WHAT CAN CHILDREN WITH HAND, FOOT AND MOUTH EAT TO GET HEALTHY QUICKLY?

To help children recover quickly from illness, Nutritional care is very important. A reasonable diet will help children get adequate nutrients, Increase resistance and quickly restore health. So what should children with hand, foot and mouth disease eat and avoid?? Let's find out in the article below.

What is hand, foot and mouth disease??

Hand, foot and mouth disease is an acute infectious disease caused by a virus, The characteristic symptom is fever, sore throat, oral mucosal lesions and blisters on the palms, the soles of the feet and inside the mouth. The disease is common in children under 5 year old, especially younger children 3 year old.

Hand, foot and mouth disease is caused by Coxsackie A16 virus or Enterovirus 71 cause. The virus that causes hand, foot and mouth disease can be transmitted from person to person through the following routes:

• • Respiration: From droplets when a sick person coughs, Sneezing viruses enter the body through the respiratory tract
  • Digest: Viruses enter the body through the digestive tract, through food, drinks contaminated with viruses.
  • Direct contact with secretions from sick people: Secretions from sick people, includes saliva, runny nose, stool, contains viruses.

When you have hand, foot and mouth disease, Children will have symptoms such as::

• • Fever: This is the most common symptom of hand, foot and mouth disease, often appears suddenly, can from 38 – 39 degrees Celsius.
  • Sore throat: The baby feels a burning pain, difficulty swallowing when swallowing saliva.
  • Damage to the oral mucosa: On the oral mucosa, tongue, profit, Small blisters appear on the tonsils, opaque white, Can cause pain and discomfort when eating and drinking.
  • Blisters on palms, soles of feet: On the palm of the hand, Small blisters appear on the soles of the feet, pink, may cause itching and discomfort.

What should children eat when they have hand, foot and mouth disease??

When children have hand, foot and mouth disease, Mouth ulcers make it difficult for children to eat, even stop eating. So, Mothers need to feed their children soft foods, liquid, easy to swallow, cool, Benign to reduce pain and burning, oral irritation. Below are dishes for children with hand, foot and mouth disease that mothers should add to the menu:

Soup, porridge

Porridge and soup are soft dishes, liquid, easy to swallow, rich in nutrients, Suitable for children with hand, foot and mouth disease. Porridge and soup can be cooked with a variety of ingredients, depending on the child's interests.

Egg

Eggs are a nutritious food, vitamins and minerals necessary for the body. Furthermore, eggs are also a rich source of protein, helps increase resistance, The body recovers quickly.

Coconut water

Coconut water is a natural beverage, rich in nutrients, vitamins and minerals necessary for the body. Coconut water has a cooling effect, purify the body, Provides abundant water and electrolytes, Helps replace water and electrolytes lost due to fever, vomiting, diarrhea. Mothers should give children fresh coconut water, Do not drink coconut water that has been left for too long or that has been fermented.

Watermelon

Watermelon is a fruit rich in nutrients such as vitamin A, kali, lycopene,… This is also a rich source of water and vitamin C, Helps compensate for the amount of water and vitamin C lost due to symptoms of hand, foot and mouth disease.

Tofu

Tofu is a nutritious food, provide protein, calcium, vitamins and minerals necessary for the body. Tofu has a cooling effect, purify the body, Helps your baby quickly recover from symptoms of hand, foot and mouth disease.

Papaya

Papaya is a tropical fruit with a sweet taste, rich in nutrients, Provides many vitamins and minerals necessary for the body. According to research, Papaya contains a lot of vitamin C, vitamin A, kali, lycopene,... has a cooling effect, purify the body, enhance resistance, Helps your baby recover quickly from hand, foot and mouth disease.

Greek yogurt with honey

Greek yogurt is high in protein, fold approx 2 times compared to regular yogurt, At the same time, it contains a lot of calcium, other vitamins and minerals. In addition, honey is a nutritious food, contains many vitamins, khoáng chất, especially vitamin C, vitamin B, kali, iron,… Honey has a sweet taste, easy to eat, có tác dụng kháng khuẩn, anti-inflammatory, Helps reduce mouth pain.

