Patient's question:
My child is already 11 months old. During this time, due to bronchitis caused by a cold, she has been taking medicine every day. Yesterday, my friend's family came to play. Her child is the same age as mine, but when she came to my house to play, she was holding a blistered-looking thing, but not many. Additionally, she stayed at my house all day, eating and playing with toys. Both activities were involved. Today, her mother took her to the hospital for a thorough check-up for hand, foot, and mouth disease. Could my child possibly be infected? Currently, our baby has not yet noticed any signs of hand, foot, and mouth disease. How can we prevent it?Doctor's answer:
Hand, foot, and mouth disease is an infectious disease caused by enteroviruses. There are more than 20 different enteroviruses that can cause hand, foot, and mouth disease, with Coxsackievirus A16 and Enterovirus 71 being the most common. Most cases occur in children under the age of 5. Small blisters or ulcers may appear on the mouth, hands, and feet, accompanied by symptoms such as mouth pain, loss of appetite, and low fever. It is best to avoid contact with children who have hand, foot, and mouth disease, pay attention to public health care and personal hygiene, and wash your face before and after meals.