Hand Foot Mouth in India symptoms. what food an Indian parent can give to their kid during this period.

The Hand Foot and Mouth viral disease which the parents dread worldwide has finally arrived in India. In the era of globalisation, the bane we face is the mobility of the disease. The outbreaks are common for children, especially in preschool. The most susceptible group are the children from 2 years to 6 years.
Here are the symptoms and remedies available for Indian mothers.

Enterovirus is the cause the hand foot mouth, but the disease is self-limiting. The main season for this virus to strike is the onset of winter or the during autumn or after the winter during spring. Temperate climate and moist climate also helps the virus to attack.
 The following are the telltale sign for the kids.

• Low-grade fever around 100-degree Farenheight  or 101 degree
• Blister or ulcers inside mouth or around the mouth
• Rashes around the inner soles of hand and foot and even buttocks or even knees. It may contain fluid. The blisters may appear 3 to 4 days after the fever
• No appetite or slight appetite.
• A sore throat
• Irritable and tired

The hand foot mouth has no medicine.You can only take care of your child and give them comfort and support until the time they  recover.

1. Consult with your paediatrician for confirmation of the virus.
2. Usually, for fever paracetamol is provided
3. No acidic food or  excessive acidic fruits.
4. Warm soups and semi-solid foods
5. Do not burst the blisters.
6. Wash the towels and clothes separately with warm water as it is contagious.
7. Wash the rashes with neem water boiled.
8. It takes around 7 to 10 days to subside. So no pre school to prevent spreading.
9. The ideal diet should be high calorie, high protein, and high in fluid content.
10. Make your child rest for 7 to 10 days until the rashes subside.

The Hand foot mouth virus is not that  prevalent is India but is fast catching up in the metros. HFMD is contagious. The spreading of the virus occurs through contact with faeces, saliva, mucus from the nose, or even from the fluid from the blisters. Keep washing of the hand to prevent further spread. 

The first two or 3 days can be more of a liquid diet consisting of soups, glucose water, milk (only if there's no diarrhoea). Give small frequent meals at regular intervals, every 2 hrs which can be continuously increased to every 4 hrs.
Include foods which are soft, bland, easily digested and absorbed like gruels, cereal and milk, fruits like banana, papaya, orange, mousambi, melons, etc. Soft or mashed khichri or mashed curd rice or softly boiled veggies can also be included in the diet.
Protein intake of the diet should be raised. It essential to provide high nutritive value protein like milk, eggs & dhal
Fatty foods, spicy and highly fibrous foods are difficult to digest and best to avoid.
It's also crucial to remember that during fever, there is an increasing need for certain nutrients like Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin B, Calcium, Iron & sodium.

 Here is a possible  list of food that you can provide to your child

1. Coconut water
2. Barley water   
3. Milk low fat 
4. Custards
5. Thin dhals   
6. Vegetable juices
7. Soups   
8. Cereal preparations like khichri
9.  Buttermilk with a pinch of salt
10. Boiled vegetables (carrots, beans, pumpkin, sweet potato, etc.)
11. Dried fruits or dried nuts blended with low-fat milk  
12. Raw, boiled papaya mashed with salt and half teaspoon of ghee for the appetite

For the non-vegetarian, you can add the following

1. Tender meat like chicken 
2. Eggs boiled or lightly scrambled.
3. Baked or light fried fresh fish

The three pillars for the kids to be free of HFMD is proper food, legitimate rest and good hygiene maintenance. A big dollop of love on top of it from parents would boost up the spirit of your kids and speed the recovery process.