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Hand, foot, and mouth disease in a baby or child: the signs, what helps, and when to call
For anyone looking after a child with a fever, sores in the mouth, or a rash on the hands and feet: a parent, a grandparent, a foster parent, an aunt or uncle. This page passes on, by name, what three pages of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) say: the signs, mouth sores and drinking enough, what helps at home, how it spreads, going back to child care or school, the complications that are rare, and the signs that mean a call. It builds the questions to ask. Take only what you need today.
Right now
- A child who cannot drink well, when you are worried about dehydration: CDC’s page HFMD Symptoms and Complications says to see a healthcare provider. It does not say how fast and does not name 911.
- A baby who is very young, especially younger than 6 months, or a child with a weakened immune system: CDC says to see a healthcare provider.
- Severe symptoms, a fever that lasts longer than 3 days, or symptoms that do not improve after 10 days: CDC says to see a healthcare provider.
- A fever with a bad headache or a stiff neck, a child who is very hard to wake, or a child who cannot move part of the body: call your child’s provider now. That line is ours; CDC says that, very rarely, HFMD leads to viral meningitis (fever, headache, stiff neck, or back pain), encephalitis or paralysis.
- If you are pregnant and think you may have been exposed: CDC says to contact your doctor.
If you cannot reach a provider and you are frightened for your child, go to an emergency room or call 911. That line is ours: none of the three pages names 911. This page is not for emergencies.
More help
- The fever: Fever in a baby or child: when to call, and what helps.
- The signs of dehydration, and giving liquid in small sips: Vomiting and diarrhea in a baby or child: fluids, and when to call.
- A sore throat, which CDC lists among the symptoms: Sore throat in a child: a virus or strep, what helps, and when to call.
- If you are pregnant: Pregnant, or with a new baby.
- Writing down what happened and when: Symptom diary.
- For a visit: Get ready for your appointment. No insurance: When you need a doctor and can’t pay.
- More pages for a sick child: Looking after a baby or child: find the right page.
- All our free tools.
Looking after a baby or child? The pages on this site for a baby or child, on one list.
This page and its wording were written with AI (Claude) for Scarlet Beast (our AI policy). No doctor or nurse has reviewed it. The facts were read on October 10, 2026 on cdc.gov, on three pages, each in English and in Spanish: About Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease; HFMD Symptoms and Complications; and HFMD: Causes and How It Spreads. All six say they were reviewed on May 7, 2024. The page says whose words it is passing on, and what is marked “ours” is our own. Who the pages were written for: everyone; most of their lines are about children. The 911 line is ours: none of the three pages names 911 or gives a list of emergency signs, and the line about a bad headache, a stiff neck, a child who is hard to wake or cannot move part of the body is ours too. Where the English and Spanish pages differ: we found no difference that changes a fact; the Spanish pages explain that the animal disease, called fiebre aftosa in Spanish, has a similar name in English. Numbers are the named page’s own. What we left out or did not read: the name of any medicine other than aspirin, and the amount of any medicine, which these pages do not give; which liquids or foods to give and how much; the signs of dehydration, which these pages do not list (our vomiting and diarrhea page passes on NIDDK’s); how the rash looks on brown or black skin and how it differs from other rashes, which they do not say; how many days to stay home, which they do not give; the pages CDC links to on hand washing, non-polio enteroviruses and viral meningitis, and the World Health Organization’s guide for clinicians (not read); and the child care or school rules of your own state or school. We called no number. It saves nothing and loads no tracking.