Hand, Foot & Mouth Disease, common among children
Posted: March 31, 2008Hand, Foot and Mouth disease (HFMD)is a highly contagious viral disease. For the past few years, some kindergarten in Singapore were closed for a few days to a week due to the wide spread of this disease infecting the toddlers and children. So what actually is this disease and how can we prevent this ? I blog this down and hope all parents will take special care on hygiene to prevent such.
HFMD spreads through contacts with saliva, nasal discharge, faeces or flulid from the blisters of an infected person. It affects mainly young children, especially those below 5 years old.
Watch out for these symptons:
1. Fever for 2-3 days and sore throat
2. Mouth ulcers
3. Small fluid blisters on the hands, feet and occasionally on the buttocks, arms and legs
If your child has HFMD:
1. Keep him away from public places
2. Keep his toys, books, eating utensils, towels and clothes separate from others
3. Consult your doctor before sending him back to his school, kindergarten or childcare centre
4.Use diluted bleach to clean his toys, the floor and any surfaces he comes into contact with(if bleach contains 5.25% of sodium hypochlorite, dilute1 part with 10 parts of water)
To avoid infection, all family members should:
1. Wash their hands thoroughly and regularly with soap and water
2. Cover their mouth and nose with tissue when coughing and sneezing
3. Use serving spoons when sharing food
4. Have a balanced diet, exercise regularly, and get enough rest
