Quick read
Key points
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Hand, foot and mouth disease is a common, mild viral illness in young children, causing small blisters or sores on the hands, feet, and inside the mouth, often alongside a mild fever. Despite the alarming name, it's usually a mild illness that clears up on its own within 7 to 10 days.
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Topic-specific prevention and risk reduction will be added during the article-specific evidence audit.
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Your child isn't drinking enough and shows signs of dehydration
01 · Know
What is Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease?
Hand, foot and mouth disease is a common, mild viral illness in young children, causing small blisters or sores on the hands, feet, and inside the mouth, often alongside a mild fever. Despite the alarming name, it's usually a mild illness that clears up on its own within 7 to 10 days.
It spreads easily through close contact, coughing, and contaminated surfaces, and is especially common in childcare settings. It is unrelated to foot-and-mouth disease in animals.
02 · Understand
Clinical context
Mouth sores can make eating and drinking uncomfortable
The sores inside the mouth can make your child reluctant to eat or drink — offering cool, soft foods and plenty of fluids helps keep them comfortable and hydrated during this phase.
03 · Act
When to See a Doctor
- 1Your child isn't drinking enough and shows signs of dehydration
- 2Symptoms are severe, or your child seems very unwell rather than mildly so
- 3Symptoms haven't improved after 10 days
- 4You notice signs of skin infection at the blister sites
04 · Prevent & manage
Practical steps
Keep Your Child Home Until They Feel Better
There's no strict exclusion period required for childcare or school, but it's sensible to keep your child home while they feel unwell or have open blisters, to reduce spreading it to others.
- 1Offer cool, soft foods and drinks.These are easier to manage with a sore mouth than hot, spicy, or crunchy foods.
- 2Give appropriate pain relief.Paracetamol or ibuprofen can ease discomfort from fever or mouth soreness — follow package instructions for age and weight.
- 3Encourage regular fluids.This is especially important if mouth soreness is putting your child off drinking.
- 4Practice good hand hygiene.Frequent handwashing for the whole family helps limit the spread within the household.
- 5Avoid squeezing or picking at blisters.This can increase the risk of skin infection.
Evidence
References
BarnMD Health Intelligence uses authoritative and clinically relevant sources appropriate to the topic. References are shown so readers can inspect the evidence directly.
- HSE: Hand, foot and mouth disease ↗
Medical information notice
Health education, not individual medical advice
BarnMD Health Library provides general health education for public health literacy. Reading this article does not establish a doctor-patient relationship and this information is not a diagnosis, prescription, or personalised treatment plan. If you have symptoms or concerns about your health, seek appropriate advice from a qualified healthcare professional. If you develop emergency warning signs, seek urgent or emergency medical attention.
BarnMD Bottom Line
Hand, foot and mouth disease is common, mild, and usually clears up within a week to ten days without specific treatment.
The main thing to watch for is dehydration, if a sore mouth is putting your child off drinking.