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In February 2007, our family was blindsided by a surprise, but serious, illness. Our son Alex was diagnosed with Kawasaki Disease on his 4th birthday. Alex spent six days in the Children’s Hospital Of Eastern Ontario – the longest six days of our entire lives.

All of our children are pretty healthy overall. Aside from reflux as babies, that caused a few hospital visits, tests and a lot of doctor’s appointments, we haven’t had too many emergencies or extended hospital stays. I was taken completely by surprise and remember not believing anything serious was wrong even on day two of our stay.

Kawasaki Disease is becoming more and more common in it’s diagnosis, but it’s still something that gets a lot of reactions like “Huh? What is that?” I was inspired to write about it because the symptoms of Kawasaki mimic so many other common childhood illnesses, like scarlet fever and other strep infections. I was really at a loss while they were trying to figure out what might be going on. Inevitably though, it becomes pretty clear that something more serious is afoot. Generally, within plenty of time, but it requires diligence on the part of doctors and parents.

The symptoms of Kawasaki Disease are:

•  A high fever (usually 104 or higher) that persists for days or even more than one week.
•  Severe redness in the eyes
•  A rash on the child’s stomach, chest, and genitals
•  Red, dry, cracked lips
•  Swollen tongue with a white coating and big red bumps
•  Sore, irritated throat
•  Swollen palms of the hands and soles of the feet with a purple-red color
•  Swollen lymph nodes

Alex began to feel ill one week before he was admitted to the hospital. One thing that stands out six months later is that he felt normal one minute and was very hot the next. It was like a switch turned on and he went from healthy to sick. He seemed comfortable enough with ibuprofen or acetaminophen for a few days, but rather than get gradually better, he got gradually worse. Over the following few days Alex proceeded to demonstrate every single noted symptom of Kawasaki disease.

The most frustrating part of Alex’s illness was being brushed off by medical professionals in the days leading up to the diagnosis. We visited our local emergency room on four occasions before we finally got an answer. Up until that point only one doctor had even examined Alex or done any kind of lab testing. If I had listened to one of the doctor’s we encountered one very early morning, I would not have brought him back because “it’s just a virus and he’ll get better in a few days”.

If caught early, Kawasaki Disease is easily treated with a blood product called Gamma Globulin and high doses of Aspirin. Within 24 hours of treatment Alex was an entirely different child than the one who entered the hospital just three days before. Treating early greatly reduces the risks of heart complications or vasculitis.

If you’re a parent reading this for advice on what your child could be suffering from, remember that you are your child’s advocate. There is no harm in suggesting Kawasaki Disease if your child has symptoms. Your doctor should then rule out other possibilities by testing for strep infections or evaluating for allergic reactions.

Here is more information on Kawasaki Disease, including the story I wrote after Alex was discharged from the hospital:

Alex’s Story
American Heart Association: Kawasaki Disease Page
The Kawasaki Disease Foundation

[tags]parents, parenting, kids, children, baby, babies, Kawasaki Disease, illness, unknown cause, vasculitis, hospital, medical attention, diagnosis[/tags]
Photo graciously provided by Frank Zoe, through a Creative Commons license, some rights reserved