The aptly named foot-hand-mouth is characterized by small vesicles in the mouth and extremities. Very common in young children because it is very contagious, this viral infection is fortunately not serious.

Hand-to-mouth syndrome is a skin infection that can be caused by several viruses. In France, the most frequently implicated are enteroviruses of the family of Coxsackievirus.

The viruses that cause infection are spread very easily: by contact with vesicles, objects impregnated with contaminated saliva or contaminated stools, but also during sneezing or coughing fits. Small epidemics occur regularly in spring, summer or early fall.

The infected child is contagious 2 days before the rash. The infection is particularly contagious during the 1st week but the transmission period can last several weeks. Eviction from his nursery or his school is not compulsory, it all depends on the functioning of each structure.

To prevent the disease from spreading, it is essential to follow a few hygiene rules:

• wash your child’s hands often, insisting between their fingers, and cut their fingernails regularly;
• if he is old enough, teach him to wash his hands and cover his nose and mouth when he coughs or sneezes;
• wash your hands after each contact with your child;
• avoid kissing her and discourage her siblings;
• prevent it from approaching fragile people (the elderly, the sick, pregnant women);
• regularly clean the contact surfaces: toys, changing table, etc.

It should be noted

Pregnant women who contract the virus can pass it on to their unborn babies. The severity of this infection is highly variable and impossible to predict, although it is often harmless. The best for pregnant women is therefore to avoid contact with an infected person and to report it to the doctor if necessary.

The foot-hand-mouth can be recognized by its small vesicles of less than 5 millimeters that spread over a few hours in the mouth, on the palms of the hands and under the soles of the feet. These skin lesions can be accompanied by a slight fever, loss of appetite, abdominal pain, or even diarrhea.

If there are other cases of hand-foot-mouth at the nursery, nanny’s or school, if the child has no symptoms other than vesicles confined to the mouth and extremities, it is not necessarily necessary to consult. On the other hand, if the fever rises and if the lesions predominate in the mouth, it is better to show them to a doctor. It may be a primary herpes infection requiring specific antiviral treatment. It will also be necessary to make an appointment after a week if the symptoms do not improve or even worsen.

In the vast majority of cases, hand-foot-mouth syndrome is mild. Certain atypical forms, due to mutations in the viruses involved, may however require closer monitoring. It is therefore better to seek medical advice if the skin lesions are deep and / or extensive.

Your child’s fingernails may fall out a few weeks after the onset of the disease. It’s impressive but rest assured, this rare complication called onychomadesis is not serious. The nails then grow back normally.

The only real risk is dehydration, which is of particular concern in infants. It can occur if the mouth damage is severe and the baby refuses to drink.

The skin lesions disappear without special treatment after ten days. In the meantime, care must be taken to wash the child with a mild soap, to dry him well without rubbing and to disinfect the lesions with a colorless local antiseptic. Be careful never to apply cream or talc, they promote secondary infections.

To limit the risk of dehydration, offer your child a drink often. If he does not drink enough, if he has diarrhea, compensate his fluid losses with oral rehydration solutions (ORS) available in pharmacies without a prescription.

The fever usually remains very moderate. If despite everything it makes your child grumpy, woozy or cuts his appetite, simple measures can lower it: do not cover him too much, offer him a drink regularly, keep the room temperature at 19 °, give him if need paracetamol.

If the presence of blisters in his mouth bothers him at mealtimes, offer cold and low-salt foods, they are generally better accepted. Soups, yogurts and compotes that come out of the refrigerator go well. If the pain is such that it causes a complete refusal to eat or drink, do not hesitate to relieve it with paracetamol. Likewise, if the lesions in the feet are very numerous and painful to the point of hindering walking, there too it is possible to relieve the child with paracetamol.