Common Skin Ailments Young Children Suffer From
Young children have more sensitive immune systems than adults do. Children are also often less sanitary than older siblings or adults, which puts small children at a higher risk of contracting various skin-related ailments than you or their other siblings may encounter.
Discover common skin ailments younger children get and what you can do about them. If you have concerns about any rash or other skin changes in your small child, take your child to a pediatric dermatologist right away.
Molluscum Contagiosum
Molluscum contagiosim is a very contagious skin condition passed from child to child via direct contact or from affected sources, such as swimming pools. The condition results in raised, pimple-like bumps on the face, neck, and other areas of the body. The bumps may weep on occasion but will often return or scab over.
Caused by the same virus that causes pox, the molluscum contagiosum virus can take several months to incubate before your child shows signs of the illness, making it hard to pinpoint just how your child got infected. The condition is not serious and usually resolves on its own after a few months.
However, if your young child is picking at the hard bumps or the condition appears to be worsening, or if you are concerned about your other children getting infected, take your child to the dermatologist for an exam. After diagnosing your child, your dermatologist may recommend freeing the larger bumps or may prescribe an antiviral medication to help speed the healing process.
Hand, Foot, and Mouth
Hand, foot, and mouth disease is a viral infection most common in children under five. The virus is very contagious, and your child usually contracts the virus via direct contact with another child who has it.
The condition is alarming because hand, foot, and mouth leaves large, red, and often painful bumps on the face, palms of the hands, and soles of the feet, among other areas (including the thighs and buttocks).
No cure for hand, foot, and mouth disease exists, but you should take your child into the dermatologist to ensure this is the infection your child has. Often, hand, foot, and mouth disease can be misdiagnosed as chicken pox, which is unlikely to be what your child has if they have been immunized against the latter. The common treatment for hand foot and mouth disease is cool baths with oatmeal or special ointments to treat eczema (another common childhood skin condition).
Fever is also usually involved in the virus, and symptoms typically fade after a few weeks. In rare cases, hand, foot, and mouth disease can be fatal.
Yeast Diaper Rash
You are likely familiar with traditional diaper rashes (most common in children who are still in diapers), but a yeast diaper rash is much different. This type of diaper rash presents itself with severe redness or raised bumps around the affected child’s genitals and inner thighs, which can spread up past their groin to their stomach.
A yeast diaper rash is very painful in some children and will often not heal on its own. Sometimes, the blistering associated with the rash can bleed, making symptoms worse. A special ointment can be prescribed by a dermatologist to bring your little one relief and to prevent the rash from spreading to other areas of their body.
Always take your young child to the dermatologist if you are unsure what is causing their skin condition. Our team of specialists at East Carolina Dermatology and Skin Surgery, PLLC, can diagnose your child’s skin maladies today. Contact us for more information. We look forward to seeing you soon.