Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease: It's That Time Of Year
Though it often doesn't make the headlines, outbreaks of something called "hand, foot, and mouth disease" are fairly common in various parts of the U.S. during the summer and fall months, and a number of readers asked us about this illness.
The name may sound like something that affects cattle, but in fact hand, foot, and mouth disease typically affects older children. It is caused by a family of viruses called Coxsackie (named after the town in upstate New York where those viruses were first discovered).
WHAT IS IT? The illness usually begins with a moderate fever, but it gets its unusual name from the parts of the body that become involved: small, round blisters may develop on the palms of the hands and the soles of the feet, and between the fingers and toes. These blisters also develop inside the mouth--usually on the tongue and the inside surface of the cheeks, but they can also appear on the lips, gums, and roof of the mouth.
The blisters can also appear in various other places. They begin to break in one or two days, leaving shallow sores. About one-quarter of children also develop a rash, especially over their buttocks. The major problem for most children is the mouth sores, because they can make chewing painful and discourage them from eating. The illness can last for almost two weeks, and apart from the painful mouth sores, it isn't considered a serious condition.
HOW IS IT TREATED? As is true for other illnesses caused by viruses, antibiotics are of no help. If the fever makes the child uncomfortable, it can be treated with fever-reducing medications, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol and other brands) or ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil, and other brands). Though eating may be painful, children with this illness should be encouraged to drink plenty of fluids, which they might prefer to take in the form of cold drinks, frozen juice pops, or ice cubes.
HOW IS IT PREVENTED? The viruses that cause hand, foot, and mouth disease are spread through contact with contaminated feces, water, or food, and the viruses are also spread through droplets produced by a cough or sneeze.
Prevention is difficult because during epidemics the viruses are so widespread that it's hard to avoid contact with them. There is no vaccine for hand, foot, and mouth disease. However, like other infections that are spread by hand-to-mouth contact, frequent hand washing may substantially reduce the risk of a child developing this common, non-serious, but distinctly uncomfortable illness.
(If readers want more information on this condition, we recommend consulting The New Child Health Encyclopedia, by the staff of the Boston Children's Hospital, Delacorte Press, New York, NY 1987)
© July 1999 Child Health Alert
Home | HEALTHY HANDWASHING POSTER | Subscribe Now
Child
Health | Child Development | Child Care Issues
Asthma/Allergy | Parent/Child
| Environment | Diet/Nutrition
| Infections/Illness
Product Safety and Recalls | Resources |
Coloring Book | Advisory
Board
Hot Topics | Back
Issues | Request Info | About
Child Health Alert | Search Site | Site Map
