Hand foot and mouth Virus

[jec]

UGH!! I had this go through my daycare once..then everyone got better and then again! It's just something that has to run it's course. I told my daycare parents to keep their little one home.
They are sore, tired and miserable and need to be the comfort of home. Easily passed on to others too.
My dd got it and I got my Mom to come and care for her and keep her seperate from my daycare so the same rules applied to me when my own came down with it.

((hugs)) hope it doesn't go through your daycare.

[Inspired by Reggio]

Be extra careful of potty training kids with this - the virus is in the stools for 30-45 days after spots appear so is still contagious through unwashed hands or kids who might itch a bum and touch something .... Yuck to think of but possible none the less !

[Skysue]

It's confirmed DD has it now what to do I'm not going to ask that healthy kids come and get exposed?


Info from pediatrician:
Hand-foot-and-mouth disease is quite contagious when the rash is present. If the child has a fever, you can catch the infection just by being in the same room. If the fever is gone, you can still catch it by touching the rash or the saliva of the infected person, and the virus stays in the stool for months. In fact, the most common way it is spread is from stool to hand to mouth, so hand washing is important. Houseflies have also been known to pass hand-foot-and-mouth disease.


Even though this virus is very contagious, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention do not recommend keeping kids with hand-foot-and-mouth disease out of day care or school. Their reasoning is that more than half of the kids with this virus have no rash and no symptoms at all. Therefore, if it's in a classroom, it will spread whether or not the child with the rash comes to school.


What would you ladies do?

[playfelt]

I would go to your health unit and get the "official" version of symptoms, incubation, exclusion, etc) and print it off for parents. Let them know that they have the option to bring their child or not. BUT caution them that because they have been exposed they should NOT go to another daycare and risk spreading the disease since they could already be contagious. If parent can't stay home they need to make similar arrangements ie relative not daycare - most will either stay home or bring child anyways and cross their fingers.

Just remember that when their child comes down with it that you will be obligated to keep them in care since there is no exclusion policy as in you can't have a double standard. Since it is your own child that is sick I wouldn't close as such but I would give parents the option to stay home. I likely wouldn't charge them for the days if they did stay home but your warning above about no health unit exclusion rules, and already exposed so no other daycare might just have them come as normal.

Good week to "spring clean" and get the kids scrubbing. We have been doing bigger toys this week with me washing and them drying.

[Inspired by Reggio]

Its different for me - i do not have my own wee kids on program - so I always stay open but inform parents of the "exposure" and let them choose if they want to send their child or not cause well I am not forgoing income that way - if I had my own wee one who was sick I would likely feel different cause I'd want my own kid to have my undivided attention of sick ... you gotta do what feels right for YOU

Feel better vibes for your wee one !!!

[yogamommy]

I have a full outbreak of it right now!

2 yr old DKB developed a fever on Tuesday, went home early with his 4 yr old sister (who has been sleeping in all week and mom has been thinking it was a growth spurt)...then Wednesday they both show up no fever (not sure if he had Tylenol) and today the spots are all over DCB's feet and hands, his sister has a sore throat, my 1 yr old DCB has been out with a fever and "strep throat" for the last 2 days, my own daughter (18 mos) has a high fever today and I am just praying that my other daughter and other DCB don't have it.

Today, the mom of the siblings let's me know that they were exposed to it over the weekend but thought they couldn't get it a second time and they have already had it. Wow!!! would have been really nice of her to let me know that at the beginning of the week!

Looking for some thoughts on this though, the sister and brother that brought it here are leaving at the end of next week (they are moving), but I am thinking of just forfeiting my last week of pay and telling them to just stay home since the DCB's blisters have just appeared and she has yet to get them....so from what I have read they are contagious until the blisters are dried up? I don't know, maybe it doesn't matter since they almost all have it already?

Thoughts please!!!

[Skysue]

Today, the mom of the siblings let's me know that they were exposed to it over the weekend but thought they couldn't get it a second time and they have already had it. Wow!!! would have been really nice of her to let me know that at the beginning of the week!

Looking for some thoughts on this though, the sister and brother that brought it here are leaving at the end of next week (they are moving), but I am thinking of just forfeiting my last week of pay and telling them to just stay home since the DCB's blisters have just appeared and she has yet to get them....so from what I have read they are contagious until the blisters are dried up? I don't know, maybe it doesn't matter since they almost all have it already?


During the FEVER phase of the virus it's airborne and after that only transmitted through saliva & or blisters if they pop.

She needs to keep her kids home until the blisters have scab and she should still pay you. I had to close last week giving parents the option to send their healthy kids but if they opted out they didn’t have to pay for care. I lost a lot of money but took the break to clean etc. But its really tough on the kids as they have a really soar throat and they realy do need to rest as much as possible.

It's up to you if you keep them all but the last thing i would want is other kids who are feeling crappy that need there Mom's. Especially if your little one needs more of you.
Good luck! I hope your little one doesn't get it!

[Inspired by Reggio]

I personally do not close or require exclusion for the HFM as it is not required by the Public Health Unit and I try to follow their guidelines as 'back up' for when clients complain about exclusions .... so as long as they are FEVER FREE and able to cope in the program they can attend...I would let them come.

[yogamommy]

Skysue is your daughter feeling better?