Hand, foot and mouth manifestations according to each stage of incubation - onset - full onset

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Symptoms of hand, foot and mouth disease in children include fever, sore mouth sores, vesicular rash on the skin, which varies by incubation, onset, and full course.

1. Symptoms of hand, foot and mouth disease in children through each stage

Incubation period:
The incubation period for hand, foot and mouth disease lasts about 3-7 days. Signs of hand, foot and mouth disease in this period are usually not obvious, mild and transient, with symptoms such as fever (almost only transient mild fever), sore throat, salivation, loss of appetite, diarrhea. light weight and the child seems less flexible. Sometimes parents can feel the lymph nodes in the child's neck and under the jaw.
Onset stage
From 1-2 days later, the child will appear symptoms such as low-grade fever, possibly as high as 39-40oC, fatigue, sore throat, loss of appetite and diarrhea several times a day.
Children will quickly experience typical symptoms of hand-foot-and-mouth disease with a rash at specific locations on the skin and mouth ulcers:
Mouth ulcers: Expressed as blisters 2 - 3mm in diameter (in the lining of the cheeks, gums and tongue), can rupture very quickly, forming ulcers, leading to increased salivation and pain when eating, making children feel anorexia, fussy. In the skin: Appears many blisters with size from 2 to 10mm, gray, oval on the palms and soles, may protrude above the skin, feel lumpy or hidden under the skin when touched. but pressure does not cause pain. Blisters in the buttocks and knees often appear on an erythematous background.

Full-blown phase
The full-blown phase may last from 3 to 10 days, with typical more severe symptoms such as mouth ulcers, vesicular rash, appearing and lasting for a short time (less than 7 days). ) but can then leave bruises, rarely ulceration or superinfection.
If the child has a high fever and vomits a lot, it is easy to lead to the risk of complications. Complications are mainly on the nervous, cardiovascular and respiratory systems, often appearing early (from the 2nd to the 5th day of the disease).
Remission phase
Remission usually takes 3-5 days, the child will recover completely if there are no complications.
Hand, foot and mouth disease in children can have complications if not detected, handled, cared for and treated properly. Complications may include:
Neurological complications: Encephalitis, meningitis, brain stem inflammation, encephalitis; Children with tremors, muscle twitching, startling jerks in short episodes of 1-2 seconds, mainly symptoms occur in the hands and feet, more likely to appear at the beginning of sleep or when the child is lying on his back; The child is somnolent, restless, unbalanced, staggered, shaking limbs, looking backwards, nystagmus; Convulsions, coma are severe signs of hand, foot and mouth disease in children, often accompanied by respiratory failure, circulatory failure; Cardiovascular and respiratory complications, including myocarditis, acute pulmonary edema, hypertension, heart failure, vascular collapse,...

2. Over 90% of children will recover after 7-10 days

Currently, hand, foot and mouth disease is in season and the number of hospitalized children is increasing gradually. For children with grade 1 hand, foot and mouth disease, they can self-treat at home. However, some hospitals have recorded children with serious illnesses, requiring hospitalization for mechanical ventilation.
Signs of hand, foot and mouth disease are common in children under 3 years old, usually the younger the age, the more severe the disease. Almost 90% of babies will recover in 7-10 days. When parents detect signs of hand, foot and mouth disease, they can take their children to see a pediatrician. Children have severe symptoms when fever is more than two days, fever is more than 39oC, taking medicine does not reduce, or vomiting. The disease is too severe when the child shows signs of tired breathing, the skin is puffy, the pulse is not visible or the pulse is too fast. In this case, the child needs to be hospitalized.
Once the symptoms of hand, foot and mouth disease have been confirmed in children, parents need to let the child rest at home and notify the teacher that the child has hand, foot and mouth disease to prevent other children.

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