Conference moira::parenting_v3

Interesting ...  One of the kids at my daughter's nursery school has
just got mono -- apparently after a bus ride on a bus full of teens as
the likely source of the infection.  Imagine ... a 3 year old with mono!

>        - how contageous is it from child/child or child/adult?

It certainly is contagious but usually requires close contact ... (in the
UK it is known as glandular fever, and colloquially "the kissing disaese"
although it does spread easier than that ... it is most common among young
adults)

>        - what are the symptoms of mono in a child?

The problem with mono is that it has non-specific symptoms and until
relatively recently it was diagnosed by elimination, but now a blood
test usually identifies it.

	. swollen glands
	. mild fever
	. lethargy (the degree of lethargy varies)
	. weakness

>        - any special precautions needed around pregnant women?

Pretty much like any infectious disease.  Avoid close contact, practice
extra conscientious hygiene. 

>        - how long does it typically last?

The infection is supposed to only last about 2 to 3 weeks, but usually
you hear people tell of long bouts with mono ... 2 or 3 months in severe
cases.  It is believed that while the infection has gone, the body takes
considerable time to recover.

>        - what is the normal course of treatment?

Usually sympomatic treatment ...  It is a viral infection and therefore
essentially untreatable.  Pain killers like acetaminophen to control
fever and discomfort.  Good diet to maintain the body ... maybe extra
vitamins.

Stuart

    If I remember correctly from when I had mono as a teen, the symptom
    were:  fatigue, swollen glands, bumps (pimple-like) behind my ears (I
    think this is specific to me, though), and a pain in my stomach (liver
    side, since mono effects the liver).  I remember getting to the point
    where I could not stay awake.  I felt "funny" a week before I was
    actually diagnosed and went to the doctor.  I ended up back there a
    week later and had the mono blood test.  The doctor explained to me
    that he thought I had mono when I was there a week earlier, but it was
    too early to diagnose.  After it was diagnosed, I ended up throwing up
    a lot and had trouble keeping food down.  Most people who get mono end
    up loosing a lot of weight because you can't eat.  Also, it took me a
    long time to recover - for quite some time I got tired very easily and
    needed more sleep.  
    
    Mary

    I had mono when I was in elementary school.  In my case, they caught it
    very early, and I think this help a LOT toward recovery.  So many
    children in the school had it that the school sent home a note to
    parents suggesting that they have their children tested for mono even
    if they were showing no symptoms.  So my mother took myself, my sister,
    and my brother to the doctor, and sure enough, my sister and I had
    mono.  (This was diagnosed with a blood test, I recall.)  
    
    I remember being on medication, having a slight fever, and being
    slightly tired.  So it really wasn't too bad.  And I was back at school
    just one week later.  
    
    So, mono doesn't always have to be severe.  I understand that the bed
    rest is very important to a good recovery.
    
    Jane
    

    I, too had mono when I was in elementary school (caught from my dating,
    teen-aged sister).  My symptoms were slight fever, swolen glands and
    constant sore throat.  I stayed out of school for maybe a week (I
    can't remember it being that long), and got a doctor's note that said
    that I wasn't allowed to take gym (YEAH!!!!!!!).  For me, it wasn't
    an unpleasnt experience.
    
    				Mair
    

Hi, I am a read only person for notes files however, I have gained
alot of knowledge from reading and hope that I may give some insight
on this topic it really hits home to me.

In October my husband and I decided to start working on child #2.
Around the middle of the month he start to come down with what we 
thought were flu like symptoms. They started to get worse very rapidly. 
He had incredible kidney pain and obvious blood in the urine. I had 
to spend two hours on the phone trying to find him a primary dr. 
because he has never gone to one before (the I am a man and don't need 
to go to dr's attitude)..Anyway after 14 hours in emergency for dehydration 
and many tests we found out it was mono. I then found out I was pregnant. 

So my daughter who was 2 and I spent most of our time at my parents. 
It was incredible hard to say to her that "you can only wave to daddy 
and not give him any a hugs or kisses"...

