Children who are tired, worried or stressed about something can also get itchy, for example when they go to sleep at night. It can itch all over the body but sometimes it itches in specific places, such as the tail or ears.
Itching of the skin
General skin irritation and dry skin
Sometimes the skin can itch when the child is hot, sweaty, irritated, tired or feeling hungry. Some children get itchy when they get worried and worried. As the baby itches, the skin becomes more irritated and the baby itches more and more. It can itch anywhere on the skin, but most often where it is most hot and sweaty, for example in flexural creases.
Some children have dry skin. They get lighter itching, especially if they often bathe or shower and use soap that is perfumed and wipes the skin.
Allergy and eczema
Atopic eczema, also known as flexural eczema, almost always causes itching in children. If itching is severe, the baby will often tear the skin. The ulcer may become infected.
In case of an allergic reaction, the child often itches. The same applies to hives, which can be caused by allergies but also have other causes. At the same time, the child may have a tingling and burning sensation in the skin.
Contact eczema against, for example, nickel may be another cause of itching.
Swimmer’s Itch
In summer, the water at the beaches can contain bird parasites that are so small that they are not visible to the naked eye. When the baby is bathing, the parasites can drill into the skin, causing an itchy rash. Bathing towels occurs more often after bathing in lakes than in the sea.
Children are more often bathed than adults, as they often bathe longer and stay in shallow and warm water where there may be more bird parasites.
Read more about bathing towels on the Public Health Agency’s website.
Skin damage that heals
When ulcers on the skin begin to heal, it usually tends to itch. Likewise, it can itch when the skin begins to peel after a tan.
infections
Several viral infections cause red skin changes that itch, such as chickenpox. The infection causes itchy blisters which can be very troublesome.
Skin infections, such as fungal infections, can also cause itching.
insect bite
The bite of mosquitoes, gnats, and fleas are common causes of itching. The child then has red, raised swelling on the bite site and in the center can be seen the stick hole.
Scabies
Scabies is a small spider-like animal, a mite that enters the skin and digs passages in the outermost layer of the skin. The corridors are light, thread-thin and a few inches long. They are most easily visible on the hands and feet.
Scabies causes itching, especially at night. Sometimes it can itch so much that the baby tears the skin. Scabies can also cause small reddish bumps, blisters or eczema-like changes.
Itching of the scalp
Itching of the scalp may be due to head lice. You can detect lice by combing your hair over a white surface.
Small children can get dandruff in the scalp, eyebrows and diaper area. It is also called milk sausage and can look like fat, slightly yellowish scales. In older children, eczema is marked as dandruff.
Scalp fungus can occur in children and is similar to dandruff eczema but produces bare patches.
Itching in the tail
It can itch if the skin around the rectum is irritated and red. It is quite common in children who start to clean themselves in the toilet and have not dried themselves. Try washing with a block of mild, non-perfumed soap and using a softening cream. You should not wash too often around the rectum.
The skin of the tail may be infected by streptococci. The skin is then sharply red in a well-defined area and hurts. Girls can have floated. The infection is sometimes called tail flux and is treated with antibiotics.
Spring worm lives in the gut and goes down to the rectum opening to lay eggs outside the opening, where they also hatch. Spring worms cause itching which can be intense, especially in the evening and at night. The worms are white, thread-thin and about an inch long. You can see them at the rectum and sometimes in the stool.
Itching of nose, mouth, eyes or ears
Itching of the eyes, nose or palate is often due to allergies to pollen or mites.