Every week we ask a health question to a medical expert. This week: My child has scabs and wounds on the face. What could that be? Dermatologist Patrick Kemperman: “We often see impetigo in the autumn months.”
By Dorien DijkhuisWhat exactly is impetigo?
“The official name is impetigo. It is a superficial infection of the skin. You can recognize it by red spots, blisters or yellow or brown colored crusts on the skin. It usually develops on the face, around the mouth or nose. But it can also start on the arms or legs. The wounds do not go away quickly and can form an increasingly larger spot together.”
Impetigo is caused by a bacterium. It mainly occurs in young children, but adults can also get it. It is more likely in people who already have a skin condition. The infection is easily passed from one person to another and is therefore It’s very contagious, it’s more common in the fall, possibly because the air is more humid and kids are sitting closer together and playing indoors again.”
How does the infection progress?
“Children can get the bacteria through toys, through a towel with the bacteria on it, or through the hands of another child or an adult. Impetigo can also spread to other parts of the body because the infection is spread with the fingers. once the wounds are dry or healed, the risk of infection has passed.”
How can you prevent impetigo from spreading?
“Preventing is almost impossible. Neither that a child infects himself further, nor that the impetigo passes on to other children. To reduce the risk, make sure that your child does not touch the spots or scratch them. With very young children, this is difficult to prevent.”
“Cut the nails short and make sure your child washes their hands regularly. Use a clean towel every day to prevent re-contamination. And wash your hands often too.”
If your child develops a fever, feels very ill or has pain in the skin when picked up, it is advisable to call the doctor.
Should you keep your child at home with impetigo?
“Usually there are guidelines at school or at the daycare center. That differs from place to place. It makes little sense to keep your child at home. Usually, more children in the group already have the bacteria with them. Even if nothing is there yet. In order to limit further infections in a classroom or at a nursery, good hygiene measures in the first 48 hours after the start of treatment are extra important.”
“No. Children sometimes have some discomfort, such as itching. But in most cases it goes away on its own within one to three weeks. There are also medicines for it. A cream or ointment with an antibiotic, for example fusidic acid. The cream works bactericidal and the impetigo disappears sooner.”
“There are also antibiotics in the form of pills or a drink. These are often prescribed for an extensive infection or if your child is sick or has a fever in addition to impetigo. If your child develops a fever, feels very ill or has pain the skin when you pick it up, it is also advisable to call the doctor, because there could be something else going on.”
Patrick Kemperman is a dermatologist at the Amsterdam UMC and the Dijklander Hospital.
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