For anyone who has had a child with Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease (HFMD), you know that it is not a fun illness to deal with. I write this as I sit, holding my 16 month-old son. He just finally fell asleep, with bumps scattered over his body. Today, he showed signs of HFMD and I, unfortunately, saw it coming!

We just came back from an awesome Spring Break last weekend. My son had a week off from day care, and even though we were at germ-infested Disney, we all managed to come back pretty healthy. On his first day back, my son’s teacher told me that 3 other kids in his class caught HFMD while we were gone. Of course, there wasn’t much I could do about it at this point. I had to go back to work. I couldn’t keep him away from school. Who knew when this mini “outbreak” would be over!

Three days later (yesterday), I was called to pick him up from school because of a fever of 102.9. His fevers continued through last night. He was also refusing to eat – which is so unlike him! This morning, I looked at the little red bumps he now had around his mouth, and knew right away what we were dealing with.

From The Pediatrician Perspective

HFMD is a contagious viral illness, caused by the Coxsackie virus. There are over 200,000 cases per year, most of them in children age 5 years and younger, and in day care. But, older children and adults can also catch it if they weren’t exposed earlier in life. The virus is spread through saliva, nasal secretions (cough/sneeze), fluid from skin blisters, and stool. It can take anywhere from 3-6 days after being exposed to the virus for a child to show symptoms. An infected child is most contagious the first week of the illness. HFMD usually lasts 7-10 days.

Symptoms

Fever is usually the first sign of HFMD (but not always present). Within 2 days of the fever starting, a child with HFMD will break out in the classic rash. This includes painful sores/blisters inside the mouth, around the mouth, on the hands, feet, and the diaper area. The rash can also be present on the knees and elbows. The sores in the mouth can cause a sore throat, decreased appetite, and irritability.

Treatment

The treatment for HFMD is “supportive”. This includes plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration, and pain control. I recommend popsicles, cool drinks, and ice cream for comfort.

Prevention

HFMD can be prevented by frequent hand washing, disinfecting surfaces, and avoiding close contact with those with the disease.

Complications

Complications can include loss of fingernails and toenails, and rarely viral meningitis (inflammation of the lining of the brain and spinal cord) or encephalitis (inflammation of the brain).

From A Mom’s Perspective

As a mom, it’s tough to watch your child go through an illness like HFMD. My happy, independent boy is now fussy and clingy. His beautiful, usually clear skin, now covered in bumps. My baby boy who loves food is now taking a bite, then pushing it away because it hurts too much to eat. He doesn’t know why his body’s doing what it’s doing. I’m forcing water and forcing ibuprofen. It’s tough feeling helpless, knowing there’s no treatment I can give him to make it go away any quicker. All I can do is love him, cradle him, and snuggle with him until he’s feeling better. Even when I feel him burning up on my chest in the middle of the night, I try my best not to move an inch, just to try to keep him comfortable.

It’s hard when your child is the patient

Moments like this remind me of the discussions I have with the parents of patients in my office about viruses. It’s tough telling parents that their child has a virus, and there’s no cure for it, except for time. “His body just needs to fight it off”, I say (and I mean). “The illness is good for him in the long run. He’ll develop antibodies and be less likely to get it again in the future”. But I know it’s so hard as a parent to accept that. My son’s little body is fighting it, but I can tell it’s tired, and just wants it all to be over – as do I.

If your little one is suffering through hand, foot, mouth disease or a similar illness like strep throat, know that I feel your pain and am here as a mommy and Pediatrician to support you through it! He will get through it, and his body will be stronger as a result. Here’s to better, healthier days (and to no one else in my house catching it!). Now, back to cuddling!

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