All About HFMD

[kwcllf]

Hi,


Just to bring this to everyone's attention so that we can be more vigilant. there are also 4 cases of HFMD at my kid's CC.

http://www.asiaone.com/News/the%2BStraits%2BTimes/Story/A1Story20081203-105071.html

[scoobydoo]

As of yesterday, my daughter’s class has 3 cases. We decided to let her stay home for this week.

[ChiefKiasu]

scoobydoo:

As of yesterday, my daughter's class has 3 cases. We decided to let her stay home for this week.

That's smart. Hopefully, it is not too late.

Do you think a week of \"safe haven\" is enough?

[scoobydoo]

We were told of the first 2 cases on Monday evening, so she’s been home since yesterday. Well the ideal situation would be if we could keep her home for 10 days. But I have to work and my mum’s going on holiday next week. So as long as we do not hear of any new cases from her cc by the end of this week, I guess it as safe as it can be to let her back to cc on Tuesday. Touch wood, so far she appears well.

[tamarind]

insider:

This is similar to what I used to hear some parents telling me in a proud tone that their child seldom fall sick (or baby never fall sick), etc. \"Never fall sick\" is actually a bad thing for young children. They actually have to fall sick to build their immunity system. Parents who have \"seldom/never\" fall sick kids will have to pay dearly usually when their kids enter primary school with a higher absentism rate of attending school. Preschoolers missing 3 days of school is not the same as a primary schooler missing 3 days of school. Think of if your child were to catch chicken pox, would you want him to catch him during preschool years or during his PSLE time (easier for preschoolers to recover from chicken pox. BTW, those anti chicken pox jab is not 100% guaranteed. There were kids with jab but still have the pox). So, parents, if your little one is sick with common cold, etc, take them positively as the building of immunity system so that they have 'healthier' primary school years. Blessings in disguise... Oops...writing off track (supposed to concentrate on HFMD and dwell too far from there).

I don't believe in letting a child fall sick to \"build his immunity\".

I have a 4 year old boy, who always fall sick. He fell sick once every month when he attended his nursery school. He had bronchitis about 6 to 7 times over one year. He never build up his immunity. We had to buy a nebulizer at home for him. In October he was hospitalized due to HFMD. It is a well known fact that a child can get HFMD more than once. I kept him at home since then. He is fine when he stays at home.

I believe that for some children who have weak immunity like my son, it may be better to let them start school later, for example, 5 years old.

Before the age of 5, most kids do not know what is hygiene. Many kids still drip saliva, or suck their fingers at 3 or 4 years old. They may pass motion in their diapers, and the teachers may be too busy to change them immediately. That's why young children can get sick so easily in CCs or nursery schools. In most CCs, it is one teacher to 8 or more children, it is very difficult for the teacher to pay attention to every child.

Kids who are 5 years or older are less likely to get sick, because their mommies would have taught them about hygiene at home.

[kwcllf]

Hi tamarind,


Any parents will fully understand what you said. Unfortunately, for most of the children, both parents are working…so no choice but to put their kids in a childcare centre.

As to building up a child’s immunity, a child falls sick quite often during the initial stage of attending a childcare centre as he/she will be exposed to all sorts of viruses that other children carry. It is not uncommon for a chld to fall sick twice a month, which is what happened to my children, and this could stretch for more than half-a-year.

This can be very stressful but gradually, you will see the child falling sick less often as his/her body builds up the immunity against the different sort of viruses.

So don’t be too disheartened…I am sure your child will eventually grow more resistant to the various viruses.

[tamarind]

kwcllf,

My boy started attending nursery one and a half years ago, just before he turned three years old. He did not fall sick less often. He continued to be sick at least once a month, so long as he went to school.

I asked the other parents in his class, their kids are OK. So I guess it is not the problem of the school. My boy simply has weaker immunity. BTW, he also has bad eczema.

I actually have a choice of keeping him at home. My mother stays with me, and I have a maid to help out. I regretted sending him to school before the age of 3. I should have waited until next year when he is 5 years old. Anyway I have single handedly taught him to read hundreds of words at home, while his N2 class was only teaching the alphabet and 2 letter words. I have also taught him simple addition and subtraction at home. I really should have kept him at home. Especially after we went through the terrible experience of him being infected by HFMD. He could not eat or drink anything for 4 days because of the big ulcers in his throat. He was hospitalized for 3 days. He screamed and cried in pain whenever he was awake. It is all my fault.

[kwcllf]

Hi tamarind,


You are too hard on yourself. Its not your fault as many parents are like yourself, trying to provide the best for their children.

It great to hear that you kid is doing well "academically" having been home-tutored by you personally. I wish I had that option…but alas, we got to work. We also not have any maid after having so many problems with them.

Cheer up…I am sure your kid will grow out of the "falling sick frequently" phase.

[tamarind]

insider,

My boy is not born pre-mature. In fact, he is born 4 days after his due date. He is a perfectly normal baby. My 5 year old girl fell sick only once a year, since she was 4 years old when she attended N2. In fact, when my boy was infected with HFMD, I was very sure that she would have it too. But she only had one tiny ulcer in her mouth, no fever, no pain, no other symptoms at all. She did not even feel any discomfort. I think her immunity is stronger, and most importantly, she knows very well not to put her hands in her mouth, and always wash hands before she eats. My girl is actually born 3 weeks before her due date. She was not a perfectly normal baby, she had terrible reflux and vomitted large amounts of milk each time she was fed until she was one year old.

I have brought him to see a few PDs about his ezcema. I already know everything there is to know about ezcema. It cannot be cured. It can only be prevented by moisturizing the skin at all times of the day. I do not believe that any CC teacher can make the ezcema better.


My colleague's son also got worst in the CC. He got bronchitis once a month, and later once every 2 weeks. His mommy had to buy a nebulizer for him. Later she pulled him out of CC. Then he is completely fine. Her boy is also a perfectly normal boy and not born prematured.

My ex-colleague's son, also not prematured, in fact, he was a 4 kg baby at birth. Breast fed until more than 1 year old, so he should have strong immunity right ? He also falls sick every month when in the CC.

I send my boy to school, only for him to socialize with other kids. But I should not have sacrificed his health for this reason. Taking medication frequently makes his health worst.

When I was young, every child started going to kindergarten only at 5 years old. Some of my P1 classmates never even went to kindergarten. Are we any less \"socially developed\" than kids nowadays ? In fact, I see much more emotional and psychology problems with teenagers nowadays compared to my generation.

kwcllf:

I wish I had that option..........but alas, we got to work. We also not have any maid after having so many problems with them.

It is very dangerous to leave young children alone with the maid at home without any adult supervision, who knows what the maid will do to the child? Attending CC is still a better option if there is no one at home to supervise the maid.

[en107rn.01056yahoo.01056com.01056sg]

insider wrote [quote]When my two elder kids got their chicken pox in cc about 10 years old, I actually ‘hoorayed’ coz that that will rid myself from worries and them from this virus for the rest of their life. [/quote]
That's totally not true. A person can be infected with chicken pox more than once in their life. As long as your immunity is low & you are in contact with a person with chicken pox, chances are you will get it again.