Hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) is a viral infection that causes lesions to form on a sufferer’s hands, feet and mouth.
It is most common in children under 10, with outbreaks often occurring in creches and schools.
Hand, foot and mouth disease is usually not serious and does normally not require any medical treatment, however, small children sometimes can feel very under the weather with it, especially if lesions in the mouth is making it painful to eat and drink.
Yesterday, Millie Mackintosh took to Instagram to reveal that her daughter, Sienna, 18 months, was taken to hospital with Hand, foot and mouth disease over the weekend, and that she never realised what it was under her daughter was diagnosed.
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Captioning the image, Millie, who is currently pregnant with her second baby, wrote:
“It’s been a rough few days in the Taylor household, Sienna has really not been herself. I put it down to having a cold and possibly teething as she kept crying and pointing at her mouth, by the end of the week she was refusing to eat or drink anything, even the sight of her milk bottle would make her scream so I knew it was something more.
We took her to A&E and they found ulcers on her tongue and the roof of her mouth, they diagnosed her with Hand, Foot and Mouth. Her throat is very sore, apparently it’s like tonsillitis but worse. I felt so bad for not realising, but she doesn’t have the telling rash around her mouth or on her hands and feet – but apparently that can come later.
We have been giving her regular pain relief and using a numbing throat spray which seems to be helping a little, she is sleeping more than normal but when she is awake she is crying nonstop, which breaks my heart. It’s so hard to see your child unwell and I can’t explain to her that it will be ok.
She really hasn’t eaten much in the last few days just a bite of her favourite snacks here and there. Thank you for all your suggestions of soothing cold foods after I posted on stories, most things we have offered are angrily refused and thrown across the room but we will persevere! We are still having to administer water with a syringe throughout the day but at least I know she is getting some fluids.
Rules and routines have mainly gone out the window with lots of Peppa Pig and Cocomelon! Fingers crossed she turns a corner today and starts feeling better. Sending lots of love to all the parents out there with a sick child, I keep saying to myself this too shall pass.”
Millie, who has been married to husband Hugo Taylor since 2018, later took to Instagram stories to share a sweet snap of little Sienna playing in her toy kitchen.
The former Made in Chelsea star, 31, revealed to her followers that her little girl is ‘a bit better’ and is playing ‘for the first time in days.’
What is Hand, Foot, Mouth Disease
According to the HSE, hand, foot and mouth disease is an illness caused by a type of virus called an enterovirus. It’s highly contagious.
The illness is common in children under 10 years old. It can spread quite quickly in schools and childcare settings. Adolescents and adults can also be affected, although most adults are immune.
Symptoms
Once your child has become infected with hand, foot and mouth disease, it can take 3 to 5 days for them to show any symptoms.
Symptoms can include:
- fever (a temperature higher than 38°C)
- feeling generally unwell
- sore throat
- loss of appetite (not wanting to eat)
After a few days your child may develop:
- mouth ulcers
- a rash – this is usually not itchy and is made up of red spots on their palms of their hands and soles of the feet. The spots can turn into blisters.
Symptoms are usually mild and go away after 7 to 10 days. Some people will experience no symptoms at all.