His symptoms kept getting worse. He was unable to keep food down, his 
kidney pain continued (he slept on the living room floor most of the
time), and he then suffered from a severe swore throat. He was out of
work for 3 weeks. 

Today, he still complains about the kidney pain once in awhile, and he 
still has blood in the urine. He has to go to the dr. every other month
for blood until the virus is completely gone.

As for me being pregnant, well the dr. said that the virus would not
affect the fetus, however if I could not hold food down or become 
dehydrated that my cause complications and it would take alot longer 
for the various to go way making pregnancy a REAL unpleasant time.

My husbands dr. did say that after the spleen has swollen and started to 
decrease in size that he was no longer contagious. This took about 
three weeks. They also said that adults will have worse symptoms and the
virus will last longer.
    
    
    						Kim

    I'm not making fun of this (how could I, the person who once typed
    "pooprtunity" on a job application)...
    
    .5> he then suffered from a severe swore throat.
    
    I know what that feels like!  And I'm not the only one who suffered
    from it   :-)
    
    Leslie

Re "catching it early"

Becaue mono is a viral infection, early diagnosis really does very little
apart from get you the news that it is mono early on.  Most viral infections
are untreatable and have to run their course.  There are very few anti-viral
drugs that don't have the side effect of killing human cells too!

All you can do with a viral infection is treat the symptoms, and ensure that
you keep your body otherwise as healthy as possible to fight the virus.  Very
occasionally, a doctor will prescribe anti-biotics when a person has a viral
infection to help prevent secondary bacterial infections.

Stuart

    AJ was diagnosed with Mono when he was about 2.5.  By the way, the pedi
    explained that mono is very common in preschool, infact more common at
    preschool age than in teens these days.  It was found during an exam
    for throat and ear infections.  His pedi routinely feels his belly
    during all sick visits, and noticed something (I just can't remember
    which organ) was enlarged (spleen maybe?), and said this was almost a
    sure sign of mono.  She sent us to the hospital for blood drawn from
    the vein, no finger stick would give the results, and the results had
    to be know now!
    
    Result, it was mono.  We were advised to keep him home for 5 days, and
    yes he did seem sleepy and sluggish both before and for several days
    after. I think they gave him an anitbiotic, but probably more for the
    ear and throat infections than the mono.  He recovered with absolutely
    no ill effects, and neither one of we adult types ever contracted it.
    
    Again, the emphasis here is on the fact that it IS very common in
    preschools, because the kids are keeping much longer hours than we
    generally did, and being exposed to more kids through daycare
    situations.
    
    Hope this passes soon for you!
    Lyn

I had mono in college.  I went to the dr. because I had white spots on my
throat.  A throat culture (for strep) turned up negative, so the dr. sent
me in for a blood test.  It indicated I had mono.

I had NO other symptoms. I never felt sick or tired or anything.  I guess it
was diagnosed early 'cos the other college students in the infirmary with mono
at the time were sick and were in the infirmary for one or two weeks.

I remember taking pills (antibiotics?) that were supposed to prevent hepatitis
(one common complication of mono) and having to rinse my mouth with salt water
three times a day.  I was allowed to go to classes after 4 days, but I couldn't
take phys. ed for something like 8 weeks.

My sister had mono as a teenager and was in the hospital for a few days.  She
had the common symptoms described here (fatigue, swollen glands).  I think she
was in the hospital because she came down with hepatitis or they were afraid
she would.

    
    I had it in HS.  I don't remember being on any medication, however,
    the Dr did want me to take vitamins.  I remember him being VERY 
    specific - 	UNICAP W/IRON 2 A DAY.
    
    ...el
    

    My son was diagnosed as having Mono 2 weeks before his 2nd birthday.
    We took him to the doctors because he just wasn't himself.  They
    checked him all over and then looked in his throat and said he had
    what looked like a "mono throat".  They did the blood test from the
    vein not the finger and that was the worst part of the mono.  He was
    checked 3 weeks later and the Dr. said he was over the mono, but if 
    they did a blood test it might still show up for several months. He 
    told me that children recover more quickly than adults.
    
    Jayne