Local Daycares see Increase in Hand, Foot, and Mouth Diseaseโฃ cases
BATONโ ROUGE, La. – Cases ofโ hand, foot, and mouth disease are on the rise in the Baton Rouge area, prompting โincreased concern among โparents and leading โat least one school to advise familiesโ to seek immediate medical attention if โคsymptoms develop.
Dr. Michael Wayne, a local physician, clarifiedโ thatโ while the increase is noticeable, most cases do not necessitate a doctor’sโค visit. “Do you truly needโ to come toโข the doctor โขif your child has hand,foot,and mouth? No,” Wayne stated.”The only reasonโ why I would bring โthem is ifโข they โhaveโฃ signsโ of dehydration or fever that lasts for five days or longer. Definitely,โข I would bringโฃ your child in if โthose symptoms are present. But other than that, this is something that we can treat withโค Tylenol โฃor โibuprofen and just give it someโค time.”
Hand, foot, and mouthโฃ disease typicallyโ manifests as fever, sore throat, painful mouthโ sores, and a rash or blisters on โขthe hands and feet. The rash,Wayne explained,generally resolves on it’s own andโฃ is not โtypically โขitchy. Children can return โto โฃschool once they have been fever-free for 24 hours.
Wayne noted a trendโค of heightened caution since the COVID-19 pandemic, โwith some daycares implementing isolation protocols similar to those used during the height of the pandemicโค for this common childhood illness. “As theโ pandemic, lots of daycares are โคtreating very commonโข illnesses likewise they treated โCOVID during the pandemic,” he said. “They’re treating โฃthes illnesses as if โwe need to isolate children and quarantine them and keep โฃthem out for seven to 10 days, andโ all of this โis not necessary.”
he added that he’s observed an increase in appointments scheduled solely to obtain a doctor’s note for daycare โre-entry. “If the daycare is insisting that the child beโ seen and getโข a note,that’sโฃ fine. Schedule โคan appointment with your provider, bringโ your child in to be seen, it’s fine. โWe’re happyโ to see them,” Wayne said. “But know and understand that what we’re gonna tell you is that this isโฃ a benign disorder. All childrenโข get it. Your child’s gonna be fine.”
Adults who were โคpreviously exposed to the disease as children are โขtypically not susceptible.