Children usually recover from hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) without treatment in a week to 10 days. In very rare cases, the illness can cause viral meningitis which is characterized by fever, headache, stiff neck, or back pain and the child may need to be hospitalized for a few days.
Additional complications that are even more rare are polio-like paralysis, or encephalitis (brain inflammation) which can be fatal.
Although the majority of children recover fine from HFMD, you should still call your doctor.
Your doctor can confirm diagnosis and offer suggestions on how to treat pain or fever. If your child has a fever, higher than 100.4 F for an infant under 6 months and 103 F for 6 months and older, you should call your doctor right away.
The main concern you should have with HFMD is dehydration. Mouth sores, caused by HFMD, can make drinking difficult. If your child or infant shows signs of dehydration, a dry, parched mouth, or 6+ hours without a wet diaper, call your doctor immediately.
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