Patient's question:
My baby has been crying and refusing to eat since yesterday. This morning, I noticed several large bubbles in the baby's mouth. The family was very worried and went to the local hospital for a thorough examination. The doctor's examination results confirmed hand, foot, and mouth disease and prescribed medication for the baby to take home. However, there has been no improvement.What kind of help is needed: What is hand, foot, and mouth disease in children, and how is it treated?
Doctor's answer:
Hand, foot, and mouth disease is an infectious disease caused by enteroviruses, which often occurs in infants and young children and can lead to blisters on the hands, feet, and mouth. In some cases, it may cause complications such as myocarditis, pulmonary edema, and aseptic meningitis and encephalitis. There are over 20 different enteroviruses that can cause hand, foot, and mouth disease. The incubation period of this disease is 2 to 7 days, and the sources of infection include patients and asymptomatic carriers. During outbreaks, patients are the main source of transmission. During the acute phase of the illness, patients can excrete the virus from the throat, and when the blisters rupture, the virus is released. Patients may still excrete the virus in their feces for several weeks after recovery. The disease typically starts abruptly with fever and the appearance of scattered, rice-sized blisters on the oral mucosa.