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Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment for Scabies in Children

With inputs from Dr.Sreelekha Daruvuri, General Physician

Updated on: November 2023

With inputs from Dr.Sreelekha Daruvuri, General Physician

Updated on: November 2023

Reviewed by Dr Raja Indana

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Table of contents

Key Takeaway:
– Scabies in baby is a highly contagious skin infestation that is caused by a burrowing mite known as Sarcoptes Scabiei.
– The main cause of scabies in children and scabies in adults is sharing items with other people who might be infected.
– Major symptoms of scabies in children include itchiness, rashes, and sores.
– Treatment of scabies in infants includes natural treatments (such as oils and soaps) and medicated treatment (prescribed by a scabies doctor nearby or a dermatologist at MFine).
– Scabies in infants, children, and adults can be prevented by keeping a safe distance between yourself and the infected person. Also, avoid sharing personal items such as toothbrushes and towels with others.

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Chapter 1: Know more about scabies in children

Scabies is a disease that is growing over time due to an increase in interaction with other people and a lack of personal hygiene. For you to better understand scabies in children and adults, you can go through the points mentioned below:

Scabies is an itchy skin infestation that is caused by a burrowing mite known as Sarcoptes Scabiei.
Scabies is an itchy skin infestation condition that results in rashes, sores, and other serious skin complications.
Scabies affects more than 200 million people globally at any one time, hence it is a widespread disease.
Scabies is a highly contagious disease that passes from one person to another usually through direct contact.
Scabies can also spread through using shared personal items with the infected person. Such an interaction can lead to intense itching and can also cause redness in the skin due to skin infestation.
Scabies does not require any lab tests to be identified on a body. Its symptoms can be observed at home, and hence can be self-diagnosed. However, it is highly advised that you visit a scabies doctor nearby or a dermatologist to get the correct medication.
Both men and women are susceptible to scabies. Hence, everyone needs to follow all necessary precautions to avoid getting infected.
Scabies will take up to eight weeks to show the symptoms after initial exposure. It spreads quickly through physical contact in communities, schools, hostels, hospitals, etc. Hence, treatment is often advised. It can be cured and treated within a few days to weeks.
Scabies in infants: Infants between 0-2 years of age rarely get scabies, but it could result in a widespread rash when they do.
It is important to catch scabies in children before the infestation spreads. Individuals between 3-40 years of age are most likely to get infected by scabies.
Individuals aged 40 and above can also get infected, but it is lower than the rate of infection in the age category of 3-40 years old.

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Chapter 2: Symptoms of scabies in children:

Scabies is very easy to detect due to the nature of the infestation. Hence, the symptoms of scabies in children are also noticeable. The symptoms of scabies in children include:

- Itching: It is the most common symptom of scabies, which occurs mainly during the night. In some cases, the itching can become uncontrollable, resulting in a lack of sleep and tiredness.
- Rashes: It is not uncommon to see the development of rashes in individuals suffering from scabies. Over time, the rashes start developing into small bumps, which can resemble –
  - Hives
  - Tiny bits
  - Knots under the skin
  - Pimples

In some cases, the rashes can also evolve into scaly patches that resemble eczema. This is extremely scary in the case of scabies in baby.

Sores: Sores are blisters, bumps, or ulcers that can occur anywhere on the body. In the case of scabies, regular itching of your rashes could lead to sores. These sores can also get infected and could also be hard or filled with fluid.
Formation of thick crust on the skin: This is an extreme form of scabies and is also known as “crusted scabies” or “Norweigian scabies”. This occurs due to the infestation of mites in the patient’s skin, also known as skin infestation.

Remember to reach out to a scabies doctor nearby if you face any of the symptoms mentioned above, or even if you have observed someone else with the symptoms. To understand more about the above-mentioned conditions of scabies in children and adults, you can refer to our extensive medical condition guides.

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Chapter 3: When can I reach out to a scabies doctor near me?

