William Penn Life, 1999 (34. évfolyam, 2-12. szám)
1999-11-01 / 11. szám
C reepy, crawly things—enough to send a shudder through any parent. Add to that skin inflammations and eye infections. Your child frequently is at risk while at a place you normally consider safe: elementary school. Insect infestations (like head lice) and contagious infectious diseases (like ringworm and pink eye) are commonly found in environments where they can be easily transmitted by direct contact among children. These diseases are quite common among all socioeconomic groups and are transmitted simply because children are together in close quarters, which increases the exchange of germs. If your child becomes infected, don't worry about how or from whom she got it. Concentrate on getting her well. Here's the scoop on some unpleasant (but curable) infections your child may bring home from school. Ringworm (Tinea corporis) What it is: A fungal infection that usually appears on the skin of exposed areas such as the face, upper extremities, arid trunk as reddish patches, often scaly or blistered. Ringworm on the scalp can cause destruction of the hair shaft, resulting in bald patches. Causes: Most often transmitted by skin-to-skin contact, or the sharing of combs, brushes, towels, etc. Animals also transmit ringworm, though rarely. Treatment: Prolonged use of an antifungal cream is usually completely effective. Some of these creams are over the counter, others Hey Mom! Look what we brought home from school! Common contagious infections and how to deal with them by prescription. Your doctor or pharmacist can advise you. The cream will not produce immediate results; treat for up to three continuous weeks. Make sure the child bathes thoroughly with soap and water and dries off completely, since fungus thrives in moist areas. If the scalp is affected, oral medications will be required, and treatment is rather prolonged—many weeks is not unusual. Your physician can prescribe an appropriate antifungal medication. Return to school: 24 hours after treatment begins. Head Lice What it is: A grayish, wingless, flat parasite that lives on the host's blood. The lice hatch eggs (nits) that attach to the shafts of hair on the head, eyebrows and even lashes. Lice are hard to notice unless you look closely. If your child seems to be scratching his head vigorously, make an inspection. Causes: Transmitted by sharing of combs, brushes, hats, ponytail holders, barrettes, etc. Lice can also live for one to two days on a couch or chair. Treatment: To get rid of the lice, the eggs (nits) must be removed. There are a number of over-the-counter shampoo treatments that work well. Ask your pharmacist for a recommendation. Most kits also contain a fine-tooth comb used to comb the dead nits out of the hair after shampooing. In reading the package information, be sure the shampoo kills both eggs and lice. Return to school: After treatment, the child can go to school the next day. Conjunctivitis (Pink eye) What it is: Conjunctivitis is an inflammation of the transparent mucous membrane (the conjunctiva) lining the eyelids and eyeballs. It can be caused by viruses, bacteria, allergies, or—in newborns—tear ducts that don't completely open. When it's bacterial or viral, conjunctivitis is dubbed "pink eye" and may be highly contagious. The infection results in red, watery, often itchy eyes, that emit secretions that crust and can cause the eyelids to stick together. Causes: Colds and poor handwashing habits; sharing eye makeup in adolescents. Treatment: A physician can prescribe antibiotic drops or ointment. Return to school: Once the infection has subsided, usually after a day or two. [iVPLl Reprinted from an article found at KidsHealth.org. The Nemours Foundation (c) 1999. Health Links For more information on common contagious infections among children and how to deal with them, as well as a wealth of information on a wide range of children’s health issues, log on to: 3 http://www.kidshealth.org Killian bm Life, November 1999 5
