15 Month Old with Cold Sores

Hi there, your little person doesn't have Hand, Foot and Mouth disease, does she? My daughter caught the virus (hand, foot and mouth) last December and couldn't eat for 3 days. It is miserable, and I feel for you. Just want you to know that we've been there, and it sucks, but the virus needs to run it's course. She should start feeling better in 2 or 3 days. My daughter's mouth was filled with over 30 sores. Misery, I know. But it will pass.

I want you to know that I am not a doctor, and it could very well be cold sores, but cold sores (Herpes Simplex 1) usually happen outside the mouth on the lips and face. Nonetheless, your daughter could have a fever from the HAND, MOUTH and FOOT virus just because it is a virus, and her body is trying to fight it. Be sure to keep your daughter hydrated with Pedialyte (my daughter drank the grape). Because her throat was also covered in sores, she was having a hard time swallowing and resisted the Pedialyte. We made her take sips which kept her hydrated even if she is having a hard time with food.

I know it is hard to see your baby go through this, but it will pass. Cold drinks and warm baths also ease the pain.

L.

1 mom found this helpful

My son was about 2yrs old when he had his first outbreak and it was HORRIFYING it broke out around his eye. Initially my Dr's office told me it was nothing to worry about it was just a virus and needed to run it's course - I called for 2 days then demanded to see the DR by this point my son's eye was a mass of raw oozy & bloody skin. All I could do was cry. He was immediatly referred to a Opthemologist who started him on Acyclovir - this helped tremendously, not with the pain but by helping the viral cycle to complete quicker. Ask your DR for Acyclovir (it's for the herpe virus) it is a very mild medication, if your Pediatrician is not familiar then PLEASE call a Dermatologist. This is not something to be taken lightly and most Pediatricians have not seen severe cases of it and don't always know how to handle it.

I would say try pushing cold things like popsicles, cold drinks, little pieces of ice. Alternate Tylenol and Motrin. You also can use teething products like Anbesol for her whole mouth. It's just temporary relief, but anything helps. Also, you can use Mylanta or Maalox liquid, soak a Q-tip in it and wipe all the spots down with that. Again, it gets washed away pretty quickly, but doing that a few times a day does speed up the healing process. Cold sores are viral, herpes to be exact, so they do have to go away of their own accord, but those things should help a little. I would stay away from warm or hot foods, anything spicy or acidic obviously. And then, when all this is over, be sure and sanitize all her chew toys, get a new toothbrush, etc. or she'll get it right back. Wipe her hands down often because she's probably chewing on her fingers and spreading it everywhere. Be careful for yourself.

Tylenol or similar product is great for the pain and jello is best when they have them all over the mouth like that. During eating times you may want to try Orajel for babies. These are the remedies I used when mine were small like that and had them.

My son got them too, when he was about the same age. He had them on his gums and on the outside of his mouth and he was MISERABLE. We were also told there was nothing we could do except give him tylenol for the pain. It seemed like it took 3 weeks for it to heal, so hang in there and just give your baby lots of tylenol! As for food, obviously stay away from citrus, because it stings! We just gave our guy things like mashed potatoes, mashed carrots, the baby food meat sticks, etc. because they were soft. Lots of yogurt too.

Good luck!

I used to get a cotton ball filled with old-fashioned Listerine (in place of warm salt water) and wipe it inside the mouth for these types of sores.....

My kids are old enough now to rinse with it when they have sort of a sore intheir mouth. The Listerine seems to heal it faster than warm salt water.

I hope that helps ease your little one's pain......

~N. :O)

I wanted to second the advice about Acyclovir. Call your pediatric dentist - they will be able to prescribe it (or call a different pediatrician). True, it doesn't address the pain, however it shortens the breakout to a day or two, instead of a week. Next time she begins to get the same symptoms, start her on the meds and she may not even get any cold sores at all.

I hope that helps!

My great nephew just went to the doctor for this exact problem They prescribed him magic mouthwash with lidocain. You apply it by using a dropper and coating the mouth. This numbs it and allows them to eat and sleep better. The doctor said to give soft food and stay away from things that have acid in them. Sterilize everything she puts in her mouth because she can re-infect herself. Good luck

