X
theAsianparent Logo
theAsianparent Logo
  • Pregnancy
    • Due date calculator
    • I'm pregnant
    • Trying To Conceive
    • Labour
    • After birth
    • Baby loss
  • Parenting
    • Parenting & Play by Friso
    • Parent's Guide
    • Relationship & Sex
  • Ages & Stages
    • Baby
    • Toddler
    • Pre-schooler
    • Kids
    • Pre-teen & Teen
  • Feeding & Nutrition
    • Diseases-Injuries
    • Breastfeeding & Formula
    • Meal Planner
    • Health
    • Allergies & Conditions
    • Vaccinations
  • Education
    • Pre-School
    • Primary School
    • Secondary School
    • Primary School Directory
  • Lifestyle
    • Money
    • Travel & Leisure
    • Fashion
    • Home
    • Fitness
    • Contests & promotions
  • News
    • International
    • Health
    • Celebrity
    • Singapore
  • Money Parenting
    • Tips for Parents
    • Tips for Toddlers
    • Tips for Older Kids
    • The 5 Personas
  • TAP Recommends
  • Shopping
  • Press Releases
  • Project Sidekicks
  • Community
  • Advertise With Us
  • Contact Us
  • Become A Contributor
  • VIP

Rising Hand Foot Mouth Disease cases not a cause for alarm

29 Dec, 2015
Rising Hand Foot Mouth Disease cases not a cause for alarmRising Hand Foot Mouth Disease cases not a cause for alarm

What do schools, parents and doctors have to say about the increase in HFMD cases in Singapore over the past few months? Read on to find out!

Weekly figures by the Ministry of Health shows that in comparison to similar periods last year, 2015 has seen an increase in Hand, Foot & Mouth Disease (HFMD) cases in Singapore.

The spike started in mid-October, with 585 cases compared to 381 cases in the same period last year. In November, there were 502 cases (377 cases within the same period last year) and from 6 to 12 December, there were 568 cases (302 cases last year).

But the doctors that TODAY spoke to said that this is not an alarming situation. Dr Tze Lee Tan, a general practitioner at The Edinburgh Clinic, said that it is not unusual as “it comes in waves”.

Preschools have been taking various measures in dealing with the problem. EtonHouse, for example, has policies aimed at minimising "cross-infection in early childhood settings". This includes a specific hand-washing schedule and techniques.

As for School House by the Garden (Hougang), where there has been a total of seven cases in the past two weeks, it keeps parents updated regularly via text message to inform them whenever there is a new case. Vice principal Ms Jessie Soh said, "We need parents to cooperate with us also. If (their children) have HFMD, try not to bring them to public places."

Cambridge Pre-School at Hougang too has seen about seven cases since the last week of November, but they have been cleared by the first week of December.

Mr Gavin Chow, a 36-year-old single dad whose son, 6, and daughter 3, both contracted HFMD at about the same time, said that he is not too worried about what is going on. He even added, "I feel we have a bit more of such (HFMD) cases because we are too hygienic, our bodies have very low resistance to bacteria."

Even though doctors have assured us that the current state is nothing too worrying, there are still preventive measures that can be taken to protect children from catching HFMD. Both parents and schools play an important part in keeping the children healthy and away from the disease.

Had an experience dealing with HFMD? Share with us in the comments below so we can all learn from it together.

Partner Stories
Singapore's Dengue Cases Surpass The 35,000 Mark, Highest Since 2013
Singapore's Dengue Cases Surpass The 35,000 Mark, Highest Since 2013
Typhoon Haiyan relief effort
Typhoon Haiyan relief effort
What parents can learn from the Boston bombings
What parents can learn from the Boston bombings
The brainy bunch - 6 siblings begin college by age 12!
The brainy bunch - 6 siblings begin college by age 12!

Got a parenting concern? Read articles or ask away and get instant answers on our app. Download theAsianparent Community on iOS or Android now!

img
Written by

Brenda Loo

  • Home
  • /
  • News
  • /
  • Rising Hand Foot Mouth Disease cases not a cause for alarm
Share:
  • Keeping HFMD cases down

    Keeping HFMD cases down

  • What parents should know about hand, foot and mouth disease

    What parents should know about hand, foot and mouth disease

  • Secondary School Student Arrested After Allegedly Attacking Schoolmate With Metal Rod

    Secondary School Student Arrested After Allegedly Attacking Schoolmate With Metal Rod

  • Why it's getting harder to keep baby safe in this world

    Why it's getting harder to keep baby safe in this world

app info
get app banner
  • Keeping HFMD cases down

    Keeping HFMD cases down

  • What parents should know about hand, foot and mouth disease

    What parents should know about hand, foot and mouth disease

  • Secondary School Student Arrested After Allegedly Attacking Schoolmate With Metal Rod

    Secondary School Student Arrested After Allegedly Attacking Schoolmate With Metal Rod

  • Why it's getting harder to keep baby safe in this world

    Why it's getting harder to keep baby safe in this world

Get advice on your pregnancy and growing baby. Sign up for our newsletter
  • Pregnancy
    • Baby
    • Education
    • Events
    • Allergies & Conditions
  • Family Occasions
    • Breastfeeding & Formula
    • Child Safety
    • Health
    • Diseases-Injuries
  • Lifestyle
    • Home
    • Money
    • Feeding & Nutrition
    • Diet & Weightloss
  • Normal Delivery
    • Cesarean Delivery
    • Behaviour
    • Secondary School
    • Formula Feeding
  • Ages & Stages
    • Latching & Concerns
    • Festivals & Holidays
    • Education
    • Pre-teen & Teen
  • More
    • TAP Community
    • Advertise With Us
    • Contact Us
    • Become a Contributor


  • Singapore flag Singapore
  • Thailand flag Thailand
  • Indonesia flag Indonesia
  • Philippines flag Philippines
  • Malaysia flag Malaysia
  • Sri-Lanka flag Sri Lanka
  • India flag India
  • Vietnam flag Vietnam
  • Australia flag Australia
  • Japan flag Japan
  • Nigeria flag Nigeria
  • Kenya flag Kenya
© Copyright theAsianparent 2022. All rights reserved
About Us|Team|Privacy Policy|Terms of Use |Sitemap HTML
  • Tools
  • Articles
  • Feed
  • Poll

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn MoreOk, Got it

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn MoreOk, Got it

theAsianparent heart icon
We’d like to send you notifications for the latest news and lifestyle updates.