Parents Urged to Safeguard Children Against Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease

As the start of the 2024/25 academic year approaches, parents are being encouraged to safeguard their children against hand, foot and mouth disease.

This urging comes from Health Promotion and Education Officer for Westmoreland, Gerald Miller, who says Ministry of Health and Wellness data indicate that increased cases tend to emerge between March and June and September and December.

He points out, however, that spikes can occur at any time and, as such, parents must be vigilant.

Hand, foot, and mouth disease is a common childhood illness caused by different enteroviruses, such as the coxsackie virus, and is most frequently seen in young children, infants and toddlers.

It is characterised by fever and a blister-like rash affecting the palms of the hands and soles of the feet, along with blisters inside the mouth.

Children usually contract the virus through, among other things, close interactions with youngsters who are infected. It typically occurs in small outbreaks in nursery schools or kindergartens.

“This contagious disease has to be [prevented] through good personal hygiene, so sanitation is important. So, we are encouraging our parents to pay attention to hand washing… that is very important,” Mr. Miller told JIS News.

He further emphasised that day-care providers must also ensure that their facilities, as well as the toys that the children interact with, are properly sanitised with bleach.

“So once you see any blisters or so, anything that is unusual on the child’s skin, we want you to pull them from school and allow them to be seen by a clinician,” the Health Promotion Officer stated.

Other symptoms of the disease include fever and general malaise (poor appetite, aches and pains, etc.) for one to two days.

The fever is usually followed by small red spots on the hands, feet and in the mouth, which often develop into blisters.

Blisters may develop on the gums, inner cheeks, and tongue, and patients may complain of mouth pain and a sore throat.

Young children tend to drool and avoid swallowing and may refuse to drink or eat because of the discomfort. Very young infants may even become dehydrated due to diminished fluid intake.

Children infected generally have mild illness and recover within one week of developing symptoms.

All cases of hand, foot and mouth disease at institutions, such as day-care facilities and schools, should be reported to the Medical Officer at the Parish Health Department.