About hand, foot and mouth disease
Hand, foot and mouth disease is a mild infection that can cause a rash, mouth ulcers, and blisters on the hands and feet. Sometimes blisters come up on children’s bottoms too.
Hand, foot and mouth disease is caused by different viruses but most often by enterovirus.
Because hand, foot and mouth disease can be caused by different viruses, children can get hand, foot and mouth disease more than once.
Outbreaks of hand, foot and mouth disease typically happen in summer and autumn.
Your child can’t get hand, foot and mouth disease from animals. The hand, foot and mouth disease that children get isn’t the same as the foot and mouth disease that animals get.
How hand, foot and mouth disease spreads
Hand, foot and mouth disease is very contagious. It spreads through sneezing, coughing or touching the fluid inside blisters. It’s also spread through contact with the poo of infected children.
Children with hand, foot and mouth disease are very contagious until their blisters are gone.
Hand, foot and mouth disease is very common among groups of children, especially preschoolers.
Symptoms of hand, foot and mouth disease
Symptoms appear 4-6 days after infection with the virus.
Your child might have a mild fever for 1-2 days before the other symptoms appear.
Small mouth ulcers usually appear first on the inside of cheeks, gums and sides of the tongue. Your child might also complain of a sore mouth or throat. Or your child might lose interest in eating and drinking.
Your child might also have a headache, muscle ache, mild stomach ache or nausea.
Small blisters or a rash appear on the hands and feet, usually on the palms and soles. The blisters or rash might also appear on your child’s bottom. The rash might look brown, grey or purple on dark skin or red on light skin.
The blisters and ulcers usually go away after 7-10 days.
Medical help: when to get it for children with hand, foot and mouth disease
You should take your child to the GP if you think they might have hand, foot and mouth disease, or you’re not sure why they have a rash.
You should take your child to your nearest hospital emergency department or call 000 for an ambulance straight away if they have hand, foot and mouth disease and:
- are refusing fluids as well as solids
- are very sleepy or generally unwell
- have a headache, stiff neck or back pain
- have trouble walking or are dizzy.
Your child should also go to hospital if they have hand, foot and mouth disease and are showing signs of severe dehydration:
- little or no urination
- paler skin than usual
- weight loss
- sunken eyes and darkening around the eyes
- cold hands and feet
- drowsiness
- irritability.
You know your child best. If your child seems unwell, seek medical attention.
Treatment for hand, foot and mouth disease
There’s no treatment for hand, foot and mouth disease. But most children get better quickly by themselves without any problems.
Paracetamol or ibuprofen can help ease discomfort and pain.
It’s important for your child to drink fluids to avoid dehydration. This can be hard if your child’s mouth is sore. If your child is aged 6 months, you can give them oral rehydration solution like Gastrolyte or Hydralyte, which you can get as liquid or ice blocks from any pharmacy. Ice blocks might help numb the pain and make drinking more comfortable.
If eating hurts your child, it’s best for them to stick to soft foods for several days and avoid tangy foods like tomatoes, lemons, grapefruit and oranges.
Don’t try to pop the blisters. This increases the risk of getting a skin infection and spreading the virus to other children.
Don’t give aspirin to children under 12 years unless it’s prescribed by a doctor. Aspirin can increase the risk of Reye’s syndrome, a rare but potentially deadly condition. If you’re giving your child any over-the-counter medicines, check with your pharmacist or doctor to make sure these have no aspirin.
Prevention of hand, foot and mouth disease
Careful handwashing, especially at child care and preschool, can help to minimise the spread of viruses that cause hand, foot and mouth disease.
If your child is still in nappies, make sure to wash your hands after changing their nappies. Also make sure to properly wipe down the changing mat or table.
Your child shouldn’t go to child care, preschool or school until the fluid in the blisters has dried up.