Are everywhere! Top Prevention Tactic: Wash Your Hands!
By definition, cooties are lice (and one cootie is a louse). But the word has come to encompass an array of microscopic beings, including head lice, pinworms, scabies, chiggers, ringworm and ticks. Here’s a directory to help you navigate the world of these pests.*
Head Lice
Description: Tiny, wingless, parasitic insect. Feeds on blood from scalp.
Symptoms: Can start with a feeling of tickling or crawling on the head, followed by itching and scratching.
Treatment: Over-the-counter medicated shampoo, cream rinse or lotion. Note: Nits and lice need to be removed by hand on children 2 years old and younger.
Prevention: Do not share personal items — from brushes and combs to headbands, helmets and towels. Wash all bed linens and clothing in very hot
(130° Fahrenheit) water; dry on hot cycle for at least 20 minutes.
Pinworms
Description: Intestinal, contagious (but harmless) infection caused by tiny parasitic worms.
Symptoms: Rectal itching, particularly at night. Bed-wetting — caused by pinworms irritating the urethra.
Treatment: Pediatrician-prescribed anti-worm medicine, and an anti-itching cream.
Prevention: Daily bathing and changing of underwear. Hand-washing after going to the bathroom, after playing outside and before eating.
As the weather gets colder and drier, your children could develop eczema — a condition of the skin, which becomes inflamed, red and sore. Children who are sensitive to allergens, such as pollens, molds and dust, are more prone to eczema.
You can help ease the flare-ups:
- Avoid substances that cause skin to become dry and itchy, such as harsh soaps, detergents and lotions with perfumes.
- Bathe your child in warm water with mild soap, such as Dove® or Cetaphil®. Remember, too much exposure to water can dry out skin.
- Gently pat skin dry.
- Moisturize skin with fragrance-free cream, such as Cetaphil® or Eucerin®.
Scabies
Description: Tiny mites’ eggs cause skin infection of small blisters and itchy bumps.
Symptoms: Severe itching, particularly between fingers and toes.
Treatment: Call the pediatric dermatologist, who may prescribe a medicated cream or lotion. An antibiotic also may be necessary if your child develops a skin infection from scratching.
Prevention: Do not share personal items. Wash linens and clothing in hot water. Vacuum thoroughly; discard vacuum bag.
Chiggers
Description: Tiny, red mites with claws that pierce the skin to allow them to inject saliva to dissolve skin cells, which they ingest.
Symptoms: Itchy, red bump that grows and becomes even itchier.
Treatment: Prescribed medication to stop the itching and infection caused by scratching.
Prevention: Insect repellent with 10 percent to 30 percent DEET. Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants when hiking or playing in grassy areas.
Wash clothes in hot water, and take a hot, soapy shower immediately after going indoors.
Ringworm
Description: A fungal infection (similar to athlete’s foot and jock itch) found on the scalp or on the skin, as well as the nails on hands and feet.
Symptoms: Small, pimple-like sore, which becomes flaky, like dandruff. Itchy, red skin with circular, patchy lesions.
Treatment: Antifungal ointment for skin, or oral medication for scalp and nails.
Prevention: Do not share personal items. Wear flip-flops in locker rooms and showers.
Ticks
Description: Blood-sucking parasites. Part of the arachnid family, there are hundreds of different kinds of ticks. The deer tick can carry
Lyme disease, and the dog tick can carry Rocky Mountain spotted fever (although cases of Rocky Mountain spotted fever in humans are rare in this region).
Symptoms: Some redness around bite area.
Treatment: Use a pair of tweezers to remove the tick. Swab the site with rubbing alcohol. The pediatrician may want to see the tick to determine if antibiotics should be prescribed.
Prevention: Wear enclosed shoes or boots and long pants when in woods or grassy areas.
*For more detailed information, go to chp.edu and kidshealth.org