3 warning signs of severe stage hand, foot and mouth disease in children

The article was professionally consulted by MSc Nguyen Cong Canh, Head of Pediatrics - Neonatology Department, Vinmec International General Hospital Da Nang.

Hand, foot and mouth disease in children is very common and contagious. The disease is likely to go away on its own after 5-7 days. However, if not properly treated, hand, foot and mouth disease in children can cause many dangerous complications and even death. Many parents wonder when children with hand, foot and mouth disease need to be hospitalized? In the article below, learn about hand, foot and mouth disease in children as well as the signs of severe disease that parents need to pay attention to.

Hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD for short) is caused by acute Coxsackievirus A16 and Enterovirus 71. Hand, foot and mouth disease in children can be easily transmitted through the gastrointestinal tract or by direct contact with secretions from the blisters. water, feces, saliva or nasopharyngeal secretions.
The disease can occur at any age but is most common in children under 10 years of age. In Vietnam, hand, foot and mouth disease can appear at any time of the year. In particular, from March to May and September to December, the number of children infected with hand, foot and mouth disease tends to increase markedly.
Children with hand, foot and mouth disease in the early stages will appear symptoms such as fever, fatigue, mild sore throat, poor appetite... However, these symptoms are easily confused with bullous dermatitis. caused by a bacterial, viral or chickenpox infection.
In the first 1-2 days of infection with hand, foot and mouth disease, children will appear erythematous nodules with a diameter of a few mm, floating on the surface of the skin. These rashes then turn into blisters.
Sores inside the mouth, on the tip of the tongue, on the roof of the mouth, on the gums can become sores, causing pain when swallowing. Parents need to pay special attention to not be confused with common mouth ulcers. In addition, sores can also appear on the palms, soles, buttocks or genitals in children.

Hand, foot and mouth disease in children can cause many dangerous complications, even death if not treated promptly. However, many parents wonder when children with hand, foot and mouth disease need to be hospitalized?
When seeing a child with hand, foot and mouth disease, parents need to take the child to the doctor as soon as possible to determine the extent of the disease and give the most appropriate treatment plan. In addition, parents should also pay attention to the following symptoms of severe hand, foot and mouth disease:

Continuous persistent crying When suffering from hand, foot and mouth disease, the child may cry all night or sleep for 15-20 minutes and wake up and cry continuously. Many parents believe that children cry because of pain from sores in the mouth. But in fact, this is a warning sign of neurotoxicity at an early stage.
Continuous high fever that does not go down When hand, foot and mouth disease in children becomes severe, the child may have a fever above 38.5 degrees Celsius continuously for more than 48 hours and does not work with paracetamol. This warns a very strong level of inflammation in the child's body leading to neurotoxicity. At that time, the child needs to be given a special fever-reducing medicine containing Ibuprofen as prescribed by the doctor.
Or startling This is a warning sign of neurotoxicity. Parents need to pay attention to how often their child is startled, even when the child is playing.
If the child shows one of the above 3 symptoms, parents need to take the child to a reputable medical facility for timely treatment.

Regularly wash hands with soap under running water, especially before feeding, feeding, preparing food, before holding the baby, after going to the toilet, after cleaning and changing diapers. .
Eat hygienically, eat cooked, drink boiling. Make sure eating utensils must be washed, preferably soaked in boiling water before use. Ensure clean water in daily life. Do not chew or give food to children. Do not let children eat, suck, or suck on toys. Do not let children share handkerchiefs, tissues, eating utensils such as cups, cups, spoons, plates, bowls, toys... Regularly clean surfaces of daily contact objects such as school tools. , toys, handrails, doorknobs, floors, countertops/chairs... with common cleaning agents. Isolate children from people who are sick or suspected of having hand, foot and mouth disease. During the first 10-14 days of oral infection, parents need to isolate the child at home, not letting the child go to school or crowded places. Hand, foot and mouth disease in children can be completely cured without leaving sequelae. However, parents need to monitor and take care of their children to prevent complications of hand, foot and mouth disease. As soon as a child is detected with abnormal signs, parents need to quickly take the child to the nearest medical facility for examination and treatment.
Pediatrics department at Vinmec International General Hospital is the address for receiving and examining diseases that infants and young children are susceptible to: viral fever, bacterial fever, otitis media, pneumonia in children, .... With modern equipment, sterile space, minimizing the impact as well as the risk of disease spread. Along with that is the dedication from the doctors with professional experience with pediatric patients, making the examination no longer a concern of the parents.