thread: BF and foot &mouth disease

  1. #1
    Registered User
    Add leckert on Facebook Follow leckert On Twitter

    Mar 2008
    still on the teaching contract roundabout
    1,952

    Question BF and foot &mouth disease

    Just wondering a couple of things and I think this might be the best place to put my question...

    DS has hand, foot & mouth at the moment. Should I be doing any thing special after his BFs? He had a couple of days where he wouldn't feed or drink except by having milk through a syringe a couple of times a day (was worried about dehydration and this was the only way to get anything in his mouth). His feeds have come back to normal now (DS also has an ear infection, sore throat and nappy rash at the same time - DH took DS to GP for those diagnoses).

    CC has had a couple of cases of hand, foot & mouth going around DS's room atm and the blisters came up after the GP appointment so that wasn't diagnosed by the GP. The CC said to make sure we washed hands well and use panadol (Dymadon for us; DS hates panadol ) for temperatures.

    But do I need to worry about washing bre@sts after feeds or anything like that?

  2. #2
    Registered User

    Aug 2008
    Ouiinslano
    5,303

    It IS really really contagious. Not sure about washing breasts, but I know that at childcare we go beserk over washing when we have even a single case, and just scrub down everything, because that blister juice gets in everything! So probably not a bad idea to do it. And give all his toys a good wash too, as well as change mat, give it a good clean after every use. Warm soapy water will do the trick - anything that can go in the dishwasher should. Not your breasts though

  3. #3
    Registered User

    Jul 2007
    Melbourne
    3,660

    It IS really really contagious. Not sure about washing breasts, but I know that at childcare we go beserk over washing when we have even a single case, and just scrub down everything, because that blister juice gets in everything! So probably not a bad idea to do it. And give all his toys a good wash too, as well as change mat, give it a good clean after every use. Warm soapy water will do the trick - anything that can go in the dishwasher should. Not your breasts though
    :yeahthat:

    Also maintain cautiousness with nappy changing for longer than when the blisters dry up as it can be carried in fecal matter for quite some time!

  4. #4
    BellyBelly Life Subscriber

    Jan 2006
    11,633

    I was told it's generally not an issue for adults as it is so prolific most of us will have been exposed (and infected) in childhood.
    I wouldnt' worry about washing your breasts - breastmilk has natural anti-infective properties so is kinda self-cleaning.
    Hope your boy is all well soon