Top 7 Ways to Identify and Prevent Common Infectious Diseases in Young Children

1. Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease in Young Children

Causes of the Disease:

Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease in young children is an infectious disease caused by an enteric virus. The disease easily spreads from one person to another through direct contact with nasal mucus, throat, saliva, and feces of the sick person. The disease can resolve on its own after 5-7 days, but if not treated properly, it can leave dangerous complications.

Identifying Signs:

Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease in young children is easily identifiable. Typically, children show the following symptoms:

• Mild or high fever. High fever that cannot be reduced is a sign of a severe illness.
• Red, blistering skin in critical areas such as around the mouth, palms, soles, buttocks, knees, etc.
• Children may exhibit symptoms like loss of appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, or restlessness.
• Ulcerated sores in the mouth.

Preventive Measures for Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease in young children:

You can take care of the child at home, but regular monitoring is necessary following the doctor's instructions. If the child shows signs of severe illness, take them to the nearest medical facility for prompt treatment. Parents should also apply the following methods to reduce the risk of illness in young children:

• Ensure the child has a proper diet: Eat well-cooked food, and eating utensils must be regularly sanitized.
• Maintain cleanliness in the surrounding environment.
• Sanitize personal items, toys, etc., of the child regularly.
• Maintain personal hygiene of hands, feet, and mouth. Do not let the child suck, bite, or put toys in the mouth.
• Avoid exposing the child to people with the disease.

2. Chickenpox

Causes of the Disease:

Chickenpox is caused by the Varicella Zoster Virus (VZV), a highly contagious virus that can spread widely and lead to outbreaks. If not detected and treated with the right methods, it can leave dangerous complications.

Identifying Symptoms:

After exposure to the source of the disease for 10 - 14 days, the child will exhibit initial symptoms. Water blisters will appear all over the head, face, hands, and feet, individually and rapidly spreading within 12 - 24 hours throughout the body.

Additionally, the child may experience mild fever, loss of appetite, and headaches, making them uncomfortable and continuously fussy.

After 7 - 10 days, if there are no complications, the disease will resolve on its own. The blisters will dry and peel without leaving scars.

Preventing Chickenpox in Young Children:

Vaccination against chickenpox helps prevent the risk of the disease in children by up to 90%. Therefore, parents should have their children vaccinated according to the doctor's recommendations:

• 1 time/year for children from 12 - 18 months old.
• 1 time/year for children from 19 months old - 13 years old.
• 2 times/year for children over 13 years old and adults.

Additionally, it is advisable to limit children from going to crowded places, avoid contact with potentially infected individuals to ensure safety.

Causes of the Disease:

Measles is an infectious disease caused by the Paramysoviridae virus. This virus strain tends to reside and proliferate rapidly in the mucus of the nose and throat. The upcoming seasonal transition is a favorable opportunity for a measles outbreak. However, the disease only spreads from person to person and not through intermediary animal agents.

Identifying Symptoms:

The symptoms of measles are not simply red rash spots on the body. They manifest after 7-14 days of exposure to the source of the disease and are divided into 4 stages:

• Incubation Stage: This is the stage of initial contact with the source of infection, so the patient does not have any symptoms.
• Initiation Stage: During this stage, the patient exhibits high fever, dry cough, and watery eyes and nose. At the same time, small Koplik spots appear around the mouth.
• Full-blown Stage: After the Koplik spots disappear, the rash will erupt. The rough, red spots appear individually or in clusters, gradually spreading throughout the body from the hands, feet, nose, mouth, and face.
• Recovery Stage: The rash spots gradually fade and peel, leaving dark marks on the skin, and the disease will resolve on its own.

Preventing Measles in Young Children:

Currently, there is a measles vaccine for treatment, and parents should take their child to a healthcare facility for measles vaccination to ensure the child's safety. In Vietnam, there are currently three circulating types of measles vaccines:

• Vietnam's MVVac single measles vaccine.
• The U.S. MMR II 3-in-1 Measles - Mumps - Rubella vaccine.
• MMR from India.

Parents should follow the advice of doctors to use the most suitable vaccine for their children.

Causes of the Disease

Mumps is a common disease in young children under 15 years old, caused by the Paramyxovirus in the salivary glands. Mumps is an easily transmitted infectious disease in crowded environments such as schools, playgrounds, and preschools due to direct contact with the infected person. Currently, there is no specific treatment, so mumps is still considered a dangerous disease.

