My 1yo baby got a nasty fungal infection on his thumb, probably because he loves sucking it all the time (never had a pacifier).
The doctor prescribed a specific cream to apply on said finger 3 times a day (Pevaryl), and she said we have to bandage it as it's important our baby doesn't eat the cream (apparently it could be toxic). As he is very much still in the oral phase and spends roughly half his days sucking his fingers, this makes sense.
Now, I don't know if you've ever tried to bandage a tiny finger, but I'm really struggling! While I do it (swabs + cofix + special micropore adhesive tape) he wriggles his fingers and closes his hand. Then it usually takes him about 45 seconds to bite it off or unroll my careful work. I can't believe how good this child is at fine motor skills!
Do you have any idea or advice about how I could deal with the situation? I'm starting to lose it and it's only the second day (out of at least 15!).
Maybe try applying the bandage then putting a long sock (like a trouser sock or a man's long athletic sock) over your baby's hand and up his arm, then putting one of your baby's long-sleeve shirts over the sock?
EDIT/ If needed, you could also loosely but securely place duct tape over the wrist area where the shirt seam meets the sock, which would further discourage your little one from getting the sock down, out from under the shirt, and off his hand.
Staples, or mittens with draw strings.
Does he still nap during the day?
I don't know anything about bandaging a tiny, squirmy baby finger, but I have had some problems trimming the nails belonging to a tiny, squirming baby hand. And I have found that it's so much easier when they are asleep.
I swear this child is a Houdini between his teeth and his other hand he can wriggle out of anything
Plus this seems to provide endless amusement, it's like a new game to him!
If I start manipulating his hand while he naps he'll wake up (he's not a newborn anymore ). But if I bandage his finger and then nurse him to sleep right away, the cream has at least a chance to stay on his finger.
Doesn't work with the morning application though
Bandage his whole hand (over thumb bandage)... should stay on better.
What kind of PJs does he wear? I babysat a kid when I was a teenager, and his parents' solution was to sew a mitten onto both sleeves of his long-sleeved pjs and then he couldn't get out of it to rip the bandage off, because he couldn't take off his pjs without help.
Because of the heat he sleeps in a sleeveless onsie
I must say we're not lucky so far: he got chickenpox during the first heatwave at the beginning of July, and now that!
And I think it would take him less than 10 seconds to pull at the mitten with his teeth while pulling his hand back to get it out of the sleeve altogether.
I created a monster!
I have one of the finger covers in the picture below:
Ask for "Fingerling aus Stoff" in the pharmacy, perhaps they have a tiny baby sized one.
They're wonderful to avoid touching the finger's inner bandage (you pull them over the bandage) and also cushion the finger slightly if you bang it someplace.
If the pharmacy fails, have them give you a thorough demonstration of baby-finger-wrapping and tell them you need something durable for nights specifically.
Last resort would be to put his bandaged hand in a mitten - but heaven knows how fast he'd get that off so you'd have to fasten it to his clothes somehow.
Good luck!
I'm seriously considering going back to hospital where he was seen to ask the nurses there to give me a demonstration !
When I went to the pharmacy to fill in the prescription, they actually whished me good luck!
It's not quite so warm now so maybe a light long sleeved all in one babygro would be ok.
I was going to suggest something like the one Glowjupiter posted above with the dressing/bandage underneath and an extra bandage wrapped around over the top plus gloves/mittens.
The problem with babies is that they have pudgy hands with relatively short fingers. It's not very practical to bandage that!
I'm also a bit concerned about the macerating that could go under too much bandages. As it is a yeast infection, surely that would make it worse?
The bandage is just to make sure he's not licking the cream. Otherwise it could stay in the air, and it would probably heal even better.
You can always call the pharmacy or the hospital to give you a "verbal demonstration" if it is urgent and can't wait until tomorrow. If it can, do please go there (to the pharmacy or your pediatrician) and ask them for the demonstration
Perhaps, rather than the finger wrap I posted above, they have one which is tight enough to pull over baby's finger without the use of (perhaps dangerous) threads . Perhaps - going out on a limb here - they have a "mitten" with a sleeve that is as long as your baby's arm? That way it'd be harder for him to pull it off and get at the bandage underneath. Perhaps a thin stocking cut to his arm's length instead of a mitten might be an option???
Let us know how it goes!
Cling film also works well for keeping cream in place but I'd be worried about him eating/choking on it.
I'd also be worried about the skin not getting enough air circulating around it as cling film doesn't have any holes for that, while gauze and some other types of medical bandages do. Directly after applying cream, there probably won't be any way for air to circulate no matter if anything's wrapped around it, but as the cream probably absorbs into the skin (and most likely the bandage), sooner or later the skin will have the opportunity to breathe, and this possibility IMO should carefully be enabled by choosing breathable bandages/bandage covers.
Especially as probably, due to the issue being a fungal infection, the infection "loves" moist, warm spaces.
Maybe try a more natural remedy? Like soaking in apple vinegar or yogurt a couple times per day?
Not sure whether apple vinegar is safe for a 1yo, but you could ask your pediatrician or rinse after soaking. And who knows, maybe your baby really dislikes the sour taste and will resort to his other thumb.
I would definitely only do this after asking the ped or pharmacist, you don't want to risk introducing new stuff to a finger already not in its normal/healthy state. Also, vinegar could burn like the dickens depending how open the wound is - think acid and raw flesh
Breaking the thumb sucking habit would really be the best long term solution but that's easier said than done with babies.
As long as he sucks his thumb there's a good chance of the infection returning especially if the treatment regime is less than optimal.
Ouch, yeah you're right. (Even though I didn't mean undiluted apple vinegar, but still...)
Best to check with the pediatrician first indeed.
Edit: there must be something out there that treats yeasts/fungi, without the risk of being toxic. What about Daktarin oral? Or would that sting too?
How many days does the doctor recommend the treatment for?
Sticky tape/micropore tape might do the trick.... But as said, you need to observe.
Plus lots of distraction...keep putting other things in their hands that are interesting!
To treat for 15 days sounds to me like the doctor doesn't just want to treat the infection in the short term, they want to kick the sucking habit as well!
Lots of well-chosen, hand held manipulative toys, objects, musical instruments and tools that are baby-friendly should help with the distraction, toys with buttons, things that go in things.. Posting, openind and closing...shaking and banging