Question
Recently, after I gave my baby the preventive shot (chickenpox), on the way home I noticed the baby had small red spots in their mouth and on their hands, with not obvious spots on their feet. I went to the clinic, and the doctor said it was Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease and recommended I take the baby to the hospital for a check-up. The doctor said it was mild and didn’t require hospitalization. I want to know the modes of transmission for Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease as well as how to manage the symptoms.
Answer
Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease can be transmitted through various routes, including respiratory, digestive, and contact transmission. Most cases of Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease are self-limiting and typically recover within a week or so unless complications arise. You can encourage your baby to drink more water, but they haven’t shown much appetite these days and even when they eat, it’s difficult for them to digest! I plan not to give them solid food recently and just feed them some formula milk. Is that okay? What else can I give them that is easy to digest? Additionally, I suggest taking your baby to the hospital for a check-up to see what the specific cause is, and the doctor will provide appropriate treatment based on the situation.