| Psoriasis
in Children (part 4) Child Psoriasis
Systemic
Medications
Systemic agents such as methotrexate
and cyclosporine are used only in children with severe
psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis.
Biologics
Etanercept has been approved for
children with certain types of arthritis (juvenile rheumatoid
arthritis), and is currently being studied in childhood
psoriasis. |
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| Practical Tips for Treating
Psoriasis in Babies and Infants
Remember, your child's psoriasis
will not, generally, affect his/her general health,
growth and development. Itching is often more common
in children with psoriasis; however, scratching can
aggravate the skin and make the condition worse. Here
are some practical tips:
Keep your child's nails short
and cover hands with cotton gloves as needed.
Baths with oil or oatmeal added
can be soothing.
Bathe in lukewarm—not hot
or cold—water.
Regularly apply moisturizers,
especially after bathing.
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Apply topical corticosteroids,
as prescribed by your doctor.
Oral antihistamines may be recommended
by your doctor and can help reduce the tendency to
scratch. If your child scratches
at night, the nighttime use of antihistamines can both
reduce
scratching and aid in sleeping. A
doctor should be consulted before using antihistamines,
as overuse
can result in excessive sedation.
To treat the redness and scaling
of psoriasis in children your doctor might prescribe
topical
corticosteroids.
Managing Child Psoriasis at School
and at Home
Often the biggest challenge that
children with psoriasis face is the reaction of their
peers. Unfortunately, other children might tease your
child because of the appearance of his/her skin. Therefore,
it is important that you support your child, listen
to his/her concerns and teach him/her about the disease.
If other children are persistently teasing, it might
be helpful to meet with your child's teacher to discuss
the condition. It is vital that teachers and students
understand psoriasis is not contagious. You can discuss
your child's condition with teachers at the beginning
of the school year and follow up with them during the
year. If necessary, you might discuss with the teacher
how best to educate classmates about the condition.
Embarrassment about the appearance
of psoriasis can cause low self-esteem, make your child
self-conscious about his/her appearance and could lead
the child to avoid taking part in social or physical
activities.
The National Psoriasis Foundation
has a Web site with a section for children and teens
that allows them to chat online with similarly affected
kids, which helps them to both cope with their disease
and feel less isolated.
Here are some practical tips for
treating and coping with psoriasis in older children
and teens, and for discussing psoriasis with your child.
Educate yourself and your child
about the disease.
Be direct and open about the
condition.
Reassure your child that feeling
angry, sad and frustrated is normal so s/he can learn
to accept the
disease and not let the condition
have a negative impact.
Help your child become comfortable
talking about psoriasis, not only with you but also
with his or her
doctors, and others who can offer
support.
Emphasize that you can't give
psoriasis to people by touching them or sitting next
to them.
Listen to your child's concerns.
Indicate that there are good
treatments to help control the condition, and reduce
itchiness.
Assure your child that his or
her general health will not be affected, and that the
condition is not life
threatening.
Comfort your child by explaining
that s/he is not alone. Many other children have this
condition.
Your child can continue to do
all activities (sports/hobbies) that other children
do.
Help your child understand that
by following your doctor's routine to treat psoriasis,
the condition
can be kept under control.
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Psoriasis in Children 4
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