This is what's been going around at Greyson's sitters for the past week. I have been watching him to make sure he doesn't have any signs of it. This is a virus that causes blisters on the hands, feet and in the mouth. 2 kids are out because of this virus. They say that it can be caused by playing with infected toys from other kids who have the virus. Well last night I noticed these little bumps all real close together on his knee but wasn't real concerned because Greyson is a target for Mosquitos it seems. This morning he looked like he had a couple of bumps on his lil rear but it didn't look real serious or anything. So, I go to put him in his car seat this morning and I see this what looks like a scabbed scratch in the bottom of his lip. It wasn't a blister though. I figured he just bit his lip or something. So anyway, I get a call from the babysitter that she is concerned that he too has the HFM virus. So I took him to the DR and sure enough he has it too. The thing I'm confused about is why doesn't he have these little blisters on his hand-foot-or in his mouth? They are on his legs, his lil butt, and one on each wrist in the crease. They said that as long as he doesn't have a fever then he is not contagious and that he looks like it will be a mild case of it. LET'S HOPE SHE'S RIGHT. He was sooooooo super fussy when I was putting him to sleep. He just sounded really uncomfortable. I couldn't wait until he was asleep. I just wanted him to feel better. Well, that's what's going on at my house. Hopefully it doesn't last long at all!
Facts about the virus
What is hand, foot, and mouth disease? Hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) is a common illness of infants and children. It is characterized by fever, sores in the mouth, and a rash with blisters. HFMD begins with a mild fever, poor appetite, malaise ("feeling sick"), and frequently a sore throat. One or 2 days after the fever begins, painful sores develop in the mouth. They begin as small red spots that blister and then often become ulcers. They are usually located on the tongue, gums, and inside of the cheeks. The skin rash develops over 1 to 2 days with flat or raised red spots, some with blisters. The rash does not itch, and it is usually located on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet. It may also appear on the buttocks. A person with HFMD may have only the rash or the mouth ulcers.
Is HFMD serious? Usually not. HFMD caused by coxsackievirus A16 infection is a mild disease and nearly all patients recover without medical treatment in 7 to 10 days. Complications are uncommon. Rarely, the patient with coxsackievirus A16 infection may also develop "aseptic" or viral meningitis, in which the person has fever, headache, stiff neck, or back pain, and may need to be hospitalized for a few days. Another cause of HFMD, EV71 may also cause viral meningitis and, rarely, more serious diseases, such as encephalitis, or a poliomyelitis-like paralysis. EV71 encephalitis may be fatal. Cases of fatal encephalitis occurred during outbreaks of HFMD in Malaysia in 1997 and in Taiwan in 1998.
