Patient's question:
My son had a fever of up to 42 degrees with hand, foot, and mouth disease two days ago. He is now being treated in the hospital, receiving intravenous fluids every day. It has been five days, and he is still running a fever. My son cries every day and has not been eating much, losing a lot of weight. I am truly heartbroken. How long does hand, foot, and mouth disease take to heal?Doctor's answer:
Hand, foot, and mouth disease usually heals in about a week. You can give the baby some ribavirin and make sure they drink plenty of water. It is recommended that if the child has hand, foot, and mouth disease, they should not go to places with many people. Also, try not to let the baby scratch, and encourage them to drink more plain water. The diet should be light, and try to avoid raw, cold, spicy, greasy, and pickled foods, which can be irritating. You can give the baby more fresh fruits and vegetables.