• Skip to content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • Shop ModernMom
  • Become An Insider

ModernMom

The premiere destination for moms

  • Parenting
    • Pregnancy
    • Baby
    • Kids
    • Tweens and Teens
    • ModernMom Monday Videos
  • Cooking
  • Living Healthy
    • Breast Cancer
    • Health & Fitness
    • Body after Baby
    • Beauty
    • Relationships
    • Love
  • Lifestyle
    • Crafts
    • At Home
    • Education
    • Travel
    • Pets
    • Decorate
    • Money
    • Brooke Burke
  • Celebrate
    • Holidays
      • Easter
      • Valentine’s Day
      • New Year’s
      • Christmas
      • Hanukah
      • Halloween
      • Thanksgiving
    • Birthdays
    • Parties
  • Must Have
  • Contests
  • Entertainment

Baby Ringworm Treatment

December 10, 2010 by ds_9395 Leave a Comment

Ringworm (tinea) has a scary name, but rest assured that there is no “worm” affecting your baby’s skin. Instead, your infant has a fungal infection. Ringworm manifests itself as raised lesions on the skin. These red, itchy marks are often ring-shaped. Although highly contagious, ringworm is easily treatable and is not a serious health risk to your baby, according to MedlinePlus.

Names

Ringworm has different names, depending on where it is found on the body. In babies, it is often found on the scalp and may be confused for cradle cap, which is much more common. Ringworm on the scalp is tinea capitis. When it is found on the body, it is tinea corporis. Ringworm on the face is tinea faciale. Ringworm on the foot is tinea pedis and is more commonly known as athlete’s foot.

Types

Ringworm is caused by fungi which are a member of a group called dermatophytes. Different fungi from this group affect different parts of the body. For example, the fungus that affects the face is Trichophyton. The fungi that cause ringworm of the body and face are found on both animals and humans. They are also found living in the soil. The fungi that cause ringworm of the scalp are found only in animals and humans. Ringworm that appears on the feet is from a fungus that is found only in humans.

Causes

Ringworm can be spread through direct or indirect contact, according to the Directors of Health Promotion and Education website. This means that babies can get ringworm simply by touching a person who has it, or by touching an object that contains spores from the fungus. Sometimes, they can get it from touching infected soil.

Symptoms

Ringworm varies in appearance, but it is usually a slightly red, itchy area that looks much like a rash. The rash may have a raised border that looks like a ring or a “worm” under the skin. Scratching the lesion can make it become larger and more inflamed. If the fungus is located on the scalp, it can cause temporary hair loss in the affected area. Often, there is more than one lesion on the body.

Treatment

The fungi that cause ringworm are easily killed with topical antifungal creams. Oral medications can also kill the fungi. Babies are usually treated with a cream that is applied liberally to the lesion twice a day. The cream should be used until the ringworm is gone, which usually takes between three and four weeks, according to BabyCenter.

Comments

comments

Filed Under: Health/Fitness

About ds_9395

April Sanders has been a professional writer since 1998. She has worked as an educator and now writes academic research content for EBSCO Publishing and elementary reading curriculum for Compass Publishing. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in social psychology from the University of Washington and a master's degree in information sciences and technology in education from Mansfield University.

Reader Interactions

Primary Sidebar

Search

Tell a friend

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
ModernMom Boutique

ModernMom TV

Featured

10 Things Nobody Will Tell You About Having A Baby

After reading "20 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Had Kids," I … [Read More...] about 10 Things Nobody Will Tell You About Having A Baby

Must Have

STEM-related Toys to Include in Your Child’s Easter Basket This Year 

April has arrived which means it’s time to pull out the food … [Read More...] about STEM-related Toys to Include in Your Child’s Easter Basket This Year 

Did you know?

average breast size of a woman

The Average Breast Size of a Woman

How to Fix a Broken Slab of Marble

abdominal discomfort during first trimester of pregnancy

Abdominal Discomfort During First Trimester of Pregnancy

Cook London Broil in an Electric Pressure Cooker

How to Cook London Broil in an Electric Pressure Cooker

Breast Pains & Pregnancy

Breast Pains & Pregnancy

When Can a Baby Hear in the Womb

When Can a Baby Hear in the Womb ?

10 foods to improve sperm count and quality

10 Foods to Improve Sperm Count and Quality

Footer

  • About Us
  • Contact ModernMom
  • Advertise With Us
  • Press
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Contributors

Copyright © 2022 Modern Mom. All Rights Reserved.

Reproduction of any portion of this website only at the express permission of Mom, Inc.

The information provided on ModernMom is for educational use only. It should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.