First it was a
blister on his lower lip and next, he refused to eat anything at all. A look by
his teacher at the playschool and I was asked to take my son to the doctor. The
doctor confirmed my son to have Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD) and said
there would be more cases from the same playschool as parents lack knowledge on
this issue.
When I just got
married, I was ignorant about HFMD and brushed it off each time I came across
it as it had nothing to do with me. All I knew was that it would be a painful
ride for the child who contracted it. Besides that, I knew nothing about
Coxsakie, another name used in Western countries for the same disease.
This time,
however, I beg to differ. I need more information. There really were many
contracted with this disease due to ignorance and - selfishness from parents who
know it is contagious yet left their children at the playschool.
A surf in the world wide web gives me a lot of
information about HFMD. So, what is HFMD? It is an illness characterised by fever, sores in the mouth, and a rash with
blisters. The rash does not itch, so don’t
expect your child to scratch it to tell you he/she has HFMD. Constant notices
of baby’s palms and feet, as well as their appetite and body temperature help
to have an early detection. The most common cause of HFMD is coxsakievirus A16.
As HFMD is caused by viruses, it is contagious
through direct contact with the saliva, stool and blister fluid of the infected
persons. The most contagious period is during the first week of the illness. Although
the most common people who get infected with this disease are children aged 10
or below, adults may get infected too. Pregnant mothers may pass on the disease
to the newborns and cause complications such as developmental and other defects in the foetus.
There is no
special treatment for the disease. A visit to the locum confirmed that doctor
only gives paracetamol and painkiller to reduce fever and discomfort for the
patients. At the time of illness, patients’ fluid intake is vital as one may
not be able to take in any food. Constant sponging the head of the infected
helps to reduce his temperature too. The disease will resolve around 10 to 12
days but may still spread infectious virus for weeks.
A major
preventive measure parents can take is to stop sending their children to school
for the time being until the children fully recover. Secondly, the items used
by the infected person should be disinfected constantly to avoid leaving any
infectious fluid on them. Thirdly, a strict hygienic routine should be followed
such as washing the hands after each change of diaper or touching on the skin
of the infected persons.
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