Early recognition of abnormal signs helps children to be examined and treated promptly. BS.CKII Nguyen Hoang Thach, Deputy Head of Pediatrics Department, An Sinh General Hospital, recommends that parents should not be subjective when children have a fever accompanied by rash, especially if additional abnormal symptoms appear.
If the child has a high fever of 39-40 degrees Celsius, accompanied by lethargy, changes in breathing or breathing sounds, rash or blisters spreading on the skin, parents should not continue to keep the child at home for self-monitoring.
Children who skip meals, cannot drink water, or cannot take medication are also signs to watch out for. In these cases, home care may no longer be guaranteed, and children need to be evaluated by medical staff.
Parents should not self-treat when they are not sure about the child's condition. If they feel worried or unconfident in monitoring the child, they should take the child to a medical facility for examination," Dr. Thach noted.
For children with fever and families suspecting dengue fever, parents can use paracetamol to reduce fever according to appropriate instructions, and also give children enough water to drink.
Conversely, do not arbitrarily use aspirin or ibuprofen when suspected of having dengue fever in children.
In particular, from the third day after the fever starts, parents should take their children to a medical facility for examination by a doctor and prescribe tests when necessary. This is the time to closely monitor the progression of the disease to assess the risk of serious signs.
Having hand, foot and mouth disease once does not mean that children will be immune to the disease. According to Dr. Thach, children can still get it again if exposed to the disease-causing virus.
Hand, foot and mouth viruses can be transmitted through secretions such as saliva and feces of patients. In the school environment, especially in young children, the virus can spread through objects and toys that children regularly come into contact with.
Therefore, parents need to maintain for children the habit of washing hands regularly, limiting holding or biting toys, biting fingernails and bringing items to their mouths.
According to doctors, parents do not need to worry too much when children have a fever, but they should also not be subjective. Besides monitoring symptoms, it is necessary to ensure that children eat and drink adequately, have personal hygiene, review vaccination schedules and implement appropriate disease prevention measures.
Most importantly, when children show abnormal signs or the family is not sure about how to care for them, they should be taken to a medical facility for evaluation by a doctor, instead of prolonged self-treatment at home.
