How can the doctors be sure your child has it? My little boy was diagnosed with it today, but i dont think he has it. He has no sores on his hands or feet, only a few in his mouth. Low grade temperature. He has been eating and drinking fine!
I asked the doctor how can he be sure it is not strep throat and he told me that children under 2 usually do not get it? But how can he be sure without taking a culture?
I dont know, to me it seems as though they threw a quick diagnosis at me to get me the heck out of the office since they were booked solid!
Thoughts?
I think HFM is a pretty basic diagnosis. The markings on the roof of the mouth are pretty indicative of it. My son had it over the summer and although the doc told me his mouth was a "textbook" case of HFM, he at a spicy chicken wrap on the way home (???!!!) He never really stopped eating or expressed pain in his mouth. His feet were the worst part for him.
He is basing his diagnosis on generally accepted knowledge...primarily that young toddlers aren't susceptible to strep throat. He'll also take into account your child's age, whether or not he is in childcare, and the pattern of the emerging symptoms. HFM is common this time of year and there are a whole host of symptoms that may be more or less severe in individual children. I'd say its not strep just based on the fact that he is eating and drinking fine.
My daughter has had HFM twice (and she's only 3.5)...most recently just a few weeks ago. It is caused by a several viruses...not just one, so repeat events are possible. It was milder this time only with a significant fever and a red, patchy tongue. The first time, there was only a few days that she didn't really eat...and she was completely breastfed at that point so it was a different ballgame.
The sores generally appear/worsen several days after the onset of the fever--and he may not get them at all on his hands or feet (and that may just be more of a rash than sores). His throat would also generally have pockets of pus with strep, but just red and irritated usually with HFM.
A quick strep culture has a high false reading rate...by the time they do a full culture, you'll already know if he is getting better or worse and the doctor will re-evaluate. I am happy that there is a doctor out there that isn't still just throwing antibiotics at everything.
He is right. Children under 2 do not typically get strep. It is just a known thing.
Also if your child has bumps on his feet, hands, and mouth it is usually hand, foot, and mouth disease. My children all had it. It will go away. No big deal. Just research it on the web for all the symptoms. It usually doesn't bother the child very much. And it doesn't last very long.
Hand, foot and mouth is part of what's called the "group" viruses. they call it group because you can come down with any one of the manifestations. One includes a red dot rash all over your body (including the hands and feet) and one inlcudes only painful lesions on the inside of the mouth. If your Dr. thinks that's what it is, i'd be grateful that the sores in his mouth aren't worse. He should be over it in a few days. good luck.
if it is there's not a cure anyway, just pain killers and hope he keeps eating througout. if it's not, he won't be near as miserable, just a little grouchy. as long as he's eating and not in misery, does it make that much of a difference? when my son had it he had no other symptoms except mouth sores- they got so bad he didn't eat for a week. i hope this doesn't happen to you. it was a nightmare.
i don't know about the HFMD but i do know kids under 2 can and DO get strep throat just as easy. my now 2 yr old (5-21-08) got it alot between the age of 1 and 2. reason we caught it is because his older brother has health issues and can get sick easy. so the dr we were with tested for it.
he probably has it. let it run it's course -- if he gets worse over the next few days call the office.
My son had the same thing...only sores in his mouth nowhere else and was diagnosed with it. I guess you don't have to have all symptoms. He ate fine as well but the reason we knew something was up is because at the time he took a pacifier but wouldn't suck on the pacifier. It must have hurt because of the sores. I don't think strep would cause mouth sores, just a sore throat and I have heard the same, that kids under 2 are very unlikely to get it.
It could be the placement of the sores in the mouth that are indicating it is HFM. My child has never had it, but I've watched it go around at a daycare I worked at and most of the younger children never showed sores. Your doctor could also be aware that its going around among younger children right now.
Typically with strep the sores look a certain way and they're in a certain spot. I know when I had it the sores were a whitish color and they were in the back of my throat. I also had a high fever with strep and it was very hard to eat and drink the first few days.
We went through that earlier this year and the foot rash didn't show up until later and it lasted for weeks! The fever and yuck stuff subsided after about a week.
I would demand a throat culture though, granted, it's time and money, but that shouldn't be what the doctor sees, he should be more thorough. Doctors don't know everything.
My daughter had HFMD just recently. She started with the sores in her mouth - we thought she had strep at first, too. But then a few days later she started developing the sores on her hands, and then her feet. The sores in her mouth were the worst part for her. Some kids don't get the sores as bad so they have an easier time eating and drinking. Just keep an eye on your boy and if you feel it's the wrong diagnosis call or take him back and have them check him again.
I would have them run the cultures. I took my son in with sores on his face, and I thought it was impetigo from strep. They said they though it was hand foot and mouth, but cultures revealed it was in fact impetigo, which is so incredibly contagious!
