07 Jul 2023 at 09:27Update: 2 days ago
More and more young children from zero to four years old have impetigo. The contagious infection, which causes wounds and blisters that usually appear on the face and are extremely itchy, is increasingly being seen by general practitioners.
Impetigo is caused by the so-called Staphylococcus aureus bacteria or the Group A streptococcus bacteria. According to the RIVM, the fact that more and more children are now walking around with the infection comes at a remarkable time.
“We are at a high level, we normally see such an increase in the autumn,” a spokesperson tells NU.nl. Currently, health institute Nivel sees that more than 300 children are infected per 100,000 children aged zero to four years. Normally that number is around 150.
“The increase may be due to the beautiful weather of recent times,” says Mariëtte Hooiveld, researcher at Nivel. “Children go outside more, wear less clothes and go swimming together. The chance of skin-to-skin contact occurring is greater.”
Since the wounds itch so much, it is difficult for children to stay away from them. “We also see an increase in older children, but it is less strong. They can control themselves better not to scratch.”
No major worries, but more attention for young mothers
RIVM is not yet very concerned. “We keep a close eye on this, because it is bad,” says the spokesperson. “But we don’t see cluster formation yet.” Clusters are places or areas where the disease is exceptionally common.
Women who have just given birth have to pay attention and are therefore closely monitored. “Mothers who have just had a child are susceptible to puerperal fever,” explains Hooiveld. This infection is caused by the same bacteria as impetigo. Young mothers with children who are walking around with impetigo should therefore make sure that there is no skin-to-skin contact during the contagious phase.
It is also very annoying for children because the wounds itch so much. Your doctor can prescribe an antibiotic cream to clear the infection.
Foto: Getty Images
2023-07-07 07:27:45
#GPs #young #children #impetigo #NU.nl
