The study analyzes the development, main research areas and new trends in pediatric hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) from 2000 to February 2025 based on bibliometric methods. The number of publications on HFMD continues to grow, with China being the largest contributor; Lin Tzou-Yien is the author with the most papers and Chang Luan-Yin has the highest citations. The most cited study is the work on enterovirus 71 by Solomon T and colleagues. Research focuses on virology, epidemiology, pathogenesis, new therapies and vaccine development, with key topics being HFMD, enterovirus 71 and enteroviruses in general. Future directions include deeper investigation of the molecular mechanisms of virus-host interaction and the development of multivalent vaccines against multiple serotypes. This bibliometric analysis provides an overview of important issues and potential collaborations in HFMD research. A total of 2,030 publications were analyzed for the monitored period.