When cases of HFMD were circulating in social media. We didn't pay much attention to it. We did not take Pebbles anywhere except for a short trip to the mall on my birthday (that was aeons ago). Her babysitter's grandsons were well and active.So you can imagine my horror when the doctor diagnosed that she was having HFMD!
It all started with a fever and some rashes on her legs. Hubby and I thought the rashes were a reaction to the high fever she was having so we got her checked out and lo and behold little Pebbles was told rather nonchalantly that she has the HFMD. Phone calls ensued soon after to establish where she got it from. We received 'clearance' from the babysitter. Her grandsons were OK. We didn't take her to any public places so the only plausible cause we could find is she could have come in contact with an adult who didn't sanitize after dealing with contaminated items. Pebbles is the sort who says hello to every individual in the lift and says bye bye to them too. A complete opposite to her reserved parents.
So it was heartbreaking to see our little Ms.Congeniality writhing in pain on day 2 & 3 when the rashes were big and red. She was constantly whining when we didn't let her scratch her body. The worst part was she absolutely hated being under quarantine. After much cajoling from her in her baby language, we took her out for a drive on day 5 and she was over the moon.
Dealing with a condition that has no vaccination and can only be treated with Calamine lotion and PCM can be nerve wrecking. Luckily, we have doctors in the family who offered some valuable advice and also FB which was flooded with the Do's and Don'ts.
Here, I am sharing what we did to go through the HFMD episode.
1. Quarantine. It is important to stay indoors with your child when he/she has it. PLEASE don't expose other children to it. If you need to go out, make sure you don't touch any kids and that your hands are thoroughly sanitized.
2. Hygiene. Please ensure your home is clean. All soiled diapers must be disposed immediately in proper manner. Empty your trash cans on daily basis. Change your child's towel every two days. Always wash your hands when you deal with your child's food and drinks. Make sure your nails and that of your child's are short and clean. I swept and mopped the floor every night (tiring!)
3. Food. Forget nutritional value for the 1st five days. If your child has ulcers in her mouth and tongue like Pebbles did, the diet would very much consists of ice cream, yoghurt, jelly and ice cubes. Munching on ice cubes was a great relief to her. If you are worried about the milk intake, try cold milk.
4. Attire. Pebbles was only in her diapers for the whole duration. Her clothes scratched her and she often screamed out in pain so she was au naturel sans the diaper (haven't potty trained her yet) Understandably, she had rashes on her buttocks so we bought diapers one size larger for better comfort.
5. Pain management. PCM and Calamine lotion are definitely not good enough. The paed give a mouth spray to ease the pain in the mouth but Pebbles hated the stinging sensation so we let her munch on ice. To keep her from scratching herself to frenzy, I used a small towel to gently scratch her. She was also in the tub of lukewarm water to soothe the pain every 3 hours on day 2&3. Cuddles are great too :-)
6. Patience. You need LOADS of this. Hubby is more patient than me but I had to be with Pebbles because he was busy with events back to back. So I had to deal with the incessant tears and whining plus I was under house arrest too. Solution? Take a deep breath and subscribe to Cartoon Network..he he he..seriously, Pebbles' vocabulary widened considerably after watching the cartoons and Mum got to watch some really nice ones too. Big fan of Doc McStuffins here! On a serious note, keep your child occupied with some activities. Your routine will be disrupted so take short naps to restore your energy.
Although Pebbles was diagnosed with the mild version of HFMD, it was nevertheless a harrowing experience for us. If you suspect your child having it, please get it checked right away. Then try dealing with it effectively but as fellow parents it is IMPERATIVE to ensure we are responsible enough to avoid it from spreading it to others by simply being mindful.
Pebbles is back to her bubbly and cheeky self. With all the ice intake, we are dealing with a case of flu now. Nothing that good old Sterimar can't solve. Thank God!
