Hand foot and mouth/chicken pox?
Hey everyone 🩷
So my little one came out with these spots a couple of days ago.
I know hand foot and mouth is doing the rounds in my area right now, but I'm not convinced it's not chicken pox.
He was diagnosed with chicken pox when he was around 1, and my partner had hand foot and mouth at the same time, so wondering if my son was potentially misdiagnosed back then.
I had a phone appt with doctor yesterday who asked for photos, and said looks like HFM, and childminder said she's happy to have him, but I want to be sure of what it is before I send him...I also don't want to pass it on to other little ones. I wouldn't feel right sending him knowing that could be the case. What are your thoughts?
He is well in himself...eating/drinking/playing as normal, and spots not bothering him.
I'm waiting for an appt with a Dr face to face.
Have any of you had the same with your little ones? XX
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Dear little thing, where are the spots?
Our little girls has hfm twice and it was mainly on feet,groin area and inside the mouth.
Chicken pox usually starts on back, belly, face or behind the ears and then spreads all over.
Your dr should give you a same day appointment, hopefully you can get some reassurance soon xx
They look more like the HFM my daughter had compared to the chicken pox that my son had. Chicken pox go really blistery. It's likely that if your son was mixing with others before the spots came out, it has probably been passed on already as they're most contagious before the spots appear.
My daughter's childminder didn't have her at first because she wasn't sure what they were so I had to take a week off work, then her son came out in spots a few days later because he'd already caught them from my daughter.
Pharmacists are also good at saying what spots are if that's quicker than going to the gp x
My son has similar but only on his cheeks and around the bum. He was itching his bum a lot but not his face. The doctor did not even see him but prescribed him medication for allergic rash and a steroid cream. So I’m not sure if it is HFM or just a rash to something he’s allergic to.
Thankyou ladies 🩷
So his spots are mainly on his legs, groin, with some on the tops of his feet, just one on his lip, and a few on his tummy.
Dr sent me NHS guidelines which say no need to isolate, and can socialise as normal, probably because even when spots have gone, they can still carry the virus for weeks after, and pass it on.
Still wasn't given a face to face appointment today, even though I insisted. I appreciate they want to keep viral rashes at bay due to vulnerable patients etc, but I just want a more definite diagnosis 🙈
These spots aren't bothering him like they did when he had chicken pox, and whilst some are blistered, they're looking less angry now.
Thankyou so much for all of your advice! Xxx
Update...so my childminder has both chicken pox and HFM in her setting, so he's either got one or the other, or a custom hybrid of them both 🤣 XX
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