Two Year Old with Hand-Foot-Mouth Disease Won't Eat or Drink!

I'm not sure about the hand-foot-mouth disease but I do know that back at Christmas time my 20 month old was really sick and had cold sores in her mouth and wouldn't eat or drink anything either. What I found worked and her Dr said was at the very least use a medicine dropper and as long as she gets a few drops every so often then she wont dehydrate. I used baby oragel to numb her mouth for a bit if it was hurting her to bad and she would be ok for a bit each time. Luckily it only lasted a few days.
Hope this helps.
Good luck and take care

Hi E.,
My daughter also had this when she was about 20 months. It is horrible, I agree! We had the same situation w/ her not eating or drinking anything. We eventually used a medicine syringe and gave her some liquids that way. She seemed to tolerate it better. It is just so painful for a straw or anything to touch their mouths. I think the worst of it lasts about 24 hours, b/c I remember my daughter slowly starting eating popsicles within a day or two. Good luck and hang in there until this passes!

I am really sorry to hear about your daughter and i wish I could help, but all I can do is keep your daughter in my prayers. Good Luck!

My kids had this last summer on our vacation. My sister-in-law, who is an MD, told me to put a drop of teething gel in thier mouth to numb the sores and then give liquids and meds. It worked like a charm. We did that several time a day for about 2 days and by then the sores had started to clear and weren't as sore. From my experience they only hurt badly for a few days. Hope it helps!

I am so sorry to hear about your daughter. I would call her doctor, and see if there is something that they can prescribe her to help numb the sores, even if its only for a hour. Just long enough for her to drink a little, and take some meds. Let us know how shes doing. I will also keep her in my prayers.

My children and my husband have all had this. The kids werent too bad, but my husband kept complaining how bad his mouth hurt. I would keep trying even if it is just a tsp or two at a time with the water.

Good luck.

I empathize with you. My kids have had this twice. On one occasion my son lost so much weight that he went off the charts. I started giving him Ensure with a straw to give him hydration and protein. Make sure you stay away from pop...the fizz will hurt the sores. The dropper of water worked real well. I also got him a pop cup from McDonald's....including the straw. Psychologically it seem to work because he knew good things cam out of a McD's cup! This virus (also called coxsackie A) is one of the most nasty of all virus...well except for the Rota virus.

yes my daughter had the same thing and i had to hold her down a force the med down her and then she was willing to eat and drink a little as long as she peeing a few time of day she will be ok

my daughter just got over this, she had HUGE sores in her mouth and her gums were so swollen I could not see her teeth! I mixed benadryl and Maalox, it worked like a charm. I also contracted this at the same time and had a very painful sore on my gum, the maalox dried up the sore within a few days and the benadryl stopped the pain. I would swab it in her mouth twoce a day, she would still not eat but I could get a cup of milk or a chocolate shake in her. I also gave her pediasure. hope this helps.

If you can get her to takeeven a Tbsp. of fluid every 1/2 hour or hour that should keep her from dehydrating (unless she has a high fever). Don't just give her water as that can mess up her electrolytes. Try diluted juice, pedialyte, 7-up, etc. Check for tears when she cries, that her mouth is wet, and that her skin bounces back when pinched (ie. on her hand) and that will tell you if shes getting enough. Hope she feels better soon!