Warts On Your Child - Types, Causes & Treatments

A wart is a small growth in the skin surface. It can show up any place on the body. It resembles a solid blister or a miniature of cauliflower. In spite of being an annoyance, most warts pose no danger and disappear on their own.

Children contracts warts. Even though they're rare in babyhood, it becomes more and more common as the child grows. Here are some warts facts that each parent should know.

• 10% to 20% of children have skin warts
• Warts more occur in girls
• Warts are common in children between the ages of 12 and 16
• Warts are transmittable but usually are not dangerous
• Black dots on the wart actually are blood vessels that can lead to bleeding

Even though not pose any health hazards, warts troubles children than the elders. While some children are ashamed of this small growth, it can create uneasiness for some children depending on its location (like warts on the soles of the feet). Being a parent, it is important to know the types, causes, and treatment of warts.

Also Read: Wheat Allergy in Babies – Symptoms, Must Know Facts if Raising Allergic Child

What Are Warts?

Warts are harmless and painless skin infections appear as skin growth. Warts are made of skin that hardens as time passes. Usually, warts are of skin-colored but it can be darker as well. They can be either rough or smooth.

What Causes Warts On Children?

The human papillomavirus (HPV) causes warts on children. The virus enters the body by means of skin lesions, cuts or scratches. When this virus invades, the cells in the skin start to grow abnormally fast, forming extra layers that appear like a bump. The virus can stay inactive for some period, therefore warts may appear quite sometime after the invasion of the virus. Warts are contagious and child can contract it through close physical contact or through indirect contact like from a surface that is touched by a person with a wart. However, each and every child who comes into contact with the virus will not develop warts. Only children with lower levels of immunity have more chances of contracting it.

What Increases The Risk Of Warts In Children?

The child is more at risk of contracting warts if:

• The immunity level of the child is low
• Children with unattended scratches, cuts, or wounds on the body
• If the child has the habit of biting the fingernails
• If your child scratches a wart, it can pave the way for more warts on the body
• If the child uses public amenities without wearing footwear contract warts than those who use footwear
• Children who play in playgrounds without wearing footwear can contract warts in feet

What Are The Types Of Warts?

The appearance of a wart depends on its location on the body and the thickness of the skin. These are the common type of warts in children:

Color:

Color:

1. Common warts

   Found on: The fingers, backs of the hands, knees, and elbows Appears as: Small, single, hard bump that's dome-shaped warts. It has a rough surface that resembles the head of a cauliflower, with black dots inside.
2. Grayish Brown

3. Flat warts

   Found on: Mostly on faces, but they can also appear on arms, knees, or hands. Appears as: Can be formed as clusters. A pinhead-sized wart with a flat top. Smoother than other warts
4. Pink, light brown, or yellow

5. Plantar warts

   Found on: Soles of foot Appears as: Hard, thick patches of skin with dark specks. Plantar warts can be as big as a pencil eraser. Plantar warts cause pain when walking

6. Filiform warts

   Found on: Face; Grow on or around the mouth, eyes, or nose. Appear as: Finger-like shape Color: Flesh color

7. Palmer warts

   Found on: Palms Appears: Palmer warts are similar to the common wart Genital warts are another type of warts. However, children will not contract this normally as it is a sexually transmitted wart

When To Take The Child To A Doctor?

You should take your child to a pediatrician, if:

• The warts are painful
• Warts appear over and over again
• Warts bleed
• The wart appears on face or genitals
• The wart develops itchiness

Also Read: Can Spinach cause Allergy?

How To Treat The Wart On Children?

More often the wart in children will disappear within 1 to 5 years without any medical treatment. However, depending on the size, numbers, and locations, sometimes it requires treatment. Here are some treatment plans for wart in children:

1. OTC wart remover:

   This is the first resort. Commonly available over the counter wart removers are: Adhesive pads or solutions with salicylic acid. The success rate is about 75%, but the process may take six to 12 weeks Solutions with propane that "freeze" the wart. The success rate is about 75% after two or three treatments Important note: OTC wart remover is strictly prohibited on any wart on face, lips, and genitals of the child

2. Removing warts with duct tape:

   Place duct tape over the wart and leave it on for about six days. Remember to replace it if it loosens or falls. After one week, remove the tape and soak the wart in water. Gently remove the dead skin from the wart with a nail file. Repeat the whole process until the wart is gone. Patience is the key when it comes to wart in children, as it will take a couple of months to completely remove the wart from your child's skin

3. Cryotherapy:

   This procedure involves freezing the wart with liquid nitrogen and then remove it. Depending on how big the wart is, the child may need anywhere between one and five sessions, that may take around one to two weeks to get rid of the wart. During this procedure, the child's skin gets exposed to extremely low temperatures which can be uncomfortable, and even painful

4. Laser:

   Laser beams are used to destroy the wart. Make sure the procedure is performed by one who used to deal with the wart in children

5. Surgery

   This is the last resort. This method is used, if the wart is too big to be removed through other procedures. This will leave a scar on the site of the wart

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