get it from her until the week after. I excluded them both from care a total of two weeks.

I had two kids in my care at that point who's mothers had just given birth. There was no way I was risking them getting it and then taking it home to their newborn sibling, especially because the one was having trouble feeding as it was.

I would exclude for near anything that caused fever or painful sores on the body, HFMD is no different in my book. I don't really care if everyone may have already been exposed, it can really make some kids miserable at which point they belong being cared for at home until the illness has passed.
Reply
nanglgrl 01:10 PM 08-20-2012
Ultimately it is up to you. If you ask the parents of the kids that have the blisters they will tell you to stay open because your closing causes them stress...if you ask the parents of the kids who have not caught it yet (or at least don't have symptoms) they will probably only want to send their children if the children who do have blisters are kept home. It is very contagious but the reason it spreads so quickly is that daycares stay open and people don't take it seriously. It's no laughing matter for some children. Some will show no symptoms but some have trouble walking because of the blisters on their feet, eating because of blisters in their mouths, doing tasks because of blisters on their hands..etc. My rule is that if a child is not comfortable and can't do regular activities they can't come, fever or not. I can't spend my entire day listening to a crying child and if a child is that uncomfortable they need to stay home with mom or dad.
Reply
MaritimeMummy 01:23 PM 08-20-2012
Originally Posted by nanglgrl:
My rule is that if a child is not comfortable and can't do regular activities they can't come, fever or not.

This is exactly how I feel and actually I sent DCB home this morning because of this exact thing. DCM showed up with him this morning saying he had had a fever through the night but "here, give him this Advil if he starts getting feverish...and he'll probably be cranky". Umm...yeah. She's my cousin and I am probably too lenient with her, but I think she must have thought the better of it once she got to work. She phoned and asked how he was, I said miserable, and without argument or me having to even tell her, she said she'd call her sister right away to come get him. He didn't even have a fever at that point. he was just, for lack of better word, miserable.

I think all the parents are in agreement that playing each day by ear is good. No kids are coming tomorrow for sure and we will see about Wednesday.
Reply
Tags:foot and mouth!, hand foot and mouth
Reply Up