News Moms Need

Most of us think that as summer approaches all of those pesky winter viruses are gone. Although many common viruses are more likely to be passed around during the cold winter months, as summer approaches there is one virus that many parents may be dealing with—coxsackievirus. Coxsackieviruses are part of the enterovirus family of viruses (which also include polioviruses and hepatitis A virus) that live in the human digestive tract. Coxsackievirus is sometimes also known as hand, foot and mouth disease.

This virus is very contagious and is typically passed from person to person through nose and throat secretions (such as saliva, sputum, or nasal mucus), or feces of infected persons. This of course means that young children are particularly susceptible. In fact, the infection usually occurs in children under 5 years of age, but occasionally can occur in adults too. Outbreaks are seen most often in the summer and fall, especially in more temperate climates.

The good news is that coxsackievirus sounds a lot worse than it usually is. Most coxsackievirus infections aren’t serious. They typically cause only mild signs and symptoms, such as fever, sore throat, joint pain, and headache. Doctors usually diagnose it by the tell-tale blister-like rash on the hands, feet and in the mouth. This usually develops one to two days after the initial symptoms.

There is no specific treatment for coxsackievirus. It is a virus so antibiotics will not be effective in treating it. Most physicians recommend rest, fluids, and over-the-counter pain relievers or fever reducers when appropriate. There might be a slightly elevated risk for complications during pregnancy, so if you think you have it be sure to show it to your provider.

Hand washing is the best prevention for coxsackievirus. And of course if your child does develop this, it is important that she stays home from school or daycare until she is better so that other children do not become infected. The length of illness varies but it usually lasts for 2 or 3 days. Coxsackievirus is one of those things that most parents have to deal with at some point. Just know that soon it will be over and your little one will be back to her normal self.

Well, it’s spring time, and along with the flower blossoms, sunshine and coat-less days comes viruses. One virus that is often seen is Fifth Disease.  It is also known as slapped cheek syndrome or Parvovirus B19. It is called Fifth Disease because when it was classified many years ago, it was the fifth in a list of childhood illnesses involving rashes.
 
Even though Fifth Disease is primarily known as a childhood illness, adults can get it, too. Once you are exposed to the virus, it takes 4 – 14 days for symptoms to begin, sometimes longer. Typically, the first symptoms are mistaken for a cold – runny nose, headache, mild fever and/or sore throat and sometimes itching. This is the time when you are contagious. However, at this stage, some people do not have any noticeable symptoms at all. But, then a rash usually appears, typically on the cheeks (hence the name “slapped cheek” disease). It is a lace-like, bright red rash. The rash can appear on other parts of the body, such as the feet, hands, thighs chest and/or back. To see photos of the rash, visit the CDC’s website.  The rash may come and go for days and generally fades after one or two weeks. A person is no longer contagious when the rash appears.

Usually most people just experience the above symptoms – they are annoying but not too uncomfortable. But, in other cases, you may experience fever and pain in your joints, as well. This is more common in adults than in children. For example, a friend of mine and I had Fifth Disease at the same time, as adults, and it was not fun. We both experienced pain in our joints. My friend had trouble holding a coffee cup. Ouch! I had swelling and pain in my hands and feet, and pain in my lower spine. This aspect of the disease can last for weeks (and did for us). But, as with most viruses, time, rest and comfort measures for pain (such as acetaminophen) help quite a bit.

Since an infected person spreads the disease before she even knows she has it (from coughing, sneezing, etc.), it can be hard to avoid it. The best way to protect yourself is to wash your hands frequently and try to keep your distance from people with cold and flu-like symptoms.
If you have a fragile immune system or if you are pregnant, you should seek medical attention if you think you have been exposed to Fifth Disease. 

The good news about Fifth Disease is that once you get it, you should not get it again.  And, as far as diseases go, this one is on the mild side of the spectrum. You can read more about it in another NMN post.

You thought when you got that pregnancy acne under control that you were good to go. And the overall itchiness of your stretching skin has been managed mostly by slathering on moisturizer every chance you get. So now what’s up with these reddish raised patches – poison ivy?!  It might be PUPPP.
 
No, that’s not a cute little puppy dog, which probably would be ever so much nicer.  PUPPP stands for pruritic urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy (sounds and is rather nasty) which are series of small, very itchy bumps that can show up on your skin during the third trimester. They usually appear on the belly, especially if you have stretch marks, but some women have them on their thighs, rear end, breasts and upper arms - again wherever there are stretch marks.  The good news is they go away after delivery and just because you got them in one pregnancy does not mean you’ll have them in another. Actually, PUPPP appears to be most common in first pregnancies.

Also good to know is that, while we don’t know what causes it, PUPPP is not associated with serious issues like preeclampsia, autoimmune disorders or problems with the developing baby. It’s just a nasty rash that’s likely to irritate the daylights out of you.

Any rash should be shown to your health care provider.  She will treat the symptoms. High strength steroidal creams used 5 or 6 times a day usually are good to start with because they bring it under control and prevent spreading. Once under control, a lower strength cream is commonly prescribed. Oral antihistamines like Benadryl or Zyrtec may be helpful with relieving itching at night and helping you sleep, but don’t take these without first checking with your doc. For severe cases, oral steroids taken daily may be necessary. If you’re not keen on these options, try oatmeal baths or pine tar soap.

If you had PUPPP, what worked to control the itch for you?

Photo courtesy of Logical Images, Inc.

