Preventing hand, foot and mouth disease for children in back-to-school season

Children are more likely to get hand, foot and mouth disease in the September season, the collective environment can make the disease outbreak into a pandemic.

Foot and mouth disease is beginning in the season. Since the beginning of the year, the Ministry of Health has recorded more than 51,000 cases in 63 provinces and cities; 3% increase over the same period in 2016.

The main subjects are children under 5 years old. The disease is transmitted directly through the gastrointestinal tract when eating together, or in contact with nasopharyngeal secretions when the child sneezes, coughs. So in a class, an infected child can easily spread to many other students.

Parents can detect the disease through skin lesions, in the mouth.

Signs of easy-to-recognize limb disease include:

1. Fever: mild or high fever. High fever cannot be lowered is a warning sign of serious illness.
2. Skin lesions: Redness of the skin, vesicles that grow in the throat, around the mouth, palms, soles of the feet, buttocks, knees .

When detecting a sick child, the family should take it to medical facilities, receive care advice.

In mild cases, children can be cared for at home, reducing the risk of bacterial cross-infection at the hospital. If there are signs of severe illness, high fever, tightness, fatigue or convulsions, hospitalization must be treated immediately.

Hand, foot and mouth disease caused by viruses, using antibiotics does not work to treat the disease. Symptomatic and antipyretic medications can be used if necessary. At skin lesions, apply antiseptic solution to avoid superinfection. The main measure is to take care of hygiene, avoid infection and strengthen resistance for children to get out quickly.

There is currently no vaccine for foot and mouth disease. Therefore, it is advisable to avoid exposing children to disease sources. If infected, stay home and not go to school within the first 10-14 days.

Parents should actively strengthen their immunity.

Children suffering from diseases should eat nutritious and easily digested foods. Mouth pain should be diluted and cooled. Household utensils and toys should be cleaned with antiseptic solutions. Children can use saline diluted oral hygiene.

Parents should also strengthen their immunity by adding vitamin C, A from green vegetables, carrots, papayas, chicken porridge . or oyster mushroom containing active ingredients Beta (1.3 / 1.6) -D-glucan works activate the immune system. Infants should breastfeed more often to increase the amount of natural antibodies. In addition, encourage children to practice outdoor sports, keep their bodies clean and clean places to kill the disease.