Scabies Treatments

In the earliest days of our baby’s life, we simply to do whatever we can to keep our baby as comfortable as possible to be able to develop freely limiting any issues, as much as we can, along the way.

This is not an easy task since our babies, being new to this world, are very fragile and potentially open to all kinds of diseases that can make their first days, weeks and months a bit uncomfortable. One of the most common things our babies can endure is scabies.

Let’s take a closer look at scabies, how does my baby get it and possible treatments.

How does my baby get it?

Scabies is spread through direct physical contact with others that are infected or being in the same space or area as the infected person. Scabies spread and reproduce extremely fast but they need our bodies to survive. On its own scabies doesn`t last long at all approximately one day or a day and a half at most, but they spread fast and quickly so whenever there is an infected person this is a high-risk area for everyone. In addition, a babies skin is still extremely gentle and can be more prone to these kinds of infestations. For these reasons, locations with several babies or toddlers such as nursing homes or day care centers are traditionally a very high risk for a scabies infestation.

Areas of the body that are most commonly targeted for infestation (and if you see your baby being uncomfortable and uneasy check these areas first) are armpits, behind the knees, inside the elbows, between buttocks, between the fingers etc. Basically anyplace that is a little warmer and protected.

How to treat it?

Luckily, since it is a commonly spread thing there are several remedies that are available to help your baby overcome Scabies Mites.

Initially, it is highly recommended that you take your child to a doctor as soon as you have any doubts that they might have scabies. By early diagnosis and early treatment you will be helping all other parents by excluding your child from any group activities until they are scabies free.

Once the infestation is confirmed by your child’s physician there are a number of lotions and creams they may be prescribed, as well as natural remedies. Most commonly, your child will be prescribed a treatment with permethrin cream, crotamiton cream or sulfur ointment. If the infection becomes more severe antibiotics may be prescribed to help fight the infestation.

In combination with this, you can take some measures to make sure your home is Scabies Mite free.

Mites cannot survive long outside of our bodies so after the treatment starts, be sure to wash all the clothes and bedding of the infected person and vacuum all the surfaces they may have been in contact with.

A detailed general cleaning of the entire house is recommended.

After treatment and thorough house cleaning your baby will be mite free and good to go on new adventures with you!

It can take some time for symptoms to appear this can be from two to six weeks after exposure which usually includes severe and continuous itching. This is more pronounced at night.

What does scabies look like?
• Scabies lesions can present in different forms. The skin may show signs of small insect-type bites, or the lesions may look like pimples or blisters, especially around the wrist, elbow, knee, underarm area, groin, or finger webbing. The skin may also be red or have sores which will become more pronounced due to scratching of the area.
• A “burrow”, a short S-shaped track that indicates the scabies mite’s movement under the skin, may also be visible. This is more evident in the webs area of fingers and toes. Burrows can be very small and are often overlooked. So, scabies also should be considered whenever there is intense itching even without any obvious signs of symptoms as described here.
• Scabies frequently occur in cracks or fissures of the body such as between the fingers and toes, the buttocks, the elbows, the waist area, the genital area, and under the breasts in women. As a general rule the face, neck, palms, soles, and lips are usually not affected, however this is not the case in infants or very young children.
• Risk factors such as immune suppression or old age may predispose patients to more extensive disease. In crusted, also known as Norwegian scabies, the body is covered with a thick, dry, and scaly rash. The rash of crusted scabies may or may not itch, however it may contain millions of mites. Crusted scabies is the most contagious form of scabies and the hardest to treat.
• Many other skin rashes may look like scabies including allergic drug reactions, dermatitis and viral rashes such as shingles.

if you suspect you have scabies please see a doctor, because treatment of the condition requires medication. Also, other conditions may cause rashes that itch, and it is important to have the correct diagnosis when considering treatment options.

Because there are so many diseases that can effect the skin, Scabies can often be hard to diagnose.

One tell tale sign that the itch is scabies and not some other skin disease is the color of the fluid that can be squeezed out of the rash or bumps.

This fluid can help you and your doctor diagnosis it correctly. Read more