i have never heard of this diagnosis. wierd! my understanding is that cold sores are the herpes ones, on the outside of the mouth. but i am from a family of canker sore sufferers (ulcers on the inside) so i DO know the pain associated with them. it's miserable. and yes, can make you feel like you have the flu. my then 2 1/2 yeard old son's daycare had an outbreak of hand/foot/mouth disease over the summer, and MY son, didn't get any sores on his hands and feet, lucky us they were ALL in his mouth! and his entire mouth, and down his throat, was covered in them, and they were basically a lot of open sores in his throat, so needless to say, he didn't eat solid foods for over a week, and didn't drink hardly anything for almost two days before we took him to the er. a couple things. first, sore throat spray "can" help (altho if it's severe i don't really think it does), long enough to get something down her throat. second, pediasure is AWESOME. my son loves them, they taste kinda like a milkshake, and he lived off them for that week. it seemed like he had an easier time if i gave him a straw, too. it was kind of a pain to wean him off of them to tell you the truth, but we got through it (i ended up mixing regular milk with it and putting less and less pediasure in till he was back to regular milk) and the dr. said just keep forcing them down him. of course by that time they had given us some VERY strong pain killers (which were a NIGHTMARE on an empty stomach, so just fyi), so we had less problem getting him to eat. it was literally all he took in for several days, and the dr. said that was fine, you can survive off them if you have to. they were a lifesaver!

Have her rinse her mouth with warm salt water...sounds like it will hurt but it does help and is very soothing. Will also help dry them up and get rid of them faster. Make her some soft scrambled eggs with saltines.. again has the salt..drying..just crunch up saltines in the eggs...will be easy for her to swallow without much chewing. kool-aid is your best bet for something to drink..juice is too acidic..and milk with a fever..ewww. Good Luck

I'd wonder about Hand Foot Mouth as well. All 3 of my kids got it last Spring and all ONLY had the sores in their mouths and high fevers and they were miserable. But sounds like the care my dr. gave me is the same as you...Tylenol for the pain and fever and rest and time. It needs to take its course. Both HFM and cold sores are viruses that just need to take their course. I've just never heard of a 15 month old with cold sores. Hang in there...I'm sure it isn't fun. It is never fun when your child is sick.

My son was about the same age when we went through this. You can give her a little Mylanta to help coat the sores before eating. We just used a syringe and squirted some in his mouth. Doesn't have to swallow it, but it won't hurt her if she does. Avoid citrus and tomato based products. Anything acidic will be unbearable. Milk products and yogurt are the most gentle. Bananas and mashed potatoes also good choices. Think soft, bland foods. Let her drink through a straw if it encourages her to drink. Make sure you keep sunblock on her face in the sunshine in the future, as that can trigger an attack after this initial round. You will want to identify any future triggers and avoid those things. My son doesn't get many outbreaks anymore unless he has major trauma to his mouth or gets really sick, but it is really frustrating since the sores are painful and there isn't much you can do for them. Good luck.

Dear C.,
Your poor little one!
A couple of things...
I've had cold sores for most of my life. I'm the only person in my family who has ever gotten them. However, I never got them inside my mouth. I'm not saying it can't happen, but the second thing is, the only time I got sores in my mouth like that was after having my wisdom teeth pulled. The inside of my mouth was on fire, it hurt to swallow, I couldn't eat anything, it hurt to even drink water, I had a fever. The dental specialist said I had a form of yeast infection in my mouth and throat and gave me medicine to swish my mouth with and then swallow so it would coat all the way down. That's the first time I heard about Thrush which is apparently common in babies and kids. I was 24!
Actual cold sores are viral and I've gotten them forever. It's to the point where I can feel a Herpie coming on. (That's my affectionate name for it. The other ones probably are best left unmentioned). But, I can start taking Acyclovir when I get that twinge and it helps immensely. I don't know if they have doses for little children though. It's worth asking about.
They said this was her first outbreak? Are they expecting more to come? If it truly is cold sores, why they would say the misery only happens with the first outbreak is beyond me. Like I said, I never had them in my mouth, but true cold sores hurt every single time. Maybe it's just a one time thing and she won't get it again. I hope so. And I really feel for her. Look up Thrush symptoms and see if any of it fits. It's easily remedied and I've never had it again but I've never forgotten it either. It also wouldn't have gone away on it's own. As far as food, avoid extremes. Hot, cold, acidic, tart. Live culture yogurt might help, but if it hurts her, don't make her try. Some warm, runny cream of wheat might be tolerable. Maybe some pudding. You'll know what hurts her to eat. I just hope those yucky sores go away for her very soon.

Take care and let us know how she does.

We went thru this too. There are some items you can get for her at the health food stores that are safe. Do some online research for safe natural items that can be added to your daughter's diet to help her resist them in the future. Add Tofu (cheeses/hot dogs/etc) to her diet if possible, I don't remember what it is but there is a nutrient in the Tofu that will help.

I would look up coconut oil online. ORGANIC VIRGIN coconut oil only. You may be surprised what you learn about it. If you do decide to use it, keep in mind portion size since she is much smaller than you or I. But I bet if you just rubbed some in her mouth it would help. Just do some research on it. There is a lot of info online and you should look through several websites since some only cover specific things. But it is used for a wide range of things. Works great for cradle cap and dandruff too. So it is obviously has anti fungal properties and may help her mouth.
Good luck :)