I dropped what I thought was my perfectly healthy 9 month old off at daycare on Monday and by noon he had a 102 temperature and was refusing to eat. Took him immediately to the Pediatrician and it turns out he has hand, foot and mouth. As a first time mom I had never heard of this but he assures me it is quite common to catch in a daycare setting. (On this same visit we noticed that he had ringworm on his chin). After leaving the doctors office it seems everyone I come in contact with has heard of this and they say it's usually due to an unsanitary environment. I love my child's in-home daycare provider but I am concerned that they don't clean the toys on any consistent basis. My son's daycare provider did say she'd be cleaning the toys but I'm afraid these sorts of things will keep coming up.
I am extremely clean at my home and I hope for (but don't expect) the same level of cleanliness in a daycare.
I would appreciate any insight both into mother's that have experience with this sickness and how I might handle the childcare situation. Or am I overreacting?
My husband and the triplets have had this. Just something that goes around. Jim (hubby) said his mouth hurt so bad that he didn't want to eat. Here is a link that I looked up.
http://www.drgreene.com/21_1103.html
I just did a search for hand, foot and mouth disease in children on ask.com
The illness is caused from bacteria that can be almost anywhere but more so in situations where hand washing is not practiced after bathroom visits. I wouldn't blame the daycare provider too much for you child contracting the HFM because it could have came from any child you came into contact with that already had it. I would be a little uneasy about the presence of the ringworm though! How did your child happen to come into contact with that? Both of my boys wrestle and I am VERY careful to bath them right after practices and meets to avoid contracting it in my house. Do you or your daycare provider happen to have animals that may have ringworm or do children attending the daycare have this also. If so your provider needs to instill rules against caring for children with such illnesses. Most schools even prohibit and child with uncovered untreated ring worm from attending school.
HFM is very common in children that age. My daughter got it at 6 months.
I probably have a different perspective than some of the moms in the other posts because I am by no means a neat freak. I mean, my home is not filthy or anything like that, but I don't have a regular cleaning schedule...I clean when it needs to be cleaned.
Anyway, IMHO I think you are overreacting. Kids are going to get sick. I think parents who are so over-cautionary about germs that their kids never get sick cause them more harm than good because they don't even have a chance to build up their immune system! And for something as common as HFM (or even a cold/cough) I would not get too concerned. I would certainly talk with the daycare (but it sounds like you already have) about cleaning the toys, and if they say they'll clean them, then take their word for it.
Here's another thought: You can be contagious with HFM for 3 days before you show symptoms. Maybe your child got it from another kid in day care and those parents didn't know their kid had it at the time. It just shows my point that some things are out of our control. Kids just get sick sometime.
I stay home with my kids ( 1 and 2 years old) but we go to playgroups and the library for story time and the mall and lots of places other kids go.
They have had 10 colds this winter... I did count and keep track of the illnesses. It seemed like they were always sick but in fact they were sick in the fall then pretty healthy for awhile and then sick in the spring.
MY house is clean but not overly so. I am not home so I can wash and sanitize things on a daily basis.
I would not blame your daycare provider. If she has the same 6 kids to watch everyday. They will get some colds and other germs no matter if she spent 24 hours a day cleaning. The kids will catch what the other kids have. But there are just a few kids in a home day care so it shouldnt be too bad.
Kids need to be exposed to and catch germs it builds their immune system.
By the way - all 10 of the colds my kids had were just colds.. no ear infections or other more serious illness.. so I guess their immune systems are working.
Don't just think its the daycare provider... it could have been picked up from a park, any other child at church, in the store, etc... Any where that other kids can come into contact with yours... My understanding is that it is basicly spread by child to child contact... So that cute little kid giving your baby a kiss could have given it to him...
Since he has it, make sure that you also clean YOUR toys and bedding he uses...
How many kids does the provider watch? Is it a cleanliness issue with just the home, or are there other kids coming and going? It could have nothing to do with the provider but the other familys. If its an issue with the provider and its not remedied to your satisfaction quickly then start looking for other care. 4-c is a place that can refer you to a licensed provider. Check if there is one in your area, but I think they are all over the state.
It is extreamly common for children to get. They can pick it up anyway...and it is just as likely they got it from the grocery store, library, or other public place. That being said all toys that go into mouths and all hard surfaces should be disinfected each day (toys should be cleaned each time a child puts them into their mouth).
As a day care provider I can tell you I'm very clean. I wash down all my toys twice a week if not more. It is very hard for us because we ask that parents keep their kids home when they do not feel well. Well that does not always happen and as a result of that daycares get the blame for children coming down ill.
Parents need to know that they are at fault and should never blame the homebased center or group center for any illness.
Wow...your story is similar to mine but in my case, my 4mth old daughter goes to a well known daycare. In fact, 8 out of the 10 kids in her class were sent home on Monday with HFM. I called to say she wasn't coming in because she has her two bottom teeth coming in and was cranky. They told me they were bleaching everything in her room. I asked why I wasn't getting a phone call to tell me not to bring her in because of HFM. They said they were just going to tell me when I brought her in. How unconvenient for me!! So, in other words, don't think that your in-home daycare is bad because your son got this. It's everywhere. Luckily my daughter didn't catch it...yet. I do hear that you can only treat it with baby tylenol. I did hear if the sores in the mouth are bad you can make a mixture of Malox and something else (sorry I forgot what the other ingredient is) to coat the mouth.
I am a bigtime germ fanatic. I make sure my son tries not to put the fingers in the mouth, ect. Just by touching the feet, that walk along ANY dirty surface of ANY place... they can get something after touching the face.
Ringworm is usually triggered if there is a cat in the mix... typically from the litter box. This is contagious!
As for the childcare setting... Did you ask if anyone was ill when you brought your child in? Sickness does not develop until about two days later for most cases. It takes this long for the 'germ' period to incubate.
Do not forget... Other parents will not abide by the rules. I had my child in the hospital for a week previously with a sickness similar to the Rotovirus. Not fun and it was from a changing table. (Even if you forget to wash your hands, it / germs can spread.)
At this point, just be there for your child and take your own precautions for the ringworm... Best of Luck!
My son just got over hand foot and mouth. I think he got it from a changing table in a rest area. These things happen, your 9 mo. old is constantly learning about the way things feel by putting things in his mouth. I too run a in home daycare, we wash the toys as much as possible (it talkes about 3 hours once a week on Friday) but with 5 children playing with them daily it's anyone's guess what's on them. It doesn't have to be on the toys eiter, the kids touch each other constantly! Anyway, none of the other children contracted the hand foot and mouth from my son. The bottom line is weather it's at daycare or later at school your son is bound to pick up illnesses. If you love your provider and her home is clean chances are she takes care of the toys also. Try not to worry too much, kids are kids and they are into everything! I don't have anything on the ringworm, doesn't that usually come from animals?
Hi, my son and daughter both had HFM, one was in preschool, one was home with me. It is a common kid disease and can come from anywhere, it just sounds horrible. Just wait until he starts school he will be sick with this that and whatever all the time. The more they are exposed to early on the stronger their immune systems are. The only way you could keep them from getting things is to put them in a plastic bubble which is worse in my opinion. Ringworm is a fungus and can be spread by animals, cats especially, laying in infected dirt as well as a host of other places if its on his chin maybe from snuggling a kitty with it? Does your provider have a cat? Now of course if you feel that provider isn't cleaning up to standards I would investigate. A good indication is if your child has constant reoccurring diarrhea or rashes, as these are extremely infectious and spreads quick without proper sanitary procedures. An overly clean house full of toxic chemicals is not necessarily a good thing either and may actually be worse.
Just my opinion.. good luck
