Scabies in Children | Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment

Children are beautiful creatures and because they are always on the move they get in contact with a lot of people. If there is a contagious disease around children are affected with them too and the same is the case with scabies in children. If your child happens to have scabies, then there is nothing to worry about because this disease is curable. But before we talk about the diagnosis, symptoms, and treatment it is important to understand the disease in general. What exactly are scabies in children?

Let us tell you that Scabies in children is a rash-like disease caused by mites’ infestation. Yes, you have heard it and yeah, it’s not an infection. These mites are called Sarcoptic scabiei and they cause very bad bumps, blisters, or itching on the affected person’s skin, especially their skin folds.

If you have a little buddy the disease will mostly attack that little kid, but adults can also have it at any time in their lives. The disease is a highly contagious one and can easily transfer from one person to another if they remain in close contact.

It’s a serious disease and can make parents worried as the rashes are severe and kids face a lot of itching which can irritate them.

 What are the causes of scabies in children

As mentioned earlier the main cause of scabies in children are mites. These mites are really tiny and make tiny tunnels to lay eggs into those tunnels. These eggs then cause rashes and bumps. These rashes can be very itchy and can disturb your kids’ daily lives.

Why do most kids have scabies?

As mentioned above, Scabies is a very friendly disease and likes to go from one person to another. It can spread by close contact. Usually, the disease affects kids and adults equally, but kids go to school daily. They meet hundreds of other kids at school.

There is a high probability that they will come into contact with someone that has scabies. Therefore kids, especially little school-going kids are more prone to Scabies.

How can parents identify Scabies in children?

Do you even get worried about a simple rash or itch on your kid’s skin? If yes you are like all other parents as It’s sometimes confusing for parents to differentiate between a simple itchy rash and scabies. However, let us be clear that these scabies are not just simple rashes and itches that can go unnoticed.

There are some common and visible symptoms, and with the help of those symptoms, you can identify that your kid is having scabies.

• The very first symptom of Scabies that you should look for in your kids is itching. If your kid has scabies, they may have very severe itching that can worsen at night. So, keep an eye on any kind of itching that’s getting worse over time.
• Look for any bumps or blisters that appear on your little ones’ skin. The scabies bumps may look like bug bites.
• The skin may look thickened, scabbed, and scratched
• If you have a very young child, even an infant, you can suspect scabies if they have a rash, are irritated, and are not feeding properly.

Scabies can affect any part of your kid’s body but mostly the rash appears or is severe in the following areas:

• Hands and feet, inside the webs of hands and feet
• In elbow folds or on palms
• Groin area
• Waistline
• In infants or toddlers, the rash may appear on the scalp, neck, face, palms, and feet soles

All these symptoms may not show soon after your kid gets the infestation as the symptoms can even take more than 1 month to show in a child that has never had scabies before. If your kid has already been through scabies their symptoms might show earlier.

How can scabies in children be diagnosed?

You can examine the symptoms at home and somehow tell if your kid has scabies, but You cannot make a sure diagnosis. For a perfect diagnosis of scabies in children, you should take your kid to a hospital where a doctor can make a final diagnosis.

The doctor will examine the rash and assess symptoms and will let you know if your kid has scabies. Some doctors even scrape the rash off to look for mites to be sure about scabies.

When to seek immediate medical help?

You have to seek immediate medical help if your child has scabies, and you notice any of the following:

1. If you see that their symptoms have gotten worse, and they cannot even sleep due to severe itching
2. If you notice that a child has got an infection, you can detect an infection if the rashes are warm, they have swelling pain, and if there is any pus coming out of the rashes.
3. If the kid has a high-grade fever
4. If the child has difficulty breathing
5. If the child has difficulty in swallowing
6. If the child is lethargic and tired

What is the treatment for Scabies in children?

As we all know scabies can spread very quickly so you should try to limit your child at home until his treatment is completed.  Your healthcare provider, any specialist doctor, or pharmacist will recommend a lotion or cream, typically a cream named permethrin. You should apply that cream to your child’s skin while making sure to avoid the area around the kid’s mouth and eyes.

If you have young kids, they can apply the cream on their own but for little kids, you will have to apply by following these steps:

• let your kid have a lukewarm water bath or a shower
• Dry the skin using a soft cloth or towel, do not rub or scratch just pat dry the skin
• Cover all the rashes in cream and do not leave any folds or creases
• Cover the skin thoroughly, especially the genital area.
• This healing cream should be left on your kid’s body for at least 8 to 12 hours.
• If you see that your kid has washed their hands and the cream has also been washed, reapply the cream immediately.
• Wash the kid’s body thoroughly but wait for 8-12 hours after applying the cream.
• Repeat this treatment after 7 days.

Remember the itching can take up to 6 weeks to vanish and you can make it better by using antihistamines or moisturizers. If any of these do not seem to help you can use a corticosteroid cream but with the prescription of your health care provider.

In conclusion, scabies in children is a very scary disease but with proper care and treatment, it can leave your little ones’ bodies. Just try to avoid the gatherings where there is a kid with scabies, and you are good to go.