Kawasaki Disease (KD) is the leading cause of acquired heart disease in children. Help bring awareness by wearing red and spreading the word on Kawasaki Disease Awareness Day, January 26th. KD often goes misdiagnosed and if untreated in a timely manner, it can lead to coronary complications. If your child is experiencing any of the following symptoms, talk to your pediatrician about KD:
- Fever that lasts for five or more days
- Rash, often worse in the groin area
- Red bloodshot eyes, without drainage or crusting
- Bright red, swollen, cracked lips, "strawberry" tongue, which appears with shiny bright red spots after the top coating sloughs off
- Swollen hands and feet and redness of the palms and soles of the feet
- Swollen lymph nodes in the neck
Visit www.kdfoundation.org for more information. Help us inform others so we can save our children's precious hearts.
