Dilema - Impetigo

I need some advice

I have a friend who's 2 kids came down with Impetigo a week ago. She has told me they are clear but that her and her hubby have now got it.

She wants to see me and my kids tomorrow. My gut instinct is to stay away from her until she has cleared up aswell not just the kids.

I have a 3mth old and a 3.5yr old. Am I being over paranoid? Is it just really contagious with kids are adults able to keep it from spreading?

I dont want to upset my friend by saying I dont want contact until it has all cleared up.

What would you do? Anyone with any experience of this? I had not heard of it before not very common in UK (that I know of anyway!) and only recently moved to Brisbane.

Jo

Stay away!!! I think it is really unfair of her to expect you to see them when they have a contagious skin condition. Go with your gut instinct and wait until they have recovered from it as it only takes them to have touched it then to touch your child to spread it. It looks worse than it is but why put your children in that situation? Especially with such a young bub!

My DD had it when DD2 was a newborn and I was really nervous about it. It was ok with DD1 because she was older, but Im not sure they can treat the baby. DD1 ended up with antibiotics and mild infection, so defnitely not something you want.
It is commonly known as School Sores as it is usually passed around school kids as they are sharing toilets etc. Not so bad if kept under control, but not for bub. Just say you're a bit anxious with a young one, that you'd be fine if it wasnt' for bubs. Good luck I knkow it's awkward when the others don't think it' s aproblem xoxo

no way STAY AWAY she should not even think about it, you have kids who are young why would she want to risk other kids getting sick

Thanks for that

Like I say the kids are clear it the parents that now have it so it rings home how easily it spreads and I am a little annoyed with my friend for thinking its ok for us to see them. She has gone to a spa this weekend which personally I think is a little irresponsible to go with something so contagious but I would never tell her that.

I will just say I dont want to put Xavier in a situation that could cause him to catch it. It is not just the fact I dont want the kids with it I dont think I have the energy if they did get it to do all the cleaning to keep it away.

Jo

i would def stay way as it is so contagious.

When i kid in my dd#2 cc centre had it they were away for nearly 2 weeks. And everything had to be washed.

I actually suffer from impetigo myself. I first got it when I was 15. Apparantly I could have got it because of handling money at work. I got a really bad case just after my son was born and couldn't kiss him (or anyone else for that matter) for about 3 weeks. I also had a really bad case about 8 weeks ago.

It is a really painful infection and can scar your skin. It is also really itchy and for a young bub could be quite irritating cause they can't scratch it. I tend to get it in the same spot every time, so I do have scarring.

I would deffinately be telling your friend that you will have no contact with her until it has cleared completely. The best way to treat the infection is with AB's and sometimes requires 2 doses.

I totally agree with everyone else... stay away! To be honest she doesn't sound very responsible or considerate of others if she's going to a spa this weekend!! I always keep Oskar away from others if he's got something contagious (he had hand foot and mouth a few months back and has had bronchialitis etc)... if you tell someone and they still choose to be in contact well that's at their risk. NO to your friend though and she shouldn't feel offended if you say that you prefer to wait.

You wouldn't want to be at that spa. That is the reason these things never go away....

That's really gross that she's going to a spa while she has an outbreak - I hope someone notices and tell her it's not cool. Impetigo can be really hard to get rid of without a course of Abs unless you have a SUPER strong immune system, and even then it can take a while. I would politely tell her that it would be a better idea to stay away for a while till she's not infectious anymore and if she gets all huffy, then that's her isss-ewe ;)

I've been studying massage therapy and we have been told that if someone presents with impetigo to SEND THEM HOME. And then, to disinfect everything they have touched. It is really, seriously contagious, regardless of whether it is a child or an adult who is infected.
GL with communicating with your friend. It's tough, but you have to do the best for your family.

Thanks everyone. I have texted her (dont normally speak on a weekend) explaining how I dont want Xavier to be in contact with Impetigo and that I dont have the energy to deal with an outbreak either as I am so tired I would struggle to do the whole cleaning thing if it did happen. She said she understood and was not offended by me saying that.

I said I would call her tomorrow as usual. We are meant to be camping with them next weekend but we have decided we dont want to just in case. I would rather be safe than sorry. You never know they may all re infect each other by then (I hope not as I really feel for her and the kids and hope they clear it up)

Plenty of other weekends to go camping once it is contained and cleared up

Jo

If you feel run down, then so is your immune system so it will really lay out out to get it, so I think it would be a good idea to not go camping either, it's just not worth the risk.

I have been hospitalised with impetigo twice and have had numerous amounts of anti-biotics so you definatly made the right decision. Once it gets in your system sometimes it can stay there for years, in my case two years. I work in early childhood amd alot of people just don't realise how contagious it is. Our general rule there is that the child has to be on anti-biotics for at least 24hrs before returning and the sore's need to be dry and covered.