When I was pregnant for the first time, I read up on all sorts of things baby-related.  I remember worrying how I would know if my baby was really sick and when to call the doctor?  What should I do if my child develops a fever, cough, vomiting, rash, sore throat or head injury? Well, you modern day mamas are getting some help.  Here’s what a new AAP news release says - pretty cool!

A new symptom checker tool from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) will help parents decide what to do next. The tool is available on HealthyChildren.org, the official AAP Web site for parents.  Parents can enter their child’s symptoms into the interactive tool and receive up-to-date advice about how to treat minor illnesses at home, or when to call the doctor immediately. The KidsDoc Symptom Checker is based on the clinical protocols used by pediatricians and nurses in 10,000 practices and 400 nurse advice call centers in the U.S. and Canada. These protocols have been tested for 15 years on more than 150 million phone calls. Each symptom care guide includes a decision chart to help determine the severity of the illness and how to manage it. The symptom checker also includes pediatric dosage tables by weight for common over-the-counter medications, images to help identify rashes, stings and bites, and first aid illustrations. The KidsDoc Symptom Checker is also available as a downloadable iPhone application called KidsDoc, providing the same expert advice when parents are on-the-go. Immediate connections are available to 911, your pediatrician or a nearby emergency department. The app can be download for a small fee or purchased from the iPhone App Store.

Now, this won’t replace taking your child to his doctor, but it could be a big help in figuring out how to start handling situations as they arise.

Most babies are ready to eat solid foods at 4 to 6 months of age. And for most babies it doesn’t matter what the first solid food is. Traditionally, we start with single-grain cereals such as rice or oats. However, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), there is no medical evidence that introducing solid foods in any particular order has an advantage for your baby. For example, your pediatrician might recommend starting vegetables before fruits, but there’s no evidence that your baby will develop a dislike for vegetables if fruit is given first. Babies are born with a preference for sweets, and the order of introducing foods does not change this.

Once your baby learns to eat one food, gradually give him other foods. Wait at least 2 to 3 days before starting another. After each new food, watch for any allergic reactions such as diarrhea, rash, or vomiting. If any of these occur, stop using the new food and contact your baby’s doctor.

Within a few months of starting solid foods, your baby’s daily diet should include a variety of foods that includes: breast milk and/or formula, meats, cereal, vegetables, and fruits. Talk to your pediatrician about when you should introduce eggs and fish. Some might say to avoid these foods during the first year of life because of allergic reactions. The AAP also states that there’s no evidence that introducing eggs or fish after 4 to 6 months of age determines whether your baby will be allergic to them.

Fifth disease is a childhood illness that about half of us come down with when we’re kids, making us immune to it as adults.  It’s caused by parvovirus B19.  It got its odd name many years ago when it appeared fifth in a list of what were considered the common causes of childhood rash and fever.  Most often, it’s not a big deal in childhood, but it might be to a developing fetus if the mother contracts it during pregnancy.

Fifth disease  is a common, usually mild illness spread through the air from an infected person’s cough or sneeze. In children, it causes a distinctive “slapped cheek” rash and, less commonly, a low-grade fever, headache, sore throat and joint pain. Infected adults are less likely to develop a rash, but often experience joint pain and swelling, sometimes with mild flu-like symptoms. Symptoms generally appear between 4 and 14 days after exposure. 

Fetal infection is rare. However, when a fetus does become infected, the virus can disrupt its ability to produce red blood cells, sometimes leading to a dangerous form of anemia and heart problems.  Serious consequences are more likely when a pregnant woman contracts the infection in the first 20 weeks of pregnancy.

To reduce the risk of infection, pregnant women should wash their hands thoroughly after touching tissues used by infected children and dispose of these tissues promptly. They also should avoid sharing drinking glasses or utensils with anyone who has or was exposed to the illness.

A pregnant woman who has been exposed to fifth disease should consult her provider promptly.  Blood tests can determine susceptibility or help diagnose the illness. If she is infected, her provider monitors the pregnancy carefully for signs of fetal problems.  There is no drug to treat the disease. The provider will most likely recommend repeated ultrasound examinations (weekly or every other week) for 8-12 weeks after the mother was infected. If ultrasound does not show any problems during this time, no further treatment is needed.

You can read questions and answers about this in the fact sheet written by the Organization of Teratology Information Specialists (OTIS).

Fun Express, a subsidiary of Oriental Trading Company of Omaha, Nebraska, has voluntarily recalled some water-based face paints, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Some children have had skin reactions where the paint was applied. Examples: swelling, itching, rashes, burning.

The FDA has found microorganisms in paint samples that were tested.

For a list of the recalled products, go to the FDA news release.

Photo credit: Princess Shari, Flickr

Lots of us love to garden and spring and summer are when we get to bask in the beauty that comes from all our efforts.  I have some small beds with flowering shrubs and blooming bulbs that make me very happy.  I also have a much wilder section of my yard that has lots of rocks and rock outcroppings covered in pachysandra and ivy, including poison ivy.

My niece discovered the poison ivy by accident.  She was playing Jungle Explorer and she climbed and ran all over the yard.  Three days later my sister called me to say that my niece’s legs were covered in itchy bumps and that I’d better look for the culprit and pull it out.  That’s a little easier said than done.

To help my niece with her itchy, blistery rash and to learn a bit more about what to do with the ivy in my garden, I went on-line and found lots of good information.  These links helped me and my family, and I hope they will help you, too.