Ministry of Health recommends ways to prevent hand, foot and mouth disease

In the wake of a child in Hau Giang dying from hand, foot and mouth disease, the Ministry of Health has issued recommendations on hand, foot and mouth disease prevention for parents and schools to know how to prevent the disease.

According to the Department of Preventive Medicine (Ministry of Health), hand, foot and mouth disease is a viral disease, commonly found in infants and young children. Typical signs of the disease are fever, sore throat, mouth pain; mouth ulcers with red ulcers or blisters on the oral mucosa, gums, tongue; blister-like rash on the palms of the hands, soles of the feet, knees, and buttocks.

The disease can cause dangerous complications such as encephalitis, meningitis, myocarditis, acute pulmonary edema and lead to death if not detected early and treated promptly.

Instructions on how to wash hands with soap for children. Photo: VNA

To prevent the disease, the Ministry of Health recommends that people practice good personal hygiene measures such as washing hands frequently with soap under running water many times a day (both adults and children). In particular, hand washing should be done before preparing food, before eating/feeding children, before holding children, after using the toilet, after changing diapers and cleaning children.

Regarding food hygiene, children's food must be nutritious; cooked food and boiled water must be provided; eating utensils must be washed clean before use; do not feed children; do not let children eat with their hands, suck their fingers, or suck on toys.

In addition, parents should note not to let children share napkins, handkerchiefs, eating utensils such as cups, bowls, plates, spoons, and unsterilized toys.

Households, kindergartens, and home childcare facilities need to regularly clean surfaces and objects that come into daily contact such as toys, learning tools, doorknobs, stair handrails, table/chair surfaces, and floors with soap or common detergents.

Households and kindergartens need to use hygienic toilets. Children's feces and waste must be collected, treated and dumped into hygienic toilets.

To prevent hand, foot and mouth disease, children must have their health regularly monitored to promptly detect, isolate and treat infected cases, and avoid spreading the disease to other children.

Regarding isolation and timely treatment when the disease breaks out, the Ministry of Health recommends that nurseries, kindergartens and households with children under 6 years old proactively monitor the health of children to promptly detect and immediately take them to medical facilities for timely treatment.

Children with hand, foot and mouth disease must be isolated for at least 10 days from the onset of the disease. Children showing symptoms of the disease must not be allowed to attend class or play with other children.

According to Vietnam+