Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease (HFMD): A Parent’s Guide for the Umhlanga Learning Centre

Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease (HFMD) is a common viral illness that affects young children – and it has recently made an appearance in our region, including the Umhlanga area of Durban​. As part of our commitment to children’s health at Umhlanga Learning Centre, we want to equip parents with clear, accurate information about HFMD. This guide explains what HFMD is, how it spreads, its symptoms, and how to prevent it. Our aim is to provide an educational yet parent-friendly overview so you know what to expect and how to care for your little ones if this illness comes around.

Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease is a viral infection that commonly affects infants and children under 10 years of age. It is caused by a group of viruses known as enteroviruses, which circulate widely and infect millions of people worldwide each year. (One of the most common culprits is a strain called Coxsackievirus, although other related viruses can cause HFMD too.) The illness gets its name from the characteristic small blisters or sores that can appear on a child’s hands, feet, and inside the mouth. HFMD does not come from animals and should not be confused with “foot-and-mouth” disease that affects livestock – they are completely different infections.

The good news is that HFMD in children is generally mild and self-limiting. This means that while it can make your child uncomfortable, it usually clears up on its own without any specific medical treatment in about 7 to 10 days. Small outbreaks of HFMD tend to occur in group settings like daycare centres, crèches, and schools (often in warmer summer and autumn months) when kids are in close contact. Knowing the facts about HFMD can help parents manage it calmly and effectively when cases arise in the community.

Understanding how HFMD spreads can help you take steps to protect your family. The virus that causes HFMD is highly contagious and can spread through several routes​:

HFMD is most contagious during the first week of illness, but the virus can still spread for a short time after the child seems to have recovered. Being aware of these transmission methods is important for containing the disease – simple measures like washing hands and cleaning surfaces go a long way, as we’ll discuss below.

Symptoms of HFMD usually appear 3 to 7 days after your child has been exposed to the virus​. The illness often starts off with general symptoms that could be mistaken for a mild cold, and then a distinctive rash develops. Common signs and symptoms include​:

• Fever: Often the first sign is a fever, which can be mild or sometimes high. The fever may be accompanied by a reduced appetite and general fussiness.
• Sore throat: Children may complain of a sore throat or have difficulty swallowing. This can make them less interested in eating or drinking.
• Fatigue and irritability: Your little one might seem more tired than usual, low on energy, or irritable. This is a normal response as their body fights the infection​.
• Loss of appetite: Because of mouth sores and sore throat, children with HFMD often eat less or may even refuse food for a couple of days. Offer plenty of fluids and soft foods to keep them hydrated and nourished.
• Skin rash and mouth sores: This is the telltale symptom. Small red spots or blisters can appear on the palms of the hands, soles of the feet, and inside the mouth (including on the tongue and sides of the cheeks)​. The mouth sores can sometimes turn into painful ulcers, making it uncomfortable for the child to eat or drink. A rash may also appear on the buttocks or legs in some cases. The rash spots can be flat or raised and may form little blisters; they typically are not itchy, but they can be a bit tender.

Each child can experience HFMD a little differently. Some children might have all of these symptoms, while others have only a rash with no fever, or only a couple of mild symptoms. For example, one child might just get the mouth ulcers and nothing on their hands or feet, whereas another might get a fever and rash but still be in good spirits. Keep an eye on your child’s overall condition. If your child has a very high fever, seems severely unwell, is dehydrated (not drinking fluids), or if you are concerned at all, seek medical advice. Generally, though, most cases of HFMD are mild and improve on their own with a bit of TLC (tender loving care) at home​.