It is important to detect scabies in children by observing if they develop the habit of scratching their bodies continuously. If there is a presence of itchy rashes on the body, you should immediately reach out to a scabies doctor nearby.

Also, observe if other members of your family are feeling the same itchiness. Please follow the following steps in case of the following scenarios:

Other members do not show symptoms – It is very important to reduce their contact with the infected individual. Also, make sure that they are not sharing any personal items with the infected person
Other members do show symptoms – To reduce the spread of scabies in children, scabies in infant and other family members, make sure to take all the infected individuals to a scabies doctor nearby for a checkup.

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Chapter 4: Treatment of scabies in children and adults

Various treatments of scabies in infants can be used for scabies in children and adults. To begin with, when you observe the onset of the infestation of mites, you can practice self-care in the form of healthy hygiene habits.

Natural Treatment of Scabies in Children and Adults

Natural Treatment	Benefits of the Treatment
Tea Tree Oil	Helps in easing the itching and eliminating the rash
Pure Aloe Vera	Helps in easing skin infestation irritation and burning.
Capsaicin Cream	This cream is made with capsaicin from cayenne peppers and helps in relieving pain and itching.
Essential Oils	These include clove oil, lavender oil, lemongrass oil, and nutmeg oil.
Soaps	Using the bark, leaves, and seeds of the Neem tree will help in killing the scabies-causing mites.

All the home remedies for scabies on babies mentioned above are extremely useful and very effective. Along with the natural treatments of scabies in children and adults mentioned above, you can consult a dermatologist at MFine. They will be able to provide you with a suitable treatment of scabies in children/course of medication.

If you notice any symptoms of COVID-19, you should get in touch with a doctor through an online medical consultation at the earliest. Symptoms of COVID-19 include flu-like symptoms, such as fever, cold, cough, and body ache. It can be helpful to complete a COVID-19 risk assessment test to check for COVID symptoms and early flu symptoms as well.

If you do not see any difference in the symptoms after the initial treatment, it is advised that you should consult a dermatologist at the earliest. At MFine, we are here to help you take steps towards a healthy life. You can also refer to our health packages if you wish to consult any of MFine’s online consultants.

Do these natural treatments seem familiar to you? To treat scabies in children and adults, reach out to a dermatologist on MFine today!

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Chapter 5: Prevention of scabies in children and adults

The prevention of scabies in children and adults can be done by following these steps:

Avoid contact with the infected individual(s).
Avoid using the same clothing articles and bedding material as the infected person, since this is the primary source of the spread of scabies in children and adults.
Avoid sexual contact with the infected individual.
Always remember to dry clean the clothes and bedding of the infected person so that they get disinfected.

Also remember that if you feel that you have had contact with an infected person and/or are experiencing any of the symptoms mentioned above, you must visit a scabies doctor nearby as soon as possible.

Consult the best scabies doctor near you to learn more about the prevention of scabies in children and adults!

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References

How does scabies spread?
Scabies spreads when individuals share their items with other individuals. These personal items include clothes, towels, bedsheets, and blankets. If someone suffers from scabies, then the infestation of mites can pass to another person if there is prolonged contact, leading to the spread of the infestation.

Where on my body can I find the presence of scabies?
There are specific areas on the body that one can observe the presence of scabies. It also varies upon the age of the individual as follows:

Scabies in children and Adults: The specific areas where scabies in children and adults can be observed are –
- Wrist
- Elbow
- Armpit
- Penis
- Nipples
- Waist
- Buttocks
- The area between the fingers

Scabies in infants and Toddlers: The specific areas where scabies in infants and toddlers can be observed are –
- Head
- Face
- Neck
- Hands
- Soles of the feet

Can we observe scabies in cats, dogs, or other pets?
While scabies is highly contagious, there is no need to get your pet treated for scabies. This is because the human scabies infestation of mites cannot survive on the fur of animals, and hence we cannot observe scabies in cats, dogs, or any other pets. they are not able to spread through pets or infect pets. However, do remember to get yourself and your family members treated for scabies even if you are not infected.

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