Question
A 4-year-old child, after being treated and recovering from hand, foot, and mouth disease accompanied by chickenpox, experienced spontaneous head and limb twitching at night, along with laughing out loud during sleep. The child described being unable to control these twitches, and the parents were worried whether this was a Sequelae of meningitis caused by hand, foot, and mouth disease.
Answer
Hand, foot, and mouth disease can sometimes complicate into meningitis in severe cases, but typically symptoms appear during the infection period rather than a year after. Based on the parent’s description, the child’s symptoms are more likely to be normal responses during sleep rather than signs of meningitis. Doctors advise that the parents should not worry too much and explain that the child’s behavior is a normal occurrence during sleep and not an indication of meningitis caused by hand, foot, and mouth disease.