Impetigo
by JustinIf you have a child, you need to know about impetigo. Impetigo is a bacterial skin infection. It causes little red blisters that eventually burst to leave moist skin and then form a golden crust that spreads outward. Most children contract this disease around their mouth or nose and their arms or legs. Impetigo is contracted by coming in contact with the disease when they have an open wound. Usually the infection is passed by another child that has the infection. However the bacteria that causes this affliction can be found anywhere. It can even be spread by your child bathing in a tub with a fresh wound or scratch.
If impetigo goes untreated then serious and permanent problems can develop. The blisters that eventually burst can penetrate the deeper layers of the skin and cause ulcers that are very itchy. Scratching the ulcers will then cause the bacteria to spread easier and faster and soon your child may be riddled in these ulcers, called ecthyma. These ulcers, because they are so deep, can cause permanent pigment changes or scars. There is also a severe kidney infection that occurs in 2% to 5% of those with echthyma or impetigo, and those most susceptible are children. However, most that contract this kidney disease will fully recover after treatment.
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