Skin Problems in Children: Treatment, Cost and Side Effects

Children are at a greater risk from all major health conditions, due to the immature immune systems. However, there are a number of varied skin disorders that affect children, which seldom occurs in adults. Even though most of these disorders can be treated quite easily, parents should nonetheless be aware of the conditions.

The most common skin condition in children is chicken pox. Spread by the varicella zoster virus, the condition is very contagious and the affected child needs to be kept isolated from other children or adults, who have not suffered from the same condition before.

Hives is another common skin condition in children, where red spots appear over the skin. It is a kind of allergy, which is caused by certain allergens such as pollen or pet furs. Moles are benign black or brown growths on the skin. These spots do not itch and have no external symptoms and are harmless in most cases. However, these moles may sometime turn malignant, giving rise to melanoma or skin cancer.

Psoriasis is another skin condition that can affect children, although the same occurs in adults as well. In this disorder, patchy and flaky spots appear over a region of the body. There may also be some redness in the surrounding regions.

The treatment depends on the skin disease affecting the child. Most skin disorders in children do not have any lasting impact and may not even require treatment. If the child suffers from chicken pox, he/she will be prescribed paracetamols for the fever that accompanies the condition. Apart from this, topical creams may be applied to provide relief from the itching sensation. Aside from this, warm baths can also offer some relief, while calamine lotions are also useful.

In case of hives, no treatment is necessary. The condition usually last for a few days after which the child recovers completely. Even though medication is usually not prescribed, the child can feel some relief with cool baths and application of calamine lotion on the affected regions of the skin.

Benign moles require no treatment as there is no symptom from the same. However, parents should avoid overexposing the child to the sun, as the number of moles may increase in such a case. However, if the mole in question turns malignant or cancerous, the child will require serious treatment in order to prevent melanoma. Consult your doctor or oncologist, for a better prognosis and treatment options.

Psoriasis in children is also treated with the help of lotions, oils, moisturizers, oral medication and light therapy.

The child is eligible for treatment if the doctor feels that the condition affecting him/her may not go away on its own. However, for most skin conditions including chicken pox, hives and psoriasis, very little treatment is required. Moles do not require treatment of any sort in most cases, unless the mole turns malignant.

If the child suffers from a very mild form of a skin condition, he/she may not need any medical treatment at all. Furthermore, if the child suffers from a simple diaper rash, home remedies may be enough to cure the condition.

Since the doctor knows that any medication prescribed will be used on a child, most creams or medicines are safe to use and do not cause any severe side effects on the child. Calamine lotion for instance is very safe and rarely does a child suffer from side effects from the lotion. However, in rare cases, a child may undergo irritation after application of the lotion.

Post-treatment guidelines depend on the condition. No such rules need to be followed post chicken pox, as the disease has no risk of recurring. However, in case of mole formation, parents should limit exposure to the sun.

Recovery depends on the skin condition that is affecting the child. For instance, complete recovery for chicken pox usually takes between 10 to 21 days. Moles on the other hand may be permanent in case of benign growths.

Usually, the cost of treatment for skin conditions affecting children is minimal. For instance, the chicken pox treatment may be under Rs. 500. The cost may be similar in case of the other skin disorders. However, if the mole turns malignant, the treatment cost will increase drastically. In such a case, parents may have to spend up to Rs. 50,000 for the treatment.

Results are permanent in most cases. For instance the chicken pox will never recur in a later stage of life. However, hives and psoriasis may affect the individual when they are older as well.

Alternatives to the treatment mainly includes home remedies. For children, parents can sometime provide relief by baths with lukewarm/cold waters. Aside from this application of oils may also reduce some of the symptoms.