Causes and treatment of boils in toddlers
Babies have sensitive skins, and their immune system is still developing. This implies that they are more vulnerable to infections. To stop this, if the weather conditions are unfavorable, babies may develop some outbreaks or rashes on their skins called boils.
A boil is a tender lump that appears on the skin because of some infection in an oil gland or hair follicle. The infection commonly occurs because of a bacterium called Staphylococcus Aureus. The bacteria may be present on the skin and gets passed into the body through small cracks in the skin.
This infection then grows into a boil. In the beginning, the affected skin becomes red, and a lump appears. With time, the lump may turn white as pus starts to accumulate under the skin.
The formation of pus can make the boil quite painful. Boils erupt on the face, back, neck, shoulders, thighs, and buttocks. In some cases, babies may have a fever. Simple boils like a heat boil in babies may be cured by home remedies; but in case of any doubts, it is better to seek professional medical help.
Some of the boils like pus boils can be contagious. They may not only spread to other areas of the body, but also to people coming in close contact may be at risk of getting infected too.
Causes
The infection may be transmissible through the sharing of towels, bedsheets or toothbrushes. Certain medical conditions can also expose a baby to a greater risk of developing boils.
Lack of good personal hygiene, low immunity and lack of necessary nutrients in the body, chemical exposure from the use of harsh soaps, creams or detergents can cause skin irritation.
Treatment
The doctor may conduct a thorough physical examination of the baby’s body to establish whether the infection has spread to other areas of the body or not. The doctor may also test a wad of the boil to rule out any other underlying medical reasons for the appearance of boils. After analysing all the factors, the doctor will present his diagnosis. Occasionally babies are troubled by recurrent boils.
Care
Therefore, it is essential to find out if any family member is suffering from boils and may be spreading the infection to the baby. In case the boil bursts, wipe the area clean with some cotton and antiseptic wash. On drying, cover it with gauze or dressing to prevent the baby from touching it.
Dont squeeze
Resist the temptation to squeeze or pierce the boil as this may result in scarring and spreading of infection to the nearby areas. Boils on the baby’s head can be treated by rubbing alcohol on the area.
This will disinfect the area and can heal the boils which may have developed because of a simple infection. In case of multiple boils on the head, applying coconut oil can prove very useful as it has cooling properties.
