Childhood Infections Overview
All children get sick from time to time. In this article, we’ll overview methods of prevention of the fifth disease, hand-foot-and-mouth disease, chickenpox, head lice, pinworms, ringworm, and roseola:
- Preventing fifth disease. Fifth disease is actually not a disease but a mild infection. Fifth disease sufferers usually have coldlike symptoms followed by a bright red rash. There is no vaccine for fifth disease, and no real way to prevent spreading the virus. Isolating someone with a fifth disease rash won’t prevent spread of the infection because the person usually isn’t contagious by that time. Practicing good hygiene, especially frequent hand washing, is always a good idea since it can help prevent the spread of this infection, as well as many others.
- Preventing chickenpox. Chickenpox can be prevented by getting the chickenpox vaccine. Doctors recommend two doses of this shot for most children 12 months of age and older who have not had chickenpox. Older children and adults who have not had chickenpox and have not yet had the vaccine can also get the shot. If you have been around a person who has the virus and you have not had chickenpox or the vaccine, you still may be able to prevent the illness. Get a shot of chickenpox antibodies or the vaccine right away. Some parents expose their children to chickenpox because they think it is safer for children to have the illness when they are young which is actually not a good idea, because even young children can have serious problems from chickenpox.
- Preventing Hand-foot-and-mouth disease. HFMD is a highly contagious infection, but its symptoms are relatively mild. It can cause a skin rash or blisters in the mouth and on the hands and feet, but most people recover from this infection in seven to ten days without treatment. Because HFMD is so contagious, it’s best to avoid contact with infected people and to be vigilant about personal hygiene.
- Preventing head lice. The pesky little bugs can be a problem for kids of all ages and socioeconomic levels, no matter how often they clean their hair or bathe. However, you can help to prevent your child from getting lice - or from becoming reinfected with lice - by taking the following precautions: Tell your child to avoid head-to-head contact at school (in gym, on the playground, or during sports) and while playing at home with other children, not to share combs, brushes, hats, scarves, bandanas, ribbons, barrettes, hair ties or bands, towels, helmets, or other personal care items with anyone else, whether they may have lice or not. Tell your child not to lie on bedding, pillows, and carpets that have recently been used by someone with lice. Regularly examine members of your household who have had close contact with a person who has lice. Then, treat those who are found to have lice or nits close to the scalp.
- Preventing pinworms. Pinworm infections can be prevented with good hygiene. Just remind your child to wash his or her hands after using the toilet, after playing outside, and before eating. Make sure your child showers or bathes every day and changes underwear daily. Keep your child’s fingernails short and clean. Tell your child not to scratch around his or her bottom or bite his or her nails. Wash your child’s pajamas every few days.
- Preventing Ringworm. Ringworm is a fungal infection that causes red blotches on the skin. Ringworm is spread through contact with infected animals or people and through objects or soil that harbor the fungus. This infection is easily treated with oral or topical antifungal medicines.
- Preventing roseola. Roseola most commonly affects children younger than 2 years old. It causes a very high, sudden fever, followed by a pink rash. Roseola generally runs its course without medical intervention. As there’s no vaccine to prevent roseola, the best you can do to prevent the spread of roseola is to avoid exposing your child to an infected child. If your child is sick with roseola, keep him or her home and away from other children until the fever has broken. Once the rash appears, the virus is much less contagious. Most people have antibodies to roseola by the time they’re of school age, making them immune to a second infection. Even so, if one household member contracts the virus, make sure that all family members wash their hands frequently to prevent spread of the virus to anyone who isn’t immune. Adults who never contracted roseola as children can become infected later in life, though the disease tends to be mild in healthy adults.