Identifying Symptoms

Symptoms of mumps will manifest after 18 - 25 days of incubation. Small children with the disease will exhibit the following:

• High fever from 39 - 40 degrees.
• Headache, body fatigue, loss of appetite.
• Swollen and painful salivary glands.
• The disease will resolve in 5 - 10 days with proper treatment.
• Take the child to a healthcare facility if any unusual symptoms are detected.

Preventing Mumps in Small Children

Although there is currently no specific treatment, mumps is a benign disease if treated properly and will not pose a danger. Parents should also combine preventive measures to better protect their children:

• Avoid exposing children to infected individuals.
• Administer vaccines to prevent the likelihood of the disease in children.
• Maintain regular and frequent hygiene of the child's ears, nose, and throat.
• Limit the child's exposure to crowded places.

Causes of the Illness:

Influenza is an infectious disease caused by various types of viruses. Children can contract the virus through the air, especially when someone nearby coughs or sneezes, releasing viruses that the child inhales or by direct contact. If influenza is not detected and actively treated, it can lead to complications such as middle ear infection or sinusitis, significantly affecting the child's health.

Recognizing Symptoms:

Usually, the signs of influenza are straightforward and easily noticeable with the naked eye. When affected by the flu, children typically exhibit:

• Fever
• Headache
• Stuffy or runny nose, with discolored mucus (yellow or green).

The disease appears suddenly, progressing rapidly. In severe cases, children may experience persistent high fever, runny nose, vomiting, fatigue, leading to fussiness. In such instances, parents should promptly take the child to the nearest healthcare facility for examination and timely treatment.

Preventing Influenza in Small Children:

• Since influenza is transmitted through respiratory droplets expelled by an infected person during coughing or sneezing, children should not be exposed to sick individuals.
• Ensure that the child drinks plenty of water, maintain proper hygiene for both the mother and the child.
• Regularly sanitize and disinfect the child's toys to eliminate germs.
• Seek advice and timely treatment from healthcare facilities if the child shows any unusual symptoms.

Causes of the Illness:

The causes of acute diarrhea in children are complex, resulting from various factors, but primarily due to:

• Unsafe food, contaminated food.
• Early cessation of breastfeeding leading to the consumption of outside food.
• Rota virus - the causative agent of diarrhea.
• Intestinal bacteria...

If acute diarrhea in young children is not treated promptly, it can adversely affect health, and in some cases, pose a threat to life.

Recognizing Symptoms:

• Child passes stool frequently, watery consistency.
• Vomiting, loss of appetite, causing fatigue and continuous fussiness.
• Signs of dehydration: Dry lips, sunken eyes, increased thirst...

Preventive Measures for Acute Diarrhea in Children:

• Breastfeed your child.
• Follow a balanced diet as instructed by the doctor.
• Consume clean and well-cooked food.
• Wash hands with soap to prevent bacterial infection.
• Maintain cleanliness in the surrounding living environment.
• Ensure cleanliness of the child's hands, feet, toys, pacifiers, etc.

Causes of the Illness:

Dengue fever is an infectious disease caused by the Dengue virus. The virus enters the body through Aedes mosquitoes, transmitted through bites from infected female mosquitoes. Dengue fever is a dangerous infectious disease, easily transmitted, and can escalate into a pandemic. The world has witnessed several dengue fever pandemics causing significant loss of life and property. Understanding is essential to prevent this dangerous pandemic.

Recognizing Symptoms:

After invading the body, the disease-causing agents develop continuously. In the initial stage, symptoms that can be observed include:

• Vomiting, loss of appetite, continuous fussiness.
• High, continuous fever.
• Generalized fatigue, joint pain in hands and feet.

After this stage, around days 3 - 6, is the extremely dangerous stage. The virus becomes highly active, weakens the immune system, and causes internal damage to some organs in young children, such as:

• Severe bleeding.
• Swelling around the eyes.
• Nosebleeds.
• Cold extremities, sweating.

This is a critical stage that, if not treated promptly, can be life-threatening.

Preventive Measures for Dengue Fever:

The primary cause of dengue fever is transmission through Aedes mosquitoes. Therefore, parents should:

• Allow children to play in cool, clean places.
• Maintain regular hygiene in living areas, modify stagnant water bodies to prevent mosquito breeding.
• Ensure children sleep under mosquito nets.
• Frequently disinfect and eradicate mosquitoes.
• If a family member is ill, absolutely avoid children's contact with the patient.