Scabies in Children
Scabies may occur in children or adults. It is possible for scabies to spread quickly in a highly populated area such as a school classroom or daycare. Once one member of a family has become infected, it is best that precautions be taken for the rest of the family as well.
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Cause
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Scabies in children is caused by the microscopic Sarcoptes scabiei mite. The female of the species burrows a tunnel beneath the skin in which she lays eggs. After twenty-one days they mature and make their way to the surface of the skin where they can move to other areas of the body or onto another host. The itching associated with scabies is caused by an allergic reaction to the mites as well as to their waste and eggs.
Symptoms
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They symptoms of scabies in children include severe itching that may worsen at night and thin tracks of small bumps or blisters left from the burrowing of the mite made at irregular intervals. The burrows may appear anywhere on the body they are most common in folds of the skin such as those found between fingers, around the waste, in armpits, along the inner wrist, knee or elbow, around the breasts or male genital area, and on the shoulder blades and buttocks. Scabies in children are found most commonly on the face, neck, scalp, feet, and hands.
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Diagnosis
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If scabies symptoms are present in children they should be taken to a doctor for a diagnosis. The doctor will examine the skin and look for the burrows that often characterize an infestation. The doctor may take a scraping of the skin to be examined under a microscope for evidence of mites or eggs.
Treatment
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Scabies in children requires illuminating the infection with medications, which are applied over the entire surface of the body for a minimum of eight hours. The most frequently prescribed are crotamiton and permethrin. Oral medications may be prescribed for those who are not able to tolerate the creams or when the creams are ineffective. Because scabies is so easily spread the family and anyone who has been in close contact with the child may need to be treated.
Prevention/Solution
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After the child has been treated for scabies the mite needs to be removed from the home to prevent re-contamination. All items made of cloth that have been used recently should be washed in hot water and dried in high heat. Cloth items that cannot be washed and dried at home should be dry-cleaned. Items that cannot be washed or dry-cleaned such as toys should be placed in plastic bags and left alone for several weeks in order to starve the mites.
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