Hand-Foot-Mouth

Hand-Foot-Mouth

Hand-foot-and-mouth disease — It is going around!!! Read about prevention.

A mild, contagious viral infection common in young children — is characterized by sores in the mouth and a rash on the hands and feet. Hand-foot-and-mouth disease is most commonly caused by a coxsackievirus.

There's no specific treatment for hand-foot-and-mouth disease. You can reduce your child's risk of infection from hand-foot-and-mouth disease by practicing good hygiene and teaching your child how to keep clean.

Symptoms

                               

 Hand-foot-and-mouth disease may cause all of the following signs and symptoms or just some of them. They include:

·         Fever

·         Sore throat

·         Feeling of being unwell (malaise)

·         Painful, red, blister-like lesions on the tongue, gums and inside of the cheeks

·         A red rash, without itching but sometimes with blistering, on the palms, soles and sometimes the buttocks

·         Irritability in infants and toddlers

·         Loss of appetite

The usual period from initial infection to the onset of signs and symptoms (incubation period) is three to six days. A fever is often the first sign of hand-foot-and-mouth disease, followed by a sore throat and sometimes a poor appetite and malaise.

One or two days after the fever begins, painful sores may develop in the mouth or throat. A rash on the hands and feet and possibly on the buttocks can follow within one or two days.

Causes

The most common cause of hand-foot-and-mouth disease is infection with the coxsackievirus A16.

Oral ingestion is the main source of coxsackievirus infection and hand-foot-and-mouth disease. The illness spreads by person-to-person contact with an infected person's:

·         Nasal secretions or throat discharge

·         Saliva

·         Fluid from blisters

·         Stool

·         Respiratory droplets sprayed into the air after a cough or sneeze

Treatments and drugs

·         There's no specific treatment for hand-foot-and-mouth disease. Signs and symptoms of hand-foot-and-mouth disease usually clear up in seven to 10 days.

·         A topical oral anesthetic may help relieve the pain of mouth sores. Over-the-counter pain medications other than aspirin, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) may help relieve general discomfort.

Prevention

Certain precautions can help to reduce the risk of infection with hand-foot-and-mouth disease:

·         Wash hands carefully. Be sure to wash your hands frequently and thoroughly, especially after using the toilet or changing a diaper and before preparing food and eating. When soap and water aren't available, use hand wipes or gels treated with germ-killing alcohol.

·         Disinfect common areas. Get in the habit of cleaning high-traffic areas and surfaces first with soap and water, then with a diluted solution of chlorine bleach and water. Child care centers should follow a strict schedule of cleaning and disinfecting all common areas, including shared items such as toys, as the virus can live on these objects for days. Clean your baby's pacifiers often.

·         Teach good hygiene. Show your children how to practice good hygiene and how to keep themselves clean. Explain to them why it's best not to put their fingers, hands or any other objects in their mouths.

·         Isolate contagious people. Because hand-foot-and-mouth disease is highly contagious, people with the illness should limit their exposure to others while they have active signs and symptoms. Keep children with hand-foot-and-mouth disease out of child care or school until fever is gone and mouth sores have healed. If you have the illness, stay home from work.

Mayo Clinic

Hawaii DOE Wellness Guidelines

Did You Know....

That Hawaii DOE has established Wellness Guidelines for our schools to ensure that health, safety and well-being of our students are prioritized?  Full implementation of the policy was expected to be acheived in 2011. Ask you school about what they are doing to implement the Wellness Guidelines. Ask to join their Wellness Committee to help work on various health related initiatives in school.

Hawaii State Department of EducationWellness Guidelines 

Wellness Committee
CD1: The school has a designated committee or council that will regularly address school health issues.
CD2: The committee annually completes the School Health Index and utilizes the results and other data sources to identify priority areas and to monitor improvements in those areas.
CD3: Identified priority areas submitted in the Safety and Wellness Survey (SAWS).
CD4: Actions to address priority areas are reflected in the school Academic and Financial Plan.
CD5: The Committee shall ensure that the school provide families with information about community physical activity resources and is encouraged to work closely with community organizations and programs that help schools implement these Wellness Guidelines.

Nutrition Guidelines
NS1: All reimbursable meals and snacks meet Federal nutrient standards as required by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Child Nutrition Program regulations.
NS2: All foods and beverages sold or served to students at school or school sponsored events (vending, concession stands, a la carte, fundraisers, student stores, and school parties) comply with the current USDA Dietary Guidelines.
NS3: Nutrition information for products offered in snack bars, a la carte, vending, etc. is readily available near the point of purchase.
NS4: Food and beverage providers promote positive nutritional messages on school property.
NS5: Meals feature fresh and minimally processed fruits and vegetables from local sources to the greatest extent possible.

Health and Nutrition Education
NH1: All required health education classes include a focus on knowledge and skills that support healthy eating and are aligned with the Hawaii Content and Performance Standards for Health Education.
NH2: The school promotes the importance of students starting the day with a healthy breakfast, including participation in the School Breakfast Program.
NH3: The school promotes the importance of students eating a nutritious lunch & healthy snacks, including participation in the National School Lunch Program and After School Snack Program (if applicable).
NH4: All required health education classes have instructional periods totaling a minimum of 45 minutes per week for grades K-3, 55 minutes per week for grades 4-5, 107 minutes for elementary grade 6, and 200 minutes per week for secondary grades 6-12.
NH5: Nutrition education is integrated into other areas of the curriculum such as math, science, language arts, and social studies. 1

Physical Education and Activity
PA1: All required physical education classes are aligned with the Hawaii Content and Performance Standards for Physical Education.
PA2: Secondary school’s Physical Education department provides support for participation in physical activity outside of physical education class.
PA3: All students have at least 20 minutes a day of supervised recess, during which students are encouraged to participate in moderate to vigorous physical activity.
PA4: All required physical education classes have instructional periods totaling a minimum of 45 minutes per week for grades K-3, 55 minutes per week for grades 4-5, 107 minutes per week for elementary grade 6, and 200 minutes per week for secondary grades 6-12.
PA5: The school ensures that state-certified physical education instructors teach all physical education classes and have a student/teacher ratio similar to other classes.*
PA6: The school provides information to families to help them incorporate physical activity into students’ lives.
PA7: The school discourages extended periods (i.e., periods of two or more hours) of inactivity.
PA8: When mandatory school-wide testing makes it necessary for students to be inactive for extended periods of time, schools will give students periodic breaks to stand and be moderately active unless the testing protocol specifies otherwise.*
PA9: The school does not use or withhold physical activity as punishment.

Professional Development
PD1: All applicable role groups including the School Food Service staff are given the opportunity to receive professional development in Hawaii's Wellness Guidelines, health, nutrition, and physical education, and healthy school meals

* Guideline is conditional and not mandatory at this time.