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Complications
The most common complication of hand-foot-and-mouth disease is dehydration. The illness can cause sores in the mouth and throat, making swallowing painful and difficult. Watch closely to make sure your child consumes adequate amounts of fluids during the course of the illness. If dehydration is severe, intravenous (IV) fluids may be necessary.
Hand-foot-and-mouth disease is usually a minor illness causing only a few days of fever and relatively mild signs and symptoms. However, a rare and sometimes serious form of the coxsackievirus can involve the brain and cause other complications:
- Viral meningitis. This is an infection and inflammation of the membranes (meninges) and cerebrospinal fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord. Viral meningitis is usually mild and often clears on its own.
- Encephalitis. This severe and potentially life-threatening disease involves brain inflammation caused by a virus. Encephalitis is rare.
- Hand, foot, & mouth disease (HFMD). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/revb/enterovirus/hfhf.htm. Accessed June 22, 2009.
- Enteroviruses - non polio. World Health Organization. http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs174/en/print.html. Accessed June 22, 2009.
- Hand, foot and mouth disease. American Osteopathic College of Dermatology. http://www.aocd.org/skin/dermatologic_diseases/hand_foot_mouth_disease.html. Accessed June 22, 2009.
- Non-polio enterovirus infections. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/revb/enterovirus/non-polio_entero.htm. Accessed June 26, 2009.
