Poorly Chatty Baby - Hand, Foot & Mouth

Sorry I’ve been a bit quiet over the last few days.  I’ve been a poorly baby: I have Hand Foot & Mouth.

Let’s be quite clear – this IS NOT Foot & Mouth disease!  I do not have hooves.  Foot & Mouth affects cows, sheep and pigs.  Hand, Foot & Mouth is very common amongst babies.   I’ve had to explain that to Granny today who is wondering whether her friends will send her to Coventry (wherever that is) if they find out I have Foot & Mouth.  Which I don’t. 

The Doctor confirmed Hand, Foot & Mouth today.  I’ve got some pretty nasty sores that look a bit like chickenpox but smaller on various body parts – can you guess which ones?  Apparently they should be gone in a week or so.  Doc says they’ll clear up on their own, and because it’s viral, there’s nothing he can give me.  Mummy just needs to make sure I keep my fluid intake up so I don’t get dehydrated.  I’m finding cooler liquids easier to drink – doesn’t hurt as much.

I felt a bit rough over the weekend, just generally unwell, with a bit of a sore throat. Thankfully, my appetite hasn’t been affected though many babies will find they don’t fancy eating at all, usually because it’s just too sore.  The spots were just small and red at that point.

By today, the spots are big ulcers that Mummy’s described charmingly as “minging.”  My mouth is full of them and they’re all over my hands and feet.  And my bottom and, er, ahem, girly bits.  Nobody wants blisters there.   Apparently that’s much less common, but that’s where I have some in addition to the ‘regular’ lesions.

So, what’s is all about? Well, now that we have internet access again, we’ve found out that it’s quite a regular thing in small people and it’s thankfully a mild illness caused by an enterovirus.  It’s very contagious and I probably picked it up at nursery because it spreads easily and is very common amongst babies, toddlers and young children.  Grown-ups can be affected, but it tends to be much milder for them and often they don’t even notice they’ve got it.

And there you have it.  Hand, Foot and Mouth.  While I’m sitting here feeling sorry for myself, I’m trying to think of a better name for it, if not for me, then to save face for Granny and stop her friends disinfecting her shoes when she comes to visit.  Worse still, I’m sounding croupy tonight, too.  Could be a rough ride for Mummy!

CB