There is no specific antiviral treatment or vaccine for Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease​, but we can manage it effectively with proper care and prevent its spread with good hygiene practices. Here are some practical tips for parents:

• Frequent Hand-Washing: Encourage your children to wash their hands often with soap and water, especially after using the toilet and before eating. Parents and teachers should do the same. Good hand hygiene is one of the best defenses against HFMD​.
• Don’t Share Personal Items: Teach kids not to share cups, eating utensils, toothbrushes, pacifiers, or towels with others. The virus can easily pass via saliva on these items​. At Umhlanga Learning Centre, we ensure that each child uses their own drinking bottle and utensils to minimize the risk.
• Cover Coughs and Sneezes: Help children learn to cover their mouth with a tissue or their elbow when they cough or sneeze. Dispose of used tissues promptly and wash hands afterward. This can stop virus droplets from spreading in the air.
• Clean Surfaces and Toys: Regularly disinfect frequently touched surfaces and objects, such as doorknobs, toys, table tops, and playground equipment​. In our classrooms, we routinely clean shared items like toys and stationery to kill any germs. You can do the same at home – a simple household disinfectant works well.
• Avoid Close Contact When Sick: If someone has HFMD, try to minimize close contact like hugging or kissing until they’re better. Siblings should be taught about not touching the sick child’s sores. It’s also wise to keep infants (who often put things in their mouth) away from an infected older sibling as much as possible.

• Home Rest: A child with HFMD should rest at home, especially while they have a fever or are not feeling well. Rest helps the body fight off the infection. The South African Department of Health advises parents to keep symptomatic children at home until they recover, to help prevent spreading the disease​. (If your child is feeling fine aside from mild spots, use your judgment – some experts say they don’t need to be excluded from school if they’re well​, but when in doubt, a day or two of rest can be helpful for recovery and will reduce the chance of passing the virus to others.)
• Relieving Symptoms: You can treat fever and pain from mouth sores with child-safe over-the-counter medications (like paracetamol or ibuprofen) as recommended by your doctor​. This will keep your child more comfortable. For mouth soreness, give plenty of cold fluids (water, milk, or chilled smooth foods like yogurt) to soothe the throat. Avoid acidic or spicy foods that could irritate mouth ulcers.
• Hydration and Nutrition: Ensure your child stays hydrated. Because they might eat less due to a sore mouth or low appetite, offer fluids frequently (small sips if they have trouble swallowing). Mildly flavored soups, electrolyte drinks, or ice lollies can help if they’re refusing regular food. Once their mouth feels better, they will start eating normally again – be patient and offer favorite soft foods.
• Keep the Skin Clean: The rash itself doesn’t usually need special treatment and will fade as the illness runs its course. You can gently wash your child’s skin with soap and water during baths. If any blisters break, you might apply a little antiseptic ointment and cover with a bandage to prevent infection, but this is rarely necessary. Do not intentionally pop the blisters – let them heal on their own.
• Monitor for Unusual Symptoms: Watch for any signs of complications (which are very uncommon). If your child has neck stiffness, is unusually drowsy, has difficulty breathing, shows signs of dehydration (very little urine, no tears, dry mouth), or if the fever lasts more than 3 days, seek medical care. While complications are rare, it’s always best to be cautious if something doesn’t seem right.

Most children can return to school or daycare once they’re feeling better and fever is gone, even if some rash spots are still visible. HFMD is usually most contagious before the rash appears or right when symptoms start, so keeping children home until they feel well (fever has resolved and ulcers are healing) is usually sufficient. According to health guidelines, there is generally no need to close schools or keep a fully recovered (or mostly recovered) child out of class as long as they’re well enough to participate​. At Umhlanga Learning Centre, we encourage parents to communicate with us about their child’s illness—we work together to ensure the child is ready to return and that proper hygiene measures were followed during their absence.

Lastly, remember that having HFMD once does not guarantee lifetime immunity​. Because there are different strains of enteroviruses, a child (or even an adult) could potentially get HFMD again in the future from a different virus strain​. This makes ongoing good hygiene habits important even after recovery.

Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease can sound alarming to parents, especially when you hear about cases in our community. However, armed with the right information, we can approach it with confidence rather than fear. At Umhlanga Learning Centre, the health and well-being of our children is our top priority. By understanding HFMD’s symptoms, how it spreads, and how to care for it, we can ensure that if it does touch our lives, we handle it calmly and effectively. Remember that HFMD is usually mild – most children bounce back within a week with no complications. Through attentive care at home and good hygiene practices at both home and school, we’ll keep our kids smiling, learning, and thriving, even during episodes of common childhood illnesses.

Warm regards,
The Umhlanga Learning Centre Team

Source: National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) – “Hand Foot and Mouth Disease in South Africa: What You Need to Know” nicd.ac.za