Question
A two-and-a-half-year-old child at home became restless on Saturday afternoon last week. After being taken to the hospital, it was diagnosed with hand, foot, and mouth disease. At the time, there were also obvious symptoms of asthma and vomiting. How should one handle a child with hand, foot, and mouth disease?
Answer
The treatment of hand, foot, and mouth disease primarily focuses on symptomatic treatment. Antiviral drugs, herbal medicine for clearing heat and detoxifying, as well as vitamins B and C can be considered. If complications occur, immunoglobulin injections may be considered. During the illness, it is important to strengthen the care of the child, especially oral hygiene. It is recommended to rinse the mouth with physiological saline or warm water before and after meals, and to choose non-irritating foods such as fluids or semi-fluids. Hand, foot, and mouth disease may be complicated by myocarditis, encephalitis, meningitis, flaccid paralysis, etc., so close observation of the condition is necessary.