Hand-foot-and-mouth disease

What is hand, foot and mouth disease?

Question
My one-year-old daughter has blisters on the tips of her fingers and also on her feet.

I have been advised it may be foot and mouth disease.

Have you any further information about this?

Answer
Hand-foot-and-mouth disease is a viral infection common in young children, especially in the summer and autumn.

It is probably passed on from one person to another by direct contact (for example, by holding hands with someone who has the infection) and it takes between four and six days for the spots to appear after being infected with.

The infection produces a mild fever and small reddish spots that gradually turn into tiny blisters. As the name suggests, these spots and blisters may appear on the hands, feet and in the mouth.

On the hands and feet the spots are more commonly seen on the upper surfaces, rather than the palms or the soles, and often between the fingers and toes.

In the mouth the spots are usually on the tongue and inner surface of the cheeks, although they can also appear on the palate, gums and lips. The blisters in the mouth may go on to form ulcers that might cause the child some discomfort.

Sometimes a rash also appears on the buttocks but here the spots usually don't go on to form blisters.

Children affected by this condition aren't usually particularly ill with it. It takes about a week for the spots and blisters to disappear and the only medication that is usually needed is paracetamol to reduce the child's temperature if it's making them uncomfortable, and to ease any pain caused by ulcers in the mouth.

Almost all children get over hand-foot-and-mouth disease without any further problems, although the textbooks do say that in rare cases the infection can be complicated by a form of meningitis or encephalitis (inflammation of the brain).

Just to reassure you: in 14 years as a GP I've seen loads of children with hand-foot-and-mouth disease and none of them have developed any complications as a result of it.

I hope this information is helpful and that your daughter gets better soon.

Yours sincerely,

The Medical Team