Is He Contagious?

Hi all-

I'm reposting from the Health forum so I can (hopefully) get some responses before tomorrow's party....


DS has had hives since last Sunday. We've been giving him Benadryl with some relief, but finally on Thurs night he woke up saying "owwie" and the itchiness seemed to have just started then. We took him to the Ped on Friday and she said he had an ear infection (who knew, he had no symptoms) and that the virus that caused the ear infection may have caused him hives. He's on amoxicilllan and claritin.

Well, this is after him being at day care for 3 days! I'm stressing that one of the kids there was exposed. The sitter and I didn't think anything of in since he had an outbreak in Aug, for which we never found the cause but it was assumed to be a reaction to something, and I was told he wouldn't be contagious.

Finally to my question: We've been invited to a Halloween party tomorrow and am wondering if we should cancel? Would he be contagious? I'm embarrassed to say I have no idea. His hives look worse at different times of the day. When they flare up, they're on his face, hands, etc. Even if he isn't contagious, I don't want anyone thinking I'm exposing their kids to something.

Any advise? WWYD?

Thanks!

 

QUOTE(PetiteFleur @ Oct 25 2008, 09:22 PM) [snapback]1042141[/snapback]
Hi all-

I'm reposting from the Health forum so I can (hopefully) get some responses before tomorrow's party....
DS has had hives since last Sunday. We've been giving him Benadryl with some relief, but finally on Thurs night he woke up saying "owwie" and the itchiness seemed to have just started then. We took him to the Ped on Friday and she said he had an ear infection (who knew, he had no symptoms) and that the virus that caused the ear infection may have caused him hives. He's on amoxicilllan and claritin.

Well, this is after him being at day care for 3 days! I'm stressing that one of the kids there was exposed. The sitter and I didn't think anything of in since he had an outbreak in Aug, for which we never found the cause but it was assumed to be a reaction to something, and I was told he wouldn't be contagious.

Finally to my question: We've been invited to a Halloween party tomorrow and am wondering if we should cancel? Would he be contagious? I'm embarrassed to say I have no idea. His hives look worse at different times of the day. When they flare up, they're on his face, hands, etc. Even if he isn't contagious, I don't want anyone thinking I'm exposing their kids to something.

Any advise? WWYD?

Thanks!



I would think he's not contagious as it's been 7 days since the initial outbreak. I would not stress over him being in daycare while your were unaware of his condition. I'd say odds are good he probably picked up the virus from daycare. As for the party tomorrow, I'd see how he's feeling and looking. If he's up to it, I would take him BUT this is coming from a mom who's contemplating taking her babies t-or-t the day they get tubes in their ears. Grain o' salt.

Christy

P.S. I've never heard of a virus causing hives before. Was it a cold virus?

 

QUOTE(Flutterbymama @ Oct 25 2008, 10:02 PM) [snapback]1042179[/snapback]
P.S. I've never heard of a virus causing hives before. Was it a cold virus?


Thanks for your input. I hadn't heard of this either. She said hives can be a reaction in the environment, food, etc or caused by a virus.

 

Aaron has gotten hives, rashes, etc.. from a cold virus. It is usually as it is leaving his system. He has never passed it on to his siblings. (and trust me, what Aaron gets Connor gets! ) The hives are a reaction he gets, not something he can pass. I really wouldn't worry about it.

 

Usually if they are on antibiotics for 24 hours, they are no longer contagious. (That's what daycare rules always were for us).

 

Hives are an auto-immune response against something in the child's body ie his own immune system reacting against some allergen in his body. You cannot 'catch' the hives themselves. You could catch the thing that's causing the hives if it's a virus (rather than him being allergic to some food product or something in his environment). So the only thing you need to decide is if the ear infection is still infectious. This site explains it well.