My 4yo old son has this and am thinking my 8 yo daughter does too. We took our son to dermatologist and he was treated with "beetle juice" - it took care of the big ones but he still has some on his arms. For those that kids have this do you just leave them alone and wait until they disappear? Or do you have them treated? Are there any homeopathic or alternative therapies for? If I don't treat how do I keep them from spreading to other kids or to each other??
My oldest son had it when he was 2. It took about 9 months for it to go away. We did NOT use the "juice" as the dermatologist did NOT recommend it with his age.
We put the large band-aids on his legs (he had it behind his knees) to keep him from scratching/itching them.
Keep the clothes clean. Wear pants. (my son started his in the summer!!)
My DS had it for almost a year before it went away.
Our derm said not to bother with treating it. It's more painful and only a spot treatment. It doesn't get rid of the virus so more will just keep coming.
In short, DS was covered in them on his back and butt for about 9 mos. And then all at once, they all burst and healed. That was the last of it for them.
My daughter had them when she was in preschool. We didn't treat them at all and took no extra precautions to prevent spreading. They eventually just went away and no one else in the family got them. It took a looooong time, though, so it takes patience to let it run it's course.
My kids haven't gotten it, but I had it for a couple years. :( My dermatologist said that they best way to get rid of them is to pop them, which I know sounds weird! He said to be really careful because, as you know, it is super contagious. There is a little "seed" inside each bump and you have to get that out and get rid of it. He said afterwards clean the area so that it doesn't spread.
My kids nor husband ever got it and I had it for like 3-4 years I think?? I didn't even know what it was for most of that time so I wouldn't say I took extra precautions or anything. I know they will eventually go away by themselves but it could take up to 5 years, I think.
We have dealt with it for probably 6 years. My daughter had it around her eyes. Only 1-2 at a time, but each one took several months to go away. I never did anything special to keep it from spreading and no one else in the family got it. Our primary doctor is at Mayo Clinic. He advised us to just let it run its course. The only thing they would do is scrap it or freeze it. We tried to freeze one and it didn't do anything. Do not pop them!! It causes scarring and can spread the virus. She only had two that scarred. One my MIL popped and the other one would get irritated whenever she rubbed her tired eyes. The only one that we had trouble with was one on her cheek that got infected after we were at a Disney waterpark. We were referred to dermatology and had to have it scraped and frozen. It was very painful and for weeks she looked like she had a cigarette burn on her cheek. After that one healed up they were all gone. The dermatologist thought it was probably the "mother" one.
Fast forward six months. My son developed some on his back and under his arm. My daughter now has them on her buttocks. I have them on my inner knees. No clue where it came from because my daughter was cleared.
From our experience I would say to just let it run its course.
Hi, I started with a homeopathic remedy I purchased online which I would not do again. All it did was allow the bumps to continue spreading when I could have taken my child to a dermatologist right away to stop the bumps. I then tried freezing the bumps off at the doctor's office which was a nightmare. My child freaked out. A final trip to the doctor's office involved a treatment used in Canada. Overall, we endured over a year of oozing bumps. Band-aids in the summer quickly came off from sweat and the pool. I did inform any potential overnight visitors with young children about molluscum in our home, who all chose to stay elsewhere. I wish the family my child caught molluscum from paid us the same courtesy, because I would have made the same choice to avoid staying in a home with the contagious virus.
Do not pop them because that is how they can spread. They can take months to go away. I used apple cider vinegar for my son and they were gone after 2/3 treatments. You soak a small gauze in the apple cider vinegar, place it over the bumps and cover with a band aid or tape. I did this at night so that he would sleep with the band aids and we would take them off in the morning. They started to dry up after the first night. My son did say that it stung a little bit but it wasn't terrible. My son got them on his arm where he gets eczema so without meaning to, he would scratch his arm, pop the molluscum, and spread it to another part of his body (chest, leg). Good luck!
Our son had it when he was three. The pediatrician said not to do anything, just let it run its course. They were there for about a year and then suddenly went away.
As far as preventing the spread, it doesn't require any special effort. I'd just make sure they don't share jackets or any other clothing, but otherwise, it's not a big deal.
My pediatrician actually had us pop my son's when he had it at age 2 1/2. I had the doctor demonstrate one. They were all around his eye and very painful to pop hard enough to get the cores out, so I did a couple per day while his dad held his head. Then they would bleed, then they'd heal and be gone. The alternative was wait many weeks for them to go away. Due to location we wanted to get rid of them.
My son had them. We did not treat them as per the doctors instructions; he said treatment was painful and ineffective. They went away on their own in a little over a year. He didn't share towels with anyone, and nobody else caught them. They were really no big deal, just little flesh coloured bumps, and they didn't hurt or itch.
