Question
My baby is 10 months old. They had hand, foot, and mouth disease four and a half months ago. Now, they have suddenly developed a rash on their hands. I’m worried about a possible repeat infection.
Answer
Hand, foot, and mouth disease is caused by various enteroviruses. After a baby is infected once, they develop immunity to specific virus strains but can still be infected by others. Therefore, even if the baby has had hand, foot, and mouth disease before, they can still be infected again. It is advisable for parents to carefully observe the rash and if it resembles the previous hand, foot, and mouth disease rash and other symptoms appear, to seek medical attention for the baby promptly.