Hand, foot and mouth disease pictures in each stage of the disease

This is an automatically translated article.

The article was consulted with Dr. Le Thu Phuong - Pediatrician - Neonatologist - Department of Pediatrics - Neonatology - Vinmec Hai Phong International General Hospital.
In Vietnam, according to the report, the number of children diagnosed with hand, foot and mouth disease increased 5 to 6 times over the same period last year. This is a contagious disease with a rapid spread, easy to break out into an epidemic. If not detected early and treated promptly, the disease will endanger the health of the patient.

1. What is hand, foot and mouth disease in children?

The cause of hand, foot and mouth disease is mainly caused by intestinal viruses, the most common are Coxsackie A16 and Enterovirus type 71, usually occurring in children under 10 years old, mainly in the age group 1 to 3. There are signs of hand, foot and mouth disease, children often have mild fever, sore throat, anorexia, salivation. The disease spreads quickly through fluids, saliva, nasopharyngeal secretions, feces, ... of infected children. About 24 hours after the virus enters the body through the mucosa or intestines into the lymph node system, it will cause skin and mucosal lesions on the hands, feet, mouth, anus....

Coxsackievirus A16 causes mild illness, which usually resolves on its own within 7 to 10 days without treatment. Meanwhile, Enterovirus 71 (EV71) causes severe illness with many dangerous complications such as meningitis, encephalitis, pneumonia, myocarditis and even death.

In addition to Coxsackie virus A16 and Enterovirus type 71, some other strains of group A virus such as Coxsackie A4-A7, A9, A10 or Coxsackie group B virus (B1-B3, and B5) may also be the cause.
The virus that causes hand, foot and mouth disease is capable of spreading very quickly through the mouth, through secretions from the nose, mouth, feces or saliva of a patient. Accordingly, when the virus enters the body through the oral mucosa or intestines into the lymph node system after about 24 hours, causing skin and mucosal lesions on the mouth, limbs, anus...

2. Signs of hand, foot and mouth disease in children

Common signs in children with hand-foot-and-mouth disease include:
Mild fever Appearance of red spots and blisters on the skin, especially in the area of ​​​​the palms and feet Appearance of small sores around The mouth and the inside of the mouth cause the child to have pain, fussiness and lack of appetite Accordingly, the rashes, blisters, and sores in the mouth in children are usually not too big, oval in shape. Hand, foot and mouth disease usually has an incubation period of 3 to 6 days.
At the initial stage, patients with hand, foot and mouth disease often show noticeable signs such as low fever (37.5 degrees -38 degrees Celsius) or high fever (38-39 degrees Celsius), loss of appetite, fatigue. fatigue, sore throat, diarrhea, salivation, lesions appear, sore teeth and mouth....
After 1 to 2 days of illness, the disease will turn into a full-blown stage, children begin to appear. Typical symptoms of hand, foot, and mouth disease, such as: the appearance of a grayish, scalded, vesicular rash 2 to 10 mm in size, oval in shape on the hands, feet, mouth, and buttocks.

In addition, depending on the location, some children with hand, foot and mouth disease only appear mouth ulcers, while some children appear very little blisters alternating with erythema or only erythema and images appear. Hand, foot and mouth disease is different in each stage.
The child's body will be immune to the disease-causing virus strain after recovering from the disease. However, according to many studies, children can get hand, foot and mouth disease many times because there are many different strains of the virus that cause the disease.
If not treated early, hand, foot and mouth disease will progress seriously and cause dangerous complications such as meningitis. Some other complications such as paralysis, paralysis or encephalitis with accompanying signs such as high fever, convulsions, mouth distortion, trembling hands and feet... Patients may also have superinfection in acne spots on the skin. if not cleaned properly.
Usually, after about 7 to 10 days, hand, foot and mouth disease in children will go away on its own. But because the disease can cause many dangerous complications such as encephalitis, meningitis, even death, parents are not allowed to be subjective in the care and treatment of the patient. We need to strictly follow the treatment regulations as well as actively prevent hand, foot and mouth disease.
Recommended videos:

Detect hand, foot and mouth disease and how to prevent it

3. Prevention of hand, foot and mouth disease in children

Actively prevent hand, foot and mouth disease in children by maintaining good hygiene habits.
Teaching children the habit of washing hands is the simplest way to prevent hand, foot and mouth disease for children. Wash hands with soap before eating and after using the toilet. Besides, mothers need to pay attention to clean the body of children every day.
The environment prone to pathogens is the living and living space of children, so it is necessary to pay attention to maintaining a clean living environment, living rooms, floors, doorknobs, stairs .. are cleaned daily to avoid the growth of bacteria as well as create conditions for potential pathogens to hide to actively prevent disease. In addition, parents also need to pay attention to ensure that children are isolated from sick children to minimize the risk of infection.
Vinmec International General Hospital is the address for receiving and examining respiratory diseases that infants and young children are susceptible to: viral fever, respiratory infections, pneumonia in children, illness Hand, foot and mouth....With modern equipment, sterile space, minimizing the impact as well as the risk of disease spread. Along with that is the dedication from the doctors with professional experience with pediatric patients, making the examination no longer a concern of the parents.

Please dial HOTLINE for more information or register for an appointment HERE. Download MyVinmec app to make appointments faster and to manage your bookings easily.