My 11 Month Old Son Has Impetgio...

Updated on July 17, 2016
B.D. asks from Waxahachie, TX
6 answers

My 11 month old son has impetigo its on his thumb and nose is it okay to put triple antibiotic ointment and band aids on it??

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So What Happened?

Thanks for all the advice!!! I left out that I had already took him to the hospital and got oral antibiotics. I was just wondering if the bandaid where a good idea or if I needed to let it air out..I went to the doctor for the follow up today and the oral antibiotics are working but they gave me a cream to put on as well..I have tried to disinfect everything he touch's but being he is 11 months old he's into everything so I literly carry around Lysol every where we go...thanks again for all the helpful advice guys!!

More Answers

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M.P.

answers from Portland on

It's important for you to get information from a medical source. Impetigo is very contagious. I suggest you try to find where he received the impetigo so he and the rest of the family are not exposed again.

Impetigo is an infection of staph and strep bacteria. Both bacteria have developed resistance to the usual antibacterial treatments. The antibacterial ointment may or may not work.

There is lots of information in the medical sites on the Internet.

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E.B.

answers from Honolulu on

If you are certain that he has impetigo (that is, if a doctor has confirmed it), then I hope that you have been carefully instructed about how to care for the affected areas.

Impetigo is highly contagious. You should wear gloves (disposable, just lightweight plastic) when applying the medication. Since his impetigo is now on multiple locations he may need an oral antibiotic. Simply putting a drugstore antibiotic cream on it may not be enough. Even if he doesn't need an oral antibiotic, he may need a prescription cream.

And yes, often impetigo can be loosely bandaged, mostly to prevent touching it, or to prevent the spread of the contagion. Impetigo can develop into other things - my daughter had impetiginous eczema which then also turned into a serious staph infection (a different one than the impetigo). So don't underestimate impetigo.

Bottom line: make sure you're getting proper medical care for this highly contagious infection, disinfecting things that he touches, laundering sheets and towels and clothing in hot water, using gloves to prevent spreading the infection to yourself and others, and while the infection is in its worst stages, keeping him away from other babies.

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R.K.

answers from Appleton on

Impetigo is very contagious, he caught it from someone or touched a surface contaminated with the germ. If you can't take him to his doctor at least call the nurses line at your local clinic.
When we were little the school my brother and I went to hired a cleaning woman who had impetigo. Shortly after she was hired we and several other kids at the school got it on our butts from sitting on the toilet seats. We went to the doctor and he prescribed an ointment to use. If I remember correctly it cleared up fairly quickly. I remember my mom being extra careful with the laundry so it wouldn't spread.

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/impetigo/ho... This article says he should be seen by a doctor.

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M.G.

answers from Portland on

I think you'd need to get an ointment like Fucidin or something to clear that up, and should be seen by a doctor to make sure it's not something else or not bad (in which case they'd give you oral antibiotics to give him).

You have to take precautions like not sharing towels etc. (you probably already are) because it's so contagious.

If they've crusted over, the sores, you might have to soak his skin first. Our kids had a hand infection not long ago, from their eczema getting a bit infected, and we had to soak to soften skin so that the ointment we were prescribed could sink in.

So best to see a doctor to get it taken care of. Where it's on his face too you don't want scabs leaving scars. Doubt they will, but better to get it treated properly.

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B.C.

answers from Norfolk on

http://www.healthline.com/health/impetigo#Treatment8

It depends how severe it is.
Sometimes just washing with soap and water regularly will clear it up.
See what the doctor says.
I wouldn't be putting any antibiotic ointment on face and thumb when he'll be putting it into his mouth and eating it.

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M.D.

answers from Washington DC on

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