Conference moira::parenting_v3

    Steve,
    	I read in one of the university newsletters the connection between
    KD and vigorous carpet cleaning. The article was fairly recent and 
    provided pretty strong case about it. You are saying that this theory
    has been rejected. Would you happen to remember the reference to that
    study?
    Tanya

The information I gave was from Dr. Cody Meissner of the Floating Hospital,
who with Dr. Fulton has been involved with KD research for years.  He went into
some detail on the carpet cleaning theory, detailing some of the supposed
mechanims that it might have caused KD (such as causing carpet mites to be
spread in the air and kids breathing them in).  He said that there was a VERY
large study done, and it just didn't pan out.  It turned out that a KD patient
was no more likely to have been exposed to carpet cleaning than the average
child.

I could try to get more information if you wanted. 

There is a lot of activity in the world of KD - Science News reported on
a Texas researcher who said he had developed a "sensitive screening test" for
KD.  But it appears that didn't work out either.

				Steve

    Thank you for the information. My son seems to catch every possible 
    desease these days, so I am getting paranoid. If you have any more info,
    I would really appreciate a copy. My mail stop is NKS5-1/H3.
    Tanya Chapsky
    

Re: .3

Kawasaki Disease is not something your son is likely to catch.  I provided
the information here so that parents can be aware of the disease's
existence, symptoms and treatment.  It is something to raise to your
son's pediatrician if your son has some of these symptoms and the doctor
is unable to make a diagnosis, as many doctors have not seen any cases.

In any event, there's nothing you can do until and unless your child contracts
KD, so you shouldn't worry about it further.

				Steve

    Just read your note.  There was an article in the HARVARD MEDICAL
    SCHOOL HEALTH LETTER on Kawasaki Syndrome, February 1990 issue.
    I will send copies to those who request it.
    
    Fortunately, I read this article this past winter.  A few days later,
    my neighbor reported to me signs/symptoms that her 4 year old son was
    having.  He had a high fever.  He developed redness and swelling with a 
    rash over his body, especially his feet and hands.  His eyes, lips and mouth
    also became red and swollen.  She was about to call the pediatrician
    anyway; I gave her a copy of the above article to bring.
    He was diagnosed with Kawasaki's.  He was treated with aspirin only.
    His follow-up exams have been negative for cardiac involvement. 
    
    A few days earlier they had new furniture delivered.  The pediatrician
    was not sure, but could not rule out, if the furniture had contributed
    to the development of the disease.  The furniture did have an odor.
    (chemical)  My neighbor returned the furniture.  
    
    Susan

    I have a very relevant question that, as far as I can tell, has not been 
    answered by the notes in this topic, or in topic 1346 in Parenting_V2 :
    
    We just learnt yesterday that a girl who comes to the same daycare
    provider as our 21-month old daughter has contracted Kawasaki's disease
    and had been treated at Children's Hospital in Boston for the past week
    or 10 days.  Luckily, she is supposed to be recovering well.
    
    Now, we heard that she will be starting to come to the daycare provider
    again from next week (full time).  So, our biggest concern (and it's a 
    fear of the unknown, I admit) is : how communicable or contagious is KD?
    Is there any way of children contracting it from others who have recently
    had the disease AND are in the same house for approx 9 hours ?  What do
    people's experience, and research say about this?  
    
    And I guess the more relevant question would be : even if there is no
    "hard" evidence that it is communicable by contact or other means, is
    it better to be safe than sorry? (I guess the options we have are to
    move our child temporarily, although we feel that we shouldn't have to
    be the ones to go through the changes!!)  What would you as a parent do?
    
    thanks
    - mayank
    

    re:.6
    
    From what I've read, KD is *not* contagious.  I can understand your
    concerns, but if I were in your shoes I don't think I'd move my child
    from the daycare center.  If there was a chance that this little girl
    could give the disease to others, her parents probably would not send
    her to the daycare.  Since KD is a disease of the immune system, I'd
    worry more about this little girl catching something from the other
    kids.
    
    - Kathryn
    

Re: .6

Everything I've read and have been told about KD says that it is not
contagious.  There is no evidence that children can catch KD from other
kids, even in the same family.  (Though there have been some cases of younger
kids in a family contracting KD some years after an older sibling had it.)

My son Tommy went back to daycare with full approval of the doctors who
treated him, and in the three years since, no one else in the center got
KD.

In fact, given the treatment of gamma globulin, the girl who had KD is
likely to be HEALTHIER than other kids for some months to come.  I know Tommy
didn't catch the usual colds, etc., for at least nine months after his
treatment.

From my experience and from the many reports I've read on KD, I'd say you
should not remove your child from the daycare.

					Steve

    Re: .7 and .8
    
    Thanks for the quick responses and the reassurances that KD is *not*
    contagious and that other kids in the daycare provider's home (it's not
    a center, btw) should be safe.  I am sure you understand that our worry
    stems from the fact that so little is known about this disease, and not
    from any "non-concern" for the little girl who had it.
    
    Re: .7
>    Since KD is a disease of the immune system, I'd
>    worry more about this little girl catching something from the other
>    kids.
    
    Based on what .8 says (about the little girl being HEALTHIER than the
    other kids) and the fact that KD (as opposed to AIDS) makes the immune
    system "overreact", I don't think your statement is likely to be true.
    Atleast in the short term.  And in the long run, after the child has
    recovered, she should be as "healthy" as any other kid (I know, i put
    the word in quotes, but what I read says that they are pretty much
    normal after recovery; we hope to God it is true).
    
    - mayank    

    My very dear friend's 14 month old son has been diagnosed with KD.
    And unfortunately, it has gone to the extreme case in that it has
    damaged his heart. Besides being worried sick over their son (who is
    in remarkable spirits for such a sick little boy) they are completely
    frustrated over the lack of information on KD and what information
    the Doctors have been giving them. They received one copy of a year
    old magazine article. I will print this note for them, but if anyone
    has anymore updated information they could give me a pointer to, I
    would really appreciate it.
    
    Thanks, Jan

Please ask your friend's doctor to contact one of the researchers who is
involved with KD study.  I'd suggest Dr. David Fulton at the Floating Hospital
for Infants and Children (part of Tufts New England Medical Center) in Boston
as a starting point.

Sadly, many pediatricians still aren't aware of the symptoms of KD enough
to catch all the cases before they progress to the stage of heart damage.

				Steve

    Has anyone heard of Kawaski Syndrome?
    
    

   I think syndrome and disease are used interchangably to describe
    Kawasaki's.