Knowing How to Care for a Child with Hand Foot and Mouth Disease
Children are especially susceptible to contagious diseases. One the most common is hand, foot and mouth disease.
HFMD is very contagious, spreading through close, personal contact such as kissing, hugging, coughing and sneezing, contact with feces and touching objects or surfaces that have the virus on them and then touching the eyes, nose or mouth. It is typically a mild disease, with nearly infected person recovering in 7 to 10 days, but it can cause fever, painful blister-like sores in the mouth and a rash that may appear as blisters, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There currently is no vaccine for the disease but there are ways to lower the risk of infection.
As part of its commitment to helping the parents stay on top of their child’s health, South Texas Health System Children’s will host its next “Let’s Talk Children’s Health” webinar on teaching the community more about HFMD. The free online seminar will review ways to prevent infection and what to do if a child contracts the disease.