Oooopssss hand, foot and mouth disease

Poor Brenda with ulsers....

Little Amanda too.........oooohhh !!!!
Oh no...both of my little princesses 'kena'(get) Coxsackie. They have to be stay away from school at least five days. This morning Brenda have to sit for six exam papers due to absent for Great grandfather furenal. After completed the six papers she come to my class and told me that she is tired and her mouth pain. After check her mouth with 'experience' oh no ...and I rushed to Amanda class to check and oh no...she got it too. I quickly call hubby and informed my principal that I need to rush them to clinic. This time with ulcer in the mouth and no fever.



Hand, foot and mouth diseasehand; foot; mouth; blisters; child; infectious; diseases; virus; coxsackie; ulcers;;
Contents

What is hand, foot and mouth disease?
Who gets hand, foot and mouth disease?
Signs and symptoms
How long does it take to develop?
How long is it infectious?
What parents can do
References
Hand, foot and mouth disease is a very common and mild illness which affects children. It is not related to the disease of a similar name that affects cattle.

I get this article from Parenting and child Health website for reference :-
What is hand, foot and mouth disease?
Hand, foot and mouth disease is caused by a virus (usually Coxsackie virus A16).
It causes blisters on the hands, feet, in the mouth, and often in the nappy area.
Hand, foot and mouth disease can be caused by several other viruses. Rarely, it can be caused by an Enterovirus 71 which causes a rare complication of headache, stiff neck and paralysis. (See the topic 'Enteroviruses' for more information).



It is usually a mild illness, although the child may have a fever for a couple of days and be off food and 'off colour'.
It is not at all like the foot and mouth disease that animals can die from. Children do not die from hand, foot and mouth disease.
It mostly occurs in warmer weather, and tends to spread easily where a lot of young children are together, such as in a child care setting.
Once a child has had the infection he or she is not likely to get it again, but because the same rash can be caused by several different viruses it can appear that a child is having the same infection again.

Who gets hand, foot and mouth disease?
Hand, foot and mouth disease is a very common infection. Virtually all children who get the infection become unwell and develop the rash and ulcers in the mouth. Adults with the disease will usually have the ulcers in their mouth, but less commonly have the rash.


Signs and symptoms
A child who has the infection will usually have a fever, be unwilling to eat or drink because of ulcers in the mouth, have a runny nose and sore throat, and not have much energy. The fever can be high, but often is mild.
Blisters on the hands and feet, and ulcers or blisters in the mouth appear 1-2 days after the first symptoms and may last for 2 – 7 days.
The blisters often appear in the nappy (genital) area and sometimes also on the upper arms, upper legs and bottoms of children.
Because of the sore mouth, the child may refuse to take some foods and drinks.

How long does it take to develop?
It takes 3 to 5 days after first being in contact with the virus for the disease to develop.


How long is it infectious?
A person with the disease is infectious until the blisters dry up. The virus is in the fluid of the blisters, and can be spread by coughing, sneezing and putting objects in the mouth.
The virus is found in the child's poo, and can still be there for several weeks after the child has recovered. Careful hygiene practices are always needed in child care centres and at home.
Children with hand foot and mouth disease should not attend school or child care until all the blisters have dried up.

What parents can do
There is no specific treatment which will make hand, foot and mouth disease go away more quickly.
Give paracetamol for fever if needed (see the topic 'Using paracetamol or ibuprofen').
Offer plenty of drinks. Avoid drinks like orange juice, which is acidic and can cause pain if the mouth has ulcers. Your child may prefer cold drinks, including cold milk drinks, or ice blocks (these can be made with milk). It does not matter if children do not eat for a day or so if they are having some drinks.
See your doctor if your child is unwell, or has a bad headache that persists, or a high fever.
Allow blisters to dry naturally.
There is no immunisation against hand, foot and mouth disease