> I just received a call from a mom wondering if nursing her 1 year old with
> foot-hand-and mouth disease would be a problem. I have searched the
archives
> and find no reference and nothing I can lay my hands on here at my desk
even
> mentions it. Any thoughts??

Catherine, this is Coxsackie virus.  It's wildly contagious, spread by
droplets (i think) and generally contracted only by children although I
understand that one does not develop a permanent immunity to it.  By the
time this nursling had the blisters in his/her mouth, etc., the mom had been
well & truly exposed; there would be no point to stopping nursing.  (there's
no point anyway because it's not a dangerous illness so there's no need for
the mother to be concerned about her exposure to it)  One can hope that
mom's immune system is busily manufacturing some antibodies for baby to use
via her milk.

The mom *may* find that the mouth blisters make her little one reluctant or
unable to nurse - I speak from personal experience here!  Frozen breastmilk
popsicles will keep baby nourished and may soothe the mouth.  Baby should
not be given any citrus - it stings!  Those blisters hurt a LOT.  But if
baby will nurse, then by golly mom should nurse lots and lots.

It'll last about 5-7 days and in my experience was one of the more miserable
childhood illnesses - mom has my sympathy.

Mary Renard, RN BSN IBCLC
Vienna Virginia  USA

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