My girl has Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease

Last week, Nicole developed Ulcers in her mouth!

This was a real scare for us, as Hand, Foot and Mouth disease (HFMD) is a “Big thing” in Singapore.

What is HFMD?

HFMD is caused by the Coxsackie virus and Enterovirus 71. The throat and tonsils develop small ulcers while the hands, feet, and diaper area are affected by a rash with characteristic vesicles (very small blisters). This is usually a mild illness with the rash healing in 5 to 7 days.

Check out the picture of the symptoms below:

Ok…No way was Nicole’s ulcers as gross, as in the picture above!

But she did have ulcers so we brought her to the GP. The doctor decided that she had to be quarantined at home.

Although we have seen the doctor, we were not very sure that Nic had HFMD, as she did not have all of the symptoms.

These are the symptoms that a GP would look out for:

• fever
• sore throat
• ulcers in the throat, mouth and tongue
• headache
• a rash with vesicles (small blisters– 3-7 mm) on hands, feet and diaper area. The vesicles are typically on the palm side of the hands the sole side of the feet and very characteristic in appearance
• loss of appetite

Besides the sore throat and the ulcers in the mouth…Nic did not have a fever and she was still very active and had no loss of appetite.

We brought Nicole to the paediatrician for a 2nd opinion….and he came to the same conclusion…We were not very sure..

Anyway, for the safety of her friends. Nicole was kept away from school for a week.

But that also creates a problem for us, as Nicole has two siblings.

HFMD is dangerous as it spreads easily. And even adults can catch it!

How does it spread?

According to the Ministry of health, HFMD is spread from person to person by direct contact with the nasal discharge, saliva, faeces and fluid from the rash of an infected person. Both adults and children can be affected, but young children below five years are particularly susceptible.

In our minds, we were thinking….there is a high chance that Nathan and Nadine were going to catch it too!

Our Solution – Both grandmas volunteered to look after Nicole.

So from Mon to Wed – She went to my mum’s house.

& from Thur to Fri – She went to Jiahui’s mums’ house.

Well, Nicole really enjoyed herself the whole week, as she got a break from school, and she enjoyed her holiday with her two grandmas!

We also had to go back for a mandatory check with the doctor on Monday, and she was given a clean slate of health!

Nic is now back in school!