Does My Child Have Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease?

Question

Recently, there has been an outbreak of hand, foot, and mouth disease in kindergartens, and my child has developed rashes on their hands and feet. Initially, I thought it was due to heat and treated them with banlangen (blue cohosh) root. However, with the emergence of cases in the kindergarten, I began to worry whether my child might have been infected as well. The child has not developed a fever yet, and there are no blisters in the mouth. Does this mean the child has hand, foot, and mouth disease?

Answer

If the child has a clear history of contact with hand, foot, and mouth disease and has developed rashes on their hands and feet, the possibility of hand, foot, and mouth disease should be considered. Hand, foot, and mouth disease does not necessarily come with fever or mouth blisters, so special attention should be paid to isolation measures and enhanced hand hygiene. It is recommended to give the child plenty of water to drink, consider taking oral antiviral medications, and pay attention to the care of the rashes to avoid scratching them and causing infection. Diet should include more fresh fruits and vegetables and avoid spicy or seafood foods. Generally speaking, the treatment process for hand, foot, and mouth disease lasts about a week.