The fifth "01 Parent-child Favourite Lifestyle Brand Awards 2025", organised by the "01 Parent-child" channel under "Hong Kong 01", concluded successfully on the 29th. This event aims to recognise brands with the highest quality, innovation, and social responsibility in parent-child products and services, and to provide parents with peace of mind when making choices. On the day of the awards ceremony, paediatric specialist Dr. Chan Yan Wing was invited as a guest to witness this annual grand event. With the rising activity of seasonal influenza and hand, foot and mouth disease, Dr. Chan generously shared prevention tips and reminded parents to pay more attention to their children to help alleviate their back-to-school anxiety.
The Centre for Health Protection has indicated that the activity of seasonal influenza, respiratory syncytial virus, and hand, foot and mouth disease has increased locally in recent months. With the start of the school term and as the weather gradually cools, there may be an increase in reports of outbreaks of respiratory infectious diseases in schools. As of 21 August, Hong Kong has recorded 79 cases of hand, foot and mouth disease outbreaks in schools this year.
Illnesses become more likely as the school term begins, doctors remind of 2 key epidemic prevention points
Paediatric specialist Dr Chan Yan-wing stated that children have weaker hygiene awareness, posing a risk of cross-infection whether playing or eating at school. Facing the prevalence of seasonal influenza and hand, foot and mouth disease locally, Dr Chan believes that the number of cases may continue to rise during the back-to-school period.
Children can easily contract diseases through airborne droplets from saliva. To keep your children healthy, Dr. Chan reminds parents to pay attention to two key points. Firstly, you should raise your children's awareness of hygiene and epidemic prevention. For instance, ensure they remember to wash their hands before eating, avoid putting their hands in their mouths, and cover their nose and mouth with their hand when sneezing. He also pointed out that if children show cold symptoms, they should avoid going to school as much as possible to prevent infecting others.
Secondly, parents should strengthen their children's immune systems by ensuring they get enough sleep and have a balanced diet. Faced with a rise in Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease cases, Dr Chan also advised parents not to over-clean, to prevent causing their children anxiety. He frankly stated: "Minor illnesses are a blessing; prevention is better than cure." As long as preventive measures are taken, especially getting vaccinated before the arrival of seasonal flu, it is the most effective prevention method.
Back-to-school anxiety is normal, parents should communicate with their children based on their personality.
Facing the start of the school term, many children are likely to experience school anxiety. Dr. Chan believes that it is normal for children to feel anxious because many aspects of school life after the term begins are unknown to them. He suggests that parents should communicate with their children appropriately, taking their individual personalities into account. For example, parents should encourage their children to make new friends, show interest in interesting things that happen at school, and amplify the positive experiences their children have. At the same time, if their children encounter troublesome things, parents should also play a guiding role, encouraging and counselling them, and helping them to better cope with the challenges of returning to school.
Source: Beware of Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease at the start of the school term. Dr. Chan Yan-wing reminds parents of two tips to teach children about prevention | Hong Kong 01 https://www.hk01.com/article/60272713?utm_source=01articlecopy&utm_medium=referral
