Influencer Sophie Hinchliffe with her two sons, Ronnie and Lennie
British Influencer Sophie Hinchliffe popularly known as Mrs Hinch has recently share with his followers that her son has been diagnosed with a rare disease called Kawasaki.
After the boy spent 10 days in the hospital in what she described as a "real-life nightmare," she posted this information on Instagram.
Apologising to her 4.7m followers for "radio silence", she wrote that that her son has been diagnosed with Kawasaki disease, a condition that mainly affects children under the age of 5. It's also known as mucocutaneous lymph node syndrome.
However, the Kawasaki disease is an unfamiliar term for many individuals, including her followers.
Let's look at the information regarding the disease from the sources that are available.
What is Kawasaki disease?
According to the CDC, Kawasaki disease (KD), also known as Kawasaki syndrome, is an acute febrile illness of unknown aetiology that primarily affects children younger than 5 years of age. The disease was first described in Japan by Tomisaku Kawasaki in 1967, and the first cases outside of Japan were reported in Hawaii in 1976.
Symptoms
According to the NHS, a child with Kawasaki disease has a high temperature that lasts for 5 days or longer and possibly one or more of the following symptoms:
- a rash
- swollen glands in the neck
- dry, red, cracked lips
- a swollen, bumpy, red tongue ("strawberry tongue")
- red inside the mouth and at the back of the throat
- swollen and red hands and feet
- red eyes
Treating Kawasaki disease
The NHS says Kawasaki disease is always treated in hospitals. It's best if treatment begins as soon as possible. The sooner treatment starts, the quicker the recovery time, and there's less risk of complications developing.
Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), a solution of antibodies, and aspirin are the two main medicines used to treat Kawasaki disease.