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tracyg
14-05-2009, 02:56 PM
i have a mindee that has been diagnosed with this, looked on health protection site and says no time off needed. how do i stop cross infection though? and how can i be sure its not chicken pox as this looks the same to me??!
any advice would be great

huggableshelly
14-05-2009, 03:03 PM
Can infection with molluscum contagiosum be prevented?
The chance of passing on the molluscum contagiosum virus to others is small, and it is not serious anyway. Therefore, there is no need to keep children with molluscum contagiosum off school, swimming pools, gyms, etc, or away from other children.

To reduce the chance of passing it on to others, it is sensible not to share towels, clothes soft toys, or bathwater. Also, try and avoid skin-to-skin contact with other people (for example, by covering affected areas with clothing). Encourage children not to scratch the mollusca as this may increase the risk of spreading the rash to other areas of the skin. Molluscum contagiosum is contagious until the last molluscum has gone.

information taken from
http://www.patient.co.uk/showdoc/23068963/

i would aim to be extra vigilant with kin contact and if able too wipe toys are you go throughout the day .... i would have a box/basket and any toys that are played with will then be placed in there ready to be detoled at the end of the day or when safe to do so.

littletreasures
14-05-2009, 03:10 PM
Trouble is it can take 18-24 months for all the mulluscum to go!!!!

My daughter had it on the backs of her knees which lasted about 6 months and my son's friend had it lasting 18 months.

They do get very itchy so you will have to make sure the kids don't scratch them as they can then get infected. They just disappear after a while

ajs
14-05-2009, 03:16 PM
not sure it's practical to askthe parent to keep the child away as the child can be infected for some time.

my daughter had them foir about 6-9 months under her chin and down her neck. they don't look nice but that's all

janiefear
14-05-2009, 03:49 PM
You can't exclude for molluscum, unless you want to exclude for 6 - 24 months. It is part of the pox virus but not contagious unless they touch the actual spots and then it still doesn't spread that easy.

My dd had it for about 24 months on the insides of her elbows, it got infected and looked really nasty and then it just went. My ds has it on the outside of his elbows but it doesn't bother him at all. He didn't catch it from her, he wasn't even born!!!!

It is unsightly but there is nothing the doctors will do, it just goes as the child's immune system matures.

Jane

singlewiththree
14-05-2009, 03:51 PM
My DD3 has it at the moment, DD2 had it last year and DD1 the year before. Apparently it can just errupt in families who are suseptable to the virus. I so far haven't caught it and my children share a bath and towels.

manjay
14-05-2009, 03:59 PM
My eldest had it quite a few years ago before I had ever heard of it. Hers lasted about 2 years and went all of a sudden. Good advice given already

tracyg
14-05-2009, 05:27 PM
thanks for all the advice guys, i wasnt gonna exclude the child anyway was more worried that she has chicken pox and mum is just saying this so she doesnt have to take time off work (she is one of the parents where her job is more important type of thing!)
the child only had a couple of spots but by time mum come to collect her she had loads more, which is why i thought it was chicken pox, will the child be covered in the molluscum? like chicken pox?
just want to be careful as have a baby tomorrow who hasnt had the pox

Alibali
14-05-2009, 05:50 PM
Gosh, what a coincidence, I was just asking about this today as one of my mindees may have it, thanks for advice - saves me asking you all:)

littletreasures
14-05-2009, 05:54 PM
chicken pox spots are a watery blister which scab over. Molluscum are more of a little wart like lump.

Don't know if this helps.

I don't remember my daughters mulluscum appearing that fast, so a second opinion might not be a bad idea.

sue m
14-05-2009, 05:57 PM
I've had it! :eek:

ORKSIE
14-05-2009, 09:53 PM
My daughter had this.
None of us caught it, neither did any of my mindees.
Its the name that freaks everyone out!

janiefear
15-05-2009, 02:38 PM
I didn't know it could spread that fast - no wonder you thought of chicken pox.

My ds only has about 5 spots on one elbow and he's had those about 3 months - is it definately mc as it spread so quickly.

Jane

michellethegooner
16-05-2009, 10:58 PM
yh my son had it when he was 6, spreads very quickly

janey81
13-07-2009, 04:27 PM
Hi, I have just been informed that one of my mindees has it, mum did not think I needed to know :rolleyes: I have been looking after her for a few months now ( she has had it for 3 years) she is 10 and I only have her for a hour at most after school. I am concerned that my kids get it as my girls scar really easily.

Jane

youarewhatyoueat
13-07-2009, 05:50 PM
My 12 year old daughter has this on her knees and has had it for nearly 3 years now, none of us have caught it off her, but i'm surprised it looks like chicken pox as they are very different, it looks quite unsightly on her knees, but more like lumpy warts than spots. It does itch sometimes and she hates it.
just read your post again that can't be molluscum as it doesn't appear that quickly, my daughter started off with one lump which has taken 3 years to turn into a few lumps on both knees, perhaps 5 cms across