Keeping an eye on the health of your children.

We have had a number of children feeling poorly over recent weeks and more recently a number have been diagnosed with Chicken Pox, Scarlet Fever and Hand, Foot and Mouth.

Symptons of Chickenpox:

• Chickenpox starts with red spots. They can appear anywhere on the body. Small red spots, filled with fluid, on white skin
• The spots fill with fluid. The blisters may burst. They might spread or stay in a small area. Small red spots with scabs in the centre, on white skin
• The spots scab over. More blisters might appear while others scab over.

You might get symptoms before or after the spots, including:

• a high temperature above 38C
• aches and pains, and generally feeling unwell
• loss of appetite
• Chickenpox is very itchy and can make children feel miserable, even if they don’t have many spots.
• It’s possible to get chickenpox more than once, although it’s unusual.

You’ll need to stay away from school, nursery until all the spots have crusted over. This is usually 5 days after the spots first appeared.

Symptons of Hand, Foot and Mouth

The first signs of Hand, Foot and Mouth disease can be:

• a sore throat
• a high temperature, above 38C
• not wanting to eat
• After a few days mouth ulcers and a rash will appear. Ulcers appear in the mouth and on the tongue. These can be painful and make it difficult to eat or drink
• Small blister on young child’s finger
• Red spots, which develop into blisters, usually appear on the hands and feet
• Grey blister on a young child’s toe – the blisters are grey in the centre and can be painful
• It’s possible to get Hand, Foot and Mouth disease more than once.

(n.b. Hand, Foot and Mouth disease has nothing to do with Foot and Mouth disease that affects farm animals).

Scarlet Fever

This is an infection that causes a blotchy, pink-red rash. It’s most common in young children.

It isn’t usually serious and can be treated with antibiotics from your GP. Once you’ve had it, you’re unlikely to get it again.

Symptoms of Scarlet Fever

Symptoms of Scarlet Fever develop within a week of being infected.
Early signs include:
• a sore throat, a headache, a high temperature (38.3C/101F or above), swollen glands in the neck and being sick.
• This may be followed by a rash on the body, a red face and a white or red tongue: usually starts on the chest or tummy, before spreading to other areas is made up of pink-red blotches that may join up and feels like sandpaper
• may be brightest red in body folds, such as the armpits or elbows turns white if you press a glass on it
• Red face – The rash doesn’t usually spread to the face, but the cheeks may turn very red. This may look a bit like sunburn. The area around the mouth usually stays pale.
• White or red tongue