What to do if hand, foot and mouth disease does not cause fever

Hand, foot and mouth disease is a disease that infants and young children are very prone to. It is characterized by symptoms of fever, is highly contagious, and often breaks out in concentrated outbreaks. Hand, foot and mouth disease is self-healing and usually recovers within a week. But there are some special cases that may cause serious complications. Therefore, parents are very nervous when their children suffer from hand, foot and mouth disease, especially those without fever symptoms. So, what should we do if hand, foot and mouth disease does not cause fever?

How to treat hand, foot and mouth disease in babies without fever? When a child develops papules or blisters on the mouth, hands, feet, anus, etc., regardless of whether the baby has a fever or not, parents should take the baby to the hospital for a doctor to confirm whether it is hand, foot and mouth disease. If confirmed, the doctor will register the infectious disease. Babies with mild symptoms can be isolated and cared for at home to avoid infecting other children. Those suspected of having a serious condition may be kept in the hospital for observation or hospitalization.

If a child has persistent high fever, poor spirits, vomiting, cold hands and feet, and especially shaking limbs while being cared for at home (these symptoms indicate that the virus has invaded the child's nervous system), medical attention should be sought immediately, as the child may develop severe hand, foot and mouth disease. Children under 5 years old, especially those under 3 years old, are at high risk of severe hand, foot and mouth disease.

If the baby comes to see a doctor with mild symptoms, the doctor will usually prescribe a blood test or enterovirus pathogen test. Xu Yi explained that there are more than 20 types of enterovirus that cause hand, foot and mouth disease. Most of the symptoms they cause are mild and can be cured in about a week. However, if the hand, foot and mouth disease is caused by EV71 virus or Coxsackie virus, it is more likely to become a serious illness than others. Therefore, enterovirus pathogen testing mainly targets these two viruses to assess whether the baby is likely to develop severe hand, foot and mouth disease. For babies who need to be hospitalized or kept for observation, it means they have (suspected) serious illness and more tests will be performed.

Symptoms of hand, foot and mouth disease 1. Fever:

Most babies with hand, foot and mouth disease have a fever that lasts for 1 to 2 days, with a fever temperature of about 38°C (the normal body temperature of babies is the same as that of adults, both at 36 to 37°C), and papules or herpes appear. (If the body temperature persists, it is recommended to seek medical attention as soon as possible to prevent complications.)

2. Anorexia:

There are also scattered red spots and herpes on the cheek mucosa and the soft palate inside the lips and tongue (as shown below). Oral herpes is easy to break and form ulcers, so it is particularly painful to eat. As a result, the children will refuse to eat, drool, and other symptoms. Therefore, it is recommended to eat some liquid food.

3. Oral cavity:

Oral mucosal rash appears relatively early and is painful. It is composed of green bean-sized blisters scattered throughout the mouth, surrounded by a red halo. It is mainly located on the tongue and cheeks, and often occurs on the lips and teeth. At the same time, the blisters in the mouth quickly rupture and form small grayish-white dots or a grayish-white film with a red halo around it. Under the grayish-white film, dot-shaped or flaky erosion surfaces can be seen. After 2-4 days, it is absorbed and dried to form a dark brown scab.