Dr. Kunle Otuneye, a Consultant Paediatrician at the National Hospital, Abuja, on Wednesday said frequent boils in children could be a sign of malnutrition and diabetes.
Otuneye told the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja that boils in children was also the cause for poor immune system.
According to him, boils are infections of the skin, particularly affecting the hair follicles or sebaceous glands.
He said: “If your child is suffering from the incidence of boils at regular intervals in spite of taking all necessary precautions to stay away from boils, a blood test will be required to know the cause.
“Many children in fact suffer from frequent incidence of boils due to weak immune system.
“The body having a weak immune system fails to resist the attack of the bacteria responsible for boils and as a result of which the child gets infected with boils again and again.
“Children with poor immune system have colonies of bacteria in their nasal chamber due to which they are repeatedly affected by boils.”
Otuneye said other predisposing factors of frequent boils in children could be immune suppression (acquired or congenital), poor personal hygiene and exposure of the skin to irritants.
Otuneye said boils are skin abscesses that are caused by the bacteria staphylococcus aureus, adding that boils can affect the skin of any person no matter the age group he belongs to.
He said incidences of boils in children are quite common as compared to adults.
He said: “The reason of occurrence of boils in more number in children than in adults can easily be detected as boils are prevalent in bodies that are exposed to excessive dust and dirt.
“Children playing in field and mud are more prone to being infected by boils as the bacteria can easily enter inside their skin through the wounds or incisions they are inflicted with.”
Otuneye advised mothers to consult their doctors if their children were suffering from recurrent boils, saying that certain antibiotics or surgical draining may be necessary in order to kill the bacteria causing germs.
Otuneye said bacterial culture could be prescribed if necessary as the culture was one of the easiest means to detect the exact cause of boils in children.
He added: “Children who are being continually suffering from repeated incidence of boils can be because of themselves carrying the germ inside their body.
“Boils in children are quite ugly in appearance.
“They are filled with pus, which gets discharged along with blood when the boil gets mature.
“As a parent you are recommended to be careful while the pus comes out.
“The pus is highly contagious, which has to be cleaned time to time so that it is not allowed to come in contact with the unaffected part of skin.”
Otuneye advised parents on proper hygiene for their children, stressing that prevention was better than cure.
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