One of the most worrying diagnoses for a parent to receive is “scabies”. It’s natural to feel distressed and ashamed, but scabies are not caused by poor hygiene. They are spread very easily by proximity to someone with scabies, so the condition spreads rapidly between children.
The mites that spread scabies are transmitted onto your child’s skin, where they burrow underneath and lay eggs. The mites which then hatch after about two weeks will cause an intense allergic reaction and rash. If your child has small, red bumps in the webbing between his fingers, inside his wrists, and in the armpit or groin area, along with small lines around them (the trails the mites leave as they burrow) in an S- or Z-shape, this may be scabies.
Another main characteristic is the fact that the itch is always worse at night. The two theories for why are, firstly, because the mites don’t like light and activity, so once you are in the dark, they will move around and reproduce without the risk of falling off and being killed (or so they think). The other theory is that they like the warmth, hence why they itch more when you have exerted yourself and heated up.
Since it takes weeks to develop scabies after infection, it’s difficult to isolate, since by the time it is detected, family members, friends, schoolmates and playmates have probably been infected too.
Once detected, scabies can be treated with a prescription lotion called Elimite to kill the mites. Everyone in the family should be treated, because even if the others have not shown any signs of infection, they are likely infected too (they just haven’t yet developed the rash). About a day after treatment, children are considered no longer infectious, though they can still pick them up again. The only exception is pets — they are not infected with the same type of mite as humans, so they will not have to be treated. There is a type of scabies that affects pets, but it is not transmissible to humans and will only last a few days.
It’s important to wash bedding, recently-worn clothing, stuffed animals, and other cloth surfaces that the mites might be hiding in (they can survive for up to four days!).
Some parents are concerned because, although they treated their child with lotion, the rash still persists. This is perfectly normal, as your child is healing from the allergic reaction to the mites and the eggs. The rash and itching will persist, but if new bumps or burrows appear, it signals that the mites are still alive and another treatment is necessary.
Scabies is certainly an annoying infection, made all the more so by the ease with which it spreads, and painful for the duration of the rash, but it is treatable with some patience and by carefully following the instructions on the scabies lotion. Remember to disinfect everything (and everyone, minus pets!) and you can rid your household of scabies within a few weeks.
Related posts:
Tags: Children's Scabies