Doctor points out the mistakes parents often make when taking care of children
Recently, according to statistics of the Ministry of Health, across the country, there have been thousands of cases of hand, foot and mouth disease, including one death. The number of hand, foot and mouth disease cases is increasing, mainly in the South and locally in some provinces and cities such as Ho Chi Minh City, Dong Nai, Binh Duong, and Soc Trang.
For example, Ho Chi Minh City has so far recorded more than 2,560 cases of this disease, with 96% of children infected between the ages of 1-5.
It is known that “hand, foot, mouth” disease is a disease caused by an intestinal virus, which often occurs in children of preschool age. Children with hand, foot, and mouth infections often have typical symptoms such as erythematous blisters on the palms, soles, in the mouth (causing mouth sores), knees, buttocks, or scattered spots. Other places on the body (especially, these blisters when pressed are usually painless, non-itchy) accompanied by mild fever, vomiting and diarrhea…
According to MSc Le Phan Kim Thoa – Head of Pediatrics Department of Tam Anh General Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City, so far there is no specific drug to treat the disease. Hands, feet and mouth are mainly treated with symptoms such as reducing fever, reducing pain caused by ulcers and treating complications if any. For mild cases, it is only necessary to use pain relievers, sedatives… However, children need to be closely monitored for timely handling of complications. The disease will go away on its own after a few days, the red spots will go away, leaving no scars. But if the cause of the disease is Entero 71 virus, it can lead to death (due to complications of meningitis, myocarditis, pulmonary edema ..) if not handled promptly.
Misconceptions
Although hand, foot and mouth disease is not a new disease, there are still many misconceptions about how to care for children. These concepts are:
Limit bathing, wrap the child, the faster the child will heal
According to MSc Le Phan Kim Thoa, some parents think that when their children are wrapped in hand, foot and mouth, the more they limit their bathing, the faster the child’s rash will heal. However, this is a completely wrong concept because if the baby is incubated too much, it will cause the child to develop skin infections, leaving scars. While taking care of children, it is important to keep the rash clear to help these spots heal faster and not leave scars.
Children at home do not get hand, foot and mouth disease
Enteric viruses cause hand, foot and mouth disease. Illustrated photo.
Parents often think that their children at home cannot get hand, foot and mouth disease. But hand, foot and mouth disease can spread through caregivers. Children who do not attend daycare can still get sick from contact with an asymptomatic infected person, usually an adult. “Don’t think that if your child stays at home, your child will not get sick, but parents can completely bring the disease to their children if they don’t clean it,” said Dr. Thoa.
Young children with hand, foot and mouth disease
The notion that only young children suffer from hand, foot and mouth disease is not true. Hand, foot and mouth disease is mostly seen in children under 5 years old, especially those under 3 years old, but in fact, adults and older children can still have hand, foot and mouth disease. Even many older children with hand, foot and mouth disease can experience complications leading to respiratory failure and circulatory failure. Therefore, parents should protect their children and take proper care of them to avoid getting sick.
Children must have full expression in mouth, hands and feet
Children with hand-foot-and-mouth disease will typically have mouth ulcers, with papules on the palms of their hands and feet. However, there are children who only have a simple mouth ulcer or a skin rash, especially if it is only on the buttocks, which is easy to mistake for diaper rash.
“Parents should pay attention when their children have abnormal signs, should take their children to the doctor to know the progress of the disease, as well as be instructed on how to monitor and how to detect complications” – Doctor Thoa said. good.
It is necessary to anoint the skin wound for the child to heal quickly
Hand, foot and mouth disease usually does not cause pain or itching, so parents should not self-medicate without a doctor’s prescription. Because when applying the drug will cover the signs on the skin lesions. Therefore, it is difficult for doctors to diagnose or monitor the progression of skin lesions.
Children who have difficulty sleeping, startle and cry are caused by mouth pain
A mistake about hand, foot and mouth, listed by Doctor Thoa, is that children have difficulty sleeping, startling and crying because they have a sore mouth. In fact, children with hand, foot and mouth disease, when they startle or struggle, have complications, need to be taken to the hospital for examination and timely treatment.
How to prevent hand foot and mouth disease
To prevent children from getting hand, foot and mouth disease, parents should pay attention to clean the environment and regularly clean children’s toys. Parents should instruct their children to wash their hands with soap every day, and to clean the house with appropriate cleaning solutions.
“Another special thing is that if a child has hand, foot and mouth disease, parents must limit their children’s contact with other children, limiting infection,” noted Doctor Thoa.
at Blogtuan.info – Source: cafebiz.vn – Read the original article here
