Common back-to-school ailments to watch out for

With the children back in school, they’ll soon be bringing home new art projects, new friends, and new illnesses many parents have never even heard of before.

Classrooms and daycares tend to be ideal breeding grounds for many illnesses that seem to affect only children. Because kids’ immune systems are immature, they’re vulnerable to these bugs, and it doesn’t help that most youngsters are not great at washing their hands and keeping them away from their noses and mouths.

So since bugs and kids tend to stick together like ham and cheese, here’s a primer on some common pediatric illnesses and how to spot them.

Hand, foot and mouth disease

Hand, foot and mouth disease sounds like some kind of animal disease -- and in fact there is a disease called foot and mouth disease that affects cows and sheep. But rest assured, the illnesses are quite different.

Hand, foot and mouth disease is caused by a virus, typically one called coxsackievirus, and most often affects kids under the age of 5, though anyone can get it. It’s highly contagious because it spreads in several ways: through the air, through direct person-to-person contact, or by touching contaminated surfaces.

What to look for: HFMD usually starts with a fever, and a feeling of being unwell. Then, painful sores develop in the mouth, which make it hard for the child to swallow. A skin rash may also develop on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet, and sometimes elsewhere on the body.

There is no specific treatment for HFMD; parents just have to wait for it to run its course.

Fifth disease

Also known as "slapped cheek syndrome," fifth disease, got its name because it was fifth in an old medical list of common skin rash illnesses in children. The illness is most common in kids in daycare under the age of 4 and is caused by parvovirus B19, which is spread by droplets in the air from coughs or sneezes

What to look for: Fifth disease causes a bright-red rash on the cheeks. It might also begin with a mild fever, a runny nose, and might later cause a light rash on the torso.

Once the rash begin, the child is no longer contagious, and the illness will resolve on its own. But pregnant women should avoid infected children since the virus can harm a growing fetus.

Lice

Head lice are every parent’s nightmare. They are tiny insects that live on the scalp and can spread easily in classrooms because of the close contact. Sharing hats and hair brushes can allow them to spread, as can any close head-to-head contact. Lice are remarkably common in kids but they don’t cause illness, and are not sign of bad hygiene, just bad luck.

What to look for: The most obvious sign of head lice is an itchy scalp but many kids don’t have any itchiness. Checking for lice means looking for the the nits, which are the beige or grey eggs that stick to the hair close to the scalp. Treatment can be challenging but anti-lice shampoos, or specially made silicone oil, regular nit combing, and bed linen disinfection eventually work.

Pinworms

Pinworms are another squirm-inducing nightmare for parents. Pinworms are tiny, white, thread-like worms that live in a child’s rectum and that come out at night and cause itchiness around the bum. They can also migrate into the vaginal area and lead to  urinary tract infections. Like lice, pinworms are remarkably common, easily contagious, and not a sign of poor hygiene. They are spread when kids scratch the affected area and then leave the worms on surfaces, where they can survive for weeks before being transferred to the mouth.

What to look for: A child who complains about an itchy bum at bedtime likely has pinworms. A doctor can confirm an infestation and prescribe one to two doses of an oral medication that will kill them. A thorough cleaning of the child’s bedroom will also be needed to destroy any eggs.

Scabies

Scabies is a common skin condition caused by tiny insects called mites that dig into the skin and cause an intensely itchy rash. Like lice and pinworms, scabies can affect anyone, no matter how clean they are. They spread through close contact so typically, all members of a family will be affected.

What to look for: The rash can appear anywhere on the body, but is typically found between the fingers, the wrists or toes. The rash can leave white curvy, thread-like lines on the skin, or tiny red bumps or scratch marks. The itchiness tends to be worse at night. Treatment is simple after diagnosis and involves a medicated skin cream left on the skin for several hours, and then repeated one week later.