So, Yogurt combined with honey provides many necessary nutrients and helps reduce mouth pain so children feel more comfortable

Mash

Potatoes are a nutritious food, contains a lot of starch, vitamin, khoáng chất, especially vitamin C, vitamin B6, kali,… Mashed potatoes are a soft dish, easy to swallow, suitable for the diet of children with hand, foot and mouth disease.

What should children with hand, foot and mouth disease avoid??

To help children recover quickly, Parents need to pay attention to feeding their children adequate nutrition, But you need to avoid some of the following foods.

Hard food, hot and spicy

Hard foods, Hot and spicy foods can irritate ulcers in the mouth, causes pain in children, more uncomfortable. Specifically, hard foods, Hot and spicy foods that children with hand, foot and mouth disease should avoid include:

• • Stir-fried meat, grilled meat, braised meat, roasted meat, fried fish, braised fish, bone, cartilage, tendon,…
  • Hard fruits and vegetables, chewy like carrots, kohlrabi, radish, cassava,…
  • Hard fruits, chewy like mango, guava, dig,…
  • Lemon, me, star fruit, chilli, pepper,…
  • Carbonated drinks, has a sour taste, cay, hot,…
  • Fabric, label, have,…
  • Hot spices like ginger, garlic, pepper,…

Greasy food, sweet, salty

Greasy food, sweet, Saltiness can cause the following harmful effects:

• • Makes ulcers in the mouth more painful: Ulcers in the mouth caused by hand, foot and mouth disease are often very painful, makes children lose their appetite, skip meals. Eating fatty foods, sweet, Salt will irritate the ulcer, more painful, makes it even more difficult for children to eat.
  • Causes indigestion, bloating: These foods are often difficult to digest, cause bloating in the baby's stomach, uncomfortable and can lead to vomiting, diarrhea, make the illness worse.
  • Increased risk of superinfection: Ulcers in the mouth caused by hand, foot and mouth disease are susceptible to bacteria, virus attack. Eating fatty foods, sweet, Saltiness will create favorable conditions for bacteria, viruses develop, cause superinfection.

Foods rich in arginine

Arginine is an essential amino acid, plays an important role in many physiological processes of the body, includes protein synthesis, Nitric oxide production, and regulate the immune system. However, Some studies show that arginine may stimulate the growth of the virus that causes hand, foot and mouth disease. Therefore, Children with hand, foot and mouth disease should avoid eating foods rich in arginine.

Foods rich in arginine include:

• • Nuts: peanut, hạnh nhân, hạt điều, walnuts, pumpkin seeds,…
  • Beans: soybean, black beans, đậu xanh, đậu đỏ,…
  • Whole grains: brown rice, oatmeal, corn,…
  • Processed foods: chocolate, types of confectionery, soft drink,…

Be careful when taking care of children with hand, foot and mouth disease

Hand, foot and mouth disease is spread through the respiratory tract or direct contact with the patient's secretions, such as saliva, nasal discharge, water from the blisters. Therefore, Mothers need to pay close attention to the following things when taking care of their babies:

• • Wash personal belongings: Wash your clothes, diaper, children's toys with soap and hot water or antiseptic solution.
  • Give children nutritious food: Give children nutritious food, Prioritize soft foods, easy to swallow, not too hot or too cold.
  • Monitor the child's condition: Monitor temperature, eating status, children's toileting.
  • Get vaccinated: Currently, There is no vaccine to prevent hand, foot and mouth disease, but there is a vaccine to prevent measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) Helps reduce the risk of hand, foot and mouth disease.
  • Wash your hands thoroughly: Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and antibacterial water before and after taking care of children, before eating, after going to the toilet and after changing diapers for children.
  • Keep the environment clean: Clean toys thoroughly, children's personal belongings, home, class,…
  • Do not let children come into contact with sick people: If you wonder, "What should you avoid with hand, foot and mouth disease in children?"?” then it is important to isolate the child from others at least 10 days from the start of the illness.

Through this article, we hope to be able to answer the question "What should children with hand, foot and mouth disease eat and avoid?"?” from mothers. Children with hand, foot and mouth disease should eat soft foods, easy to digest, cool, plenty of water and limit spicy foods, fried with a lot of oil,…. to restore health soon.