Children can have hand, foot and mouth disease without fever, no rash?

This is an automatically translated article.

The article was professionally consulted with Specialist Doctor I Bui Thi Ha - Pediatrician - Neonatologist - Department of Pediatrics - Neonatology - Vinmec Ha Long International General Hospital.
Hand, foot and mouth disease in children will be very dangerous if it is not detected early and treated promptly. So how long does hand, foot and mouth disease in children go away? If a child has hand, foot and mouth disease without fever, what are the typical signs?

1. Typical symptoms of hand, foot and mouth disease in infants and young children

In the past 10 years, hand, foot and mouth disease in children in general has become a constant concern of many parents with young children, especially during each epidemic outbreak. It is very important to recognize early signs of illness in order to bring children to a medical facility in time, as well as how to properly care for and prevent illness.
In its early stages, hand, foot and mouth disease has symptoms quite similar to the flu. The child begins to feel tired, has a mild to moderate fever between 37.5 - 39°C, accompanied by a sore throat. Over the next 1–2 days, the typical sign of the disease is blistering on an erythematous base of the mouth, palms, feet, sometimes knees and buttocks, or around the anus in infants. These signs are considered characteristic of hand, foot and mouth disease, so when detecting, parents should take their children to the hospital for examination for appropriate treatment instructions.

2. In case the child has hand, foot and mouth disease without fever or a scalded rash

In addition to the common acute form, hand, foot and mouth disease also exists under two other forms:
fulminant form: Rapid progression, leading to criticality within 24-48 hours; Atypical form: No obvious symptoms or only one of the above symptoms is present. Therefore, it is possible that the patient with hand, foot and mouth disease has no fever or no blisters in all three main locations. To avoid being subjective in the care and treatment of children with severe hand, foot and mouth disease with extremely dangerous complications, parents need to pay special attention to the following symptoms:
2.1. Persistent crying day and night Hand, foot and mouth disease in children can make babies cry more than usual, even continuously. Children can only sleep for about 15-20 minutes at night and then wake up crying, sometimes crying all night without sleep.
Many cases of babies crying are due to discomfort because of sores in the mouth and itching on the skin, but it is also important to note the possibility of neurotoxicity at an early stage caused by fulminant hand, foot and mouth disease. .
2.2. Vomiting Vomiting is a fairly common symptom of hand, foot and mouth disease when entering the full-blown stage. However, if a child vomits a lot, it can signal a serious illness, potentially leading to complications.
2.3. Startle Startle is also one of the common symptoms of hand, foot and mouth neuropathy, which can occur even when the child is awake playing or sleeping (sometimes raising his arms). Parents need to pay attention to observe whether the frequency of hand, foot and mouth startles in children increases over time to promptly notify the doctor.
2.4. Urinating less If a child has hand, foot and mouth disease without fever but urinating less, it could be an early sign of a serious illness. Hemodynamic status, hypotension, or renal failure will be manifested by poor urinary excretion. Parents should observe the baby's diaper or collect the baby's urine into a plastic cup with measuring lines to assess the amount of water excreted daily when the child is sick, from which to intervene and handle it in time.
2.5. Shortness of breath, rapid breathing Shortness of breath and shortness of breath can be signs of circulatory failure or a respiratory complication. Symptoms of shortness of breath in children with hand, foot and mouth disease are manifested by contraction of respiratory muscles in the nose, up and down nostrils, labored breathing, faster than normal breathing rate,...
2.6. Consciousness disorder This is one of the signs to pay special attention to because there is a risk of warning signs of encephalitis, low blood pressure,... Besides, parents also need to detect early signs of drowsiness. .

3. Caring for children with hand, foot and mouth disease

Many parents, whether their children are sick or not, are also concerned with the question of how long will it take for hand, foot and mouth to heal in children? Answering this question, doctors said that with proper care and treatment, mild hand, foot and mouth disease will be cured after 7-10 days from the onset.
Because hand, foot and mouth disease in children currently has no specific treatment and preventive vaccine, the doctor may prescribe paracetamol or ibuprofen to reduce pain and fever for children. In the process of taking care of the baby, relatives should pay attention to a reasonable diet because the child has sores in the mouth, so it is easy to anorexia. Specifically:
Choose foods that stimulate appetite, are cool, contain many vitamins, such as: red amaranth, spinach... Supplementing with foods rich in zinc helps to increase resistance and heal quickly. ulcers in the mouth such as: seafood, legumes, egg yolks, lean meat... Provide plenty of fluids for the body through filtered water, fresh fruit juices... Give children extra vitamins and minerals as prescribed by the doctor. Avoid spicy, hot, and hard foods. Note that food should be pureed, cooked soft and divided into several small meals a day for easy absorption by children. Do not use sharp, hard spoons / spoons for children because it will cause more pain in the mouth ulcers. In addition, the child should not be abstinent to prevent malnutrition, but feed the child according to his/her needs. After eating, the patient also needs to rinse his mouth thoroughly. For infants, breastfeeding is still as usual, can increase the number of times because each feeding is not much.
In summary, the typical symptom of hand-foot-and-mouth disease in children is water blisters in three main areas: hands - feet - mouth. It is possible that a child with hand, foot and mouth disease has no fever or has a mild and moderate fever, however, if a child is found to be startled, convulses, loses consciousness, etc., it should be taken immediately to a medical facility for treatment. emergency care because this can be an early sign of dangerous complications.
Pediatrics Department at Vinmec hospitals nationwide is a prestigious address in receiving and examining hand, foot and mouth as well as other pediatric diseases. Vinmec has a team of experienced pediatricians, modern equipment, and professional care services, giving parents complete peace of mind when giving examination and treatment.

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