Baby’s skin is very sensitive and is susceptible to infections, especially during the first year. So, if your baby’s skin appears scaly, or if the baby shows a tendency to scratch any part of the body like her head, face, hand, foot, or even the diaper area, and if red patches appear on the irritated area, you can suspect fungal infection. It can be a bothering condition for both mother and her baby. Read on to know about the different types and causes of fungal infections and ways to deal with it.
Fungi are very small parasites that develop in areas such as dirt and on food. Likewise, they can also grow on the skin, mouth, hair and even on the nails of almost all living beings. Usually, these microbes are harmless, yet occasionally they can bring about problems called fungal infection.
Here we are talking about fungal skin infections in babies. In babies, the skin fungi live on the top layer of skin cells or soggy zones of the body, for example, between the toes or in the diaper area.
There are several fungal infections affecting different parts of a baby’s body. As the fungus grows in moist, sweaty and warm areas, the folds of the skin of baby (like armpit, diaper area, and neck) are mostly affected by the fungal infection.
Tinea is the most commonly found fungal infections among the babies. This appears on hair, nail or skin. Tinea initially appears as small red spots and then eventually spread forming a red circle or ring. Hence, it is also called ringworm as it appears like small worms inside the skin. The fungal infection is differentiated according to the part in which it appears.
Both babies and older children can become infected with fungal infection, as it is very contagious. The baby can be infected through physical contact, or by sharing toys, towels, carpets, sheets, hair brushes, clothes, and hats. Pets can carry and transfer the fungus to the baby when you let your baby play with the infected pet. It can even present in soil (moist, sweaty, warm, and unclean skin supports the growth of fungi). Therefore, the chances of your baby getting infected when you take him to a garden or park are high. Swimming pools and other shared spaces are prime spots to pick up these infections.
Fungal skin infections in babies occur when fungi attack the outermost layer of their skin on the body or scalp. Excess sweating in babies only aggravates the infection.
The treatment is based on baby’s age, baby’s health, the intensity of infection and the location of infection. It is very important to prevent the baby from scratching the affected area, as it can aggravate the infection and it can spread to other parts. Never let the baby’s nails to grow. Some of the most common treatment options for fungal skin infection in babies are:
In normal cases, the fungal infections in babies are not dangerous. However, if the baby has a weak immune system, the infection can get into the circulatory system, which is a dangerous condition. This usually happens if the baby is under some treatment for which IV’s or Catheters are induced into their skin for a prolonged period.
Here are some preventive measures to keep the fungal skin infections in babies at bay:
Has your baby ever suffered any fungal infection? How did you deal with it and what measures did you take to prevent it? Don’t forget to share with us in the comments section below.
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