M’sian Mother Shares How Child Contracted Hand, Foot & Mouth Disease From Dirty Chair

Babies are fragile creatures who need extra care and attention. Putting them in a risky situation even for 5 seconds can lead to serious consequences.

A single misstep could also lead to a super sick baby, just like Amrina Meena’s son, Airil, who unfortunately contracted the dreaded Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD) after a night out.

source: amrina meena

Amrina brought Airil to a restaurant for dinner. She placed him in the restaurant’s baby chair and that was where the poor child caught the illness.

In a Facebook post she shared on November 9, 2017, she shared the heartbreaking incident.

She wrote,

“I suspect that Airil has HFMD due to this baby chair, because the next day Airil fell sick. It was my fault that night for not bringing baby wipes.

“The chair didn’t look dirty so I didn’t think it was necessary to wipe it. Well, as long as we don’t get into bad situations, we won’t remember to be careful.”

source: amrina meena

“After this, I will prepare all sorts of protection. If he wants to sit anywhere, I will ensure to wipe it cleanly first. Let people judge me, but in the end I’m the one taking care of my child.”

HFMD is highly contagious, so whoever suffers this illness must be quarantined. They are not allowed to go out unless permitted by the doctor.

Kids who attend school must also be absent and stay home. The kids are not allowed to go to any public places including restaurants, playgrounds, supermarkets, shopping malls, and so forth.

source: amrina meena

The disease is spread through bodily fluids including:

• Saliva
• Nose discharge
• Faeces
• Blister fluid (when popped)

If anyone comes into contact with any of these infected fluids, they too, will fall sick and contract HFMD.

Amrina wanted to remind other parents not to make the same mistake that she did. She advised,

“For other parents, make sure you have some antibacterial wipes, antiseptic spray, sanitizers, etc. on standby in your bag at all times.”

Thankfully, Airil’s condition has improved since falling ill. The blisters all over his body have now dried up and he should be A-okay in no time.

source: amrina meena

So, let this be a lesson for everyone to ensure cleanliness is a priority before allowing our babies to come into contact with any foreign item, especially in public places.

Of course, when it comes to larger areas such as playgrounds where it’s impossible to wipe every inch, just remember to sanitize your child’s hands and face after play time. 

Tag all the mummies and daddies out there to spread the word and not the disease!

Also read: True Love Does Exist: Malaysian Girl Details Painful Journey With Very Sick Husband