How can I be sure it's Hand, foot and mouth and do I take her to the doctor?

[~*Niadalla*~]

DD since yesterday has had red pimple like lumps around the outside of her mouth. I have had a thorough look at her hands and feet and whist her feet are currently totally clear she does have maybe 2 pimple like red spots on the palms of her hands. Does this sound like HFMD?
One of the spots on her face is crusty like a scab and one looks puss filled like a white head pimple. They don't technically look 'blistery'.
She also has a sparse rash of similar spots on her bottom- just red in her nappy area and not pussy/blistery. I tried to look in her mouth and I think I've seen an ulcer... but I'm not really sure.
She had a temp on Wednesday night which we gave her panadol for and she hasn't complained since. Her throat did look read when I was looking in her mouth before.

She's been very dribbly lately and yesterday we took her dummy off her to see if that's what the face spots were. More spots have popped up.

So do I take her to a GP. I realise there's nothing I can do for her apart from panadol, water and rest and I'm not worried about it (other than DS getting it), but do I have to have a definite diagnosis? And how easily will DS catch it?

Gah. Just when things were starting to look up health wise for us.

[ladybird11]

Kinda sounds like HFMD to me - DD had it last year. I googled some pics and although never took her to the Dr (there wasn't anything a Dr could do from all the reading I did - unless it was prolonged), was assured she did have it.

I just let it run its course and after 7 days she was all sorted.

[~*Niadalla*~]

Thanks.
I don't particularly want to run into the doctor at all. It's a 140km round trip and I know there's nothing he can do. I guess I'll keep an eye on her, glen 20 the crud out of the toys they share, wash everyone's hand constantly and try to keep DD fom wiping her face on anything DS might touch. I'll keep an eye on her feet too. :S
Gah.

[ladybird11]

Yup, that's just what I did - luckily DS never ended up catching it either.

Wow, 140km round trip? Pass on that one !

[megs]

Sounds like it to me too, luckily sounds like a mild case. All my boys have had it, my youngest had it last year and he had it the worst the poor little man had that many ulcers in his mouth I had to use suppositories to get panadol into him and his feet were full blisters. But my eldest had it when he was around 48 months and he only had a few little red spots. There isn't anything the Dr's will do but say give pain relief.

[BlackCat]

Sounds exactly like DS and I when we had it. He actually presented with the scabs around his mouth/face and only pin *****s on his hands, they took a while to come up into blisters those ones. He also had them on the back of his neck, knee and around his bottom and genitalia. It took a while after the ones around his mouth came out for the rest of them to full develop. We are now going through the loosing of fingernails stage but I am told that it doesnt happen to everyone. Guess we were just extra lucky

Remember too if she has it that she will carry it in her stools for weeks after the spots dry out.

[~*Niadalla*~]

Thanks so much ladies.
Will it take a few days for the blisters to come out? The ones on her face started yesterday arvo along with the ones on her bottom and she's gotten a few more since, but the hands would only be this afternoon.

[megs]

My eldest didn't really blister when he had his HFM he really only had a couple of little spots, my youngest his started off with blisters on his feet, because we were on holidays in Darwin I put them down to being from his shoes that he hadn't worn before and he was wearing them with barefeet, it wasn't until I was on the plane flight home and he wasn't swollowing that I started to suspect HFM.

[Beach Mama]

Sounds like it hun, mine had it really mildly just a few months ago - no pain in the mouth or much blistering etc. Izzy only had red spots all over her hands and feet but they didn't blister. J's blistered but he didn't seem to phased by it. They are contagious until after the blisters pop. Hope she recovers fast xoxox

[melsa31]

Sounds like HFMD to me, poor thing. My DS had it a couple of months ago and I took him to the Dr as he had them so bad in his mouth and throat that he couldn't eat even though he was hungry. He dribbled heaps because it hurt to swallow. As someone else mentioned, it can remain in the stools for weeks so remember to be extra vigilant with hygiene.

[Ozziehoffy]

Oskar had it a couple of years ago... it's VERY contagious. Oddly, he only got one blister on his hand. When they have scabbed and gone, the doc said that they're usually good. The fluid in them is contagious. I'll pm you a link which is great for all things kids like this. Here is just a bit of what it says... Blisters are red with a small bubble of fluid on top. Occasionally, a pink rash may be seen on other parts of the body, such as the buttocks and thighs. Anyway, will send to you now. Hope it's all over with quickly.

[Floweryfields]

It comes out in all different ways, some get blisters on hands, feet, around and in mouth and on bottom, others only on one area, sometimes they say they can have no blisters at all.
You really don't need the doctor unless your little one has persistent fevers with it (even then they won;t do much) - usually they say to let it run it's course. I think it's in the same family as slap cheek and several other viral infections, all which you can't treat with anything.

[TaRhLi.]

When DD had it she only had a few spots in and around her mouth as well. We took her to emergency to have it checked out (DH works at the hospital) and was told it looked like HFMD and was also advised that it is transmitted via bodily fluids - kids sharing toys they have been chewing on or sharing drink bottles mainly - and that after the spots go away they are still contagious for about 3 weeks afterwards.