Scabies is a skin disease caused by lice Sarcoptes scabiei. Schillies in children can cause the skin to be very itchy and sore from scratching.This disease is highly contagious and needs to be treated immediately.
Lice that cause scabies or scabies can be transmitted if there is direct contact with the patient's skin, sleeping close to the patient, or using clothes and towels worn by the patient. Therefore, if a child has scabies, the entire family should also be examined and treated.
Symptoms of Scabies in Children
When infected, the mites that cause scabies will enter the layers of the skin to live and reproduce. The dirt, saliva, and eggs they leave on the skin can cause a variety of allergy symptoms, such as:
- Severe itching that usually gets worse at night or after a hot shower. If scratched, it will form wounds and scabs, and the risk of causing a bacterial infection on the skin.
- Bumps or blisters on the skin where the tick is hiding.
- The skin is red and a rash appears.
- Scaly or crusty skin.
These various symptoms will only appear 4-6 weeks after the lice that cause scabies attack the child's skin.
In children aged 2 years and over, small scabies bumps usually appear on the hands, between the fingers, wrists, waist, thighs, navel, groin area, and armpits. While in children under the age of 2 years, lumps usually grow on the head, neck, palms of the hands, and soles of the feet.
Treating Scabies in Children
If your child shows symptoms of scabies, immediately take him to the doctor for an examination and get scabies treatment.
To confirm the diagnosis, the doctor will look at the condition of your baby's skin for signs of scabies. If necessary, the doctor will examine the skin sample with a microscope to look for scabies mites.
If your child is confirmed to have scabies, the doctor will prescribe medication in the form of:
- Creams and lotions containing permethrin, lindane, sulfur, or crotamiton.
- Antihistamines to help relieve itching.
- Drug ivermectin for extensive and severe scabies.
- Antibiotics to treat bacterial infections on your baby's skin.
Treatment of scabies in children takes approximately 4-6 weeks, until the disease is cured and the symptoms disappear. Therefore, fathers and mothers need to be patient in treating children with scabies, and do not stop treatment without a doctor's advice.
In addition to treatment from a doctor, also take the following steps to treat scabies in children:
- Get everyone who lives in the house with the child to the doctor so they can be treated. This is to prevent recurrence of scabies.
- Bathe your little one within 8-12 hours after he is given the topical lice-killing medication.
- Do not apply the ointment to your baby's eyes, nose and mouth, unless recommended by a doctor.
- Bathe your little one with warm water.
- Wash clothes, towels, dolls and bedding in hot water (at least 60°C) to kill lice and their eggs. For items that cannot be washed, put them in freezer or an airtight container for several days.
- Iron your little one's clothes, bedding, and towels.
- Dry blankets, pillows, and bolsters for a few days in the sun to kill fleas.
- Trim your little one's nails to prevent infection caused by scratching.
If your little one still feels itchy after the scabies medicine in your child runs out, or your little one gets scabies again after finishing treatment, go back to the doctor for re-treatment.