Molluscum contagiosum

[HHH3]

DS1 (8) has had what I thought were warts behind his knee for a while now (he seems to be prone to warts). Went to the dr a few weeks ago and he thought the same and have antibiotic cream as the area was red, itchy and seemed infected. It got a bit better but never cleared up completely.

It's got worse again so went back to the dr again today and he said it's MC. Has been given more antibiotic cream as still seems infected.

Is there anything else I can do to help or is it a case of waiting it out now? Also he nearly always shares a bath with DS2 (6mo). From what I've read it says he shouldn't share baths. He's going to be really unhappy as he loves sharing his bath with his little brother. As DS2 hasn't caught it do you think it'd be ok to carry on? Or have we just been lucky so far?

To get rid of mc quickly is to remove one yourself by pulling one off. It should clear up rapidly after that.

It's a case of wait it out, but if you can pull out any of the completely gross waxy centres it can speed along recovery.

DS gave it to DD - we decided that not sharing baths was a big thing for them and took a risk. I suspect sharing towels (which DH was not so good at policing) was more of a culprit than sharing water, but not an expert. We also didn't want to make DS feel like a pariah, so kept on with as much normal stuff as possible.

Thank-you. There's no way on earth he'll let me do anything to it!

We all have separate towels so that may be why DS2 (or me) hasn't caught it. However, have been thinking about it and I think I'm going to get him a waterproof bandage. He can wear it in the bath and once I get DS2 out he can take it off so he can wash.

Interestingly, while some websites say to avoid sharing baths, they all say that swimming is ok. Do you think this is because of the chlorine?

My --slightly woo- gp recommended spraying them with colloidal silver which did seem to speed up their disappearance!

My two boys have this too. I've read that tea tree oil diluted and dabbed on the spots can help knock it on the head. I've just started about three days ok and I may be imagining things but they seem better already . It's not an expensive experiment just make sure you dilute it.

DD had them on the backs of her knees. She had 80 at it's worst. She wouldn't let me touch them. We kept them covered always and it was awful. They left scars. We did not let her share a bath with her little brother because I desperately wanted to avoid him getting them. They lasted 9 months. One year later he got them from someone else (afaik it is a very tough virus) but on his face. They lasted 15 months - and scarred - we didn't touch his. It was awful. When I look at photos of him last year I could cry - the spots were so ugly. Now I see a child running around the park with MC all over her legs and scratching them and spreading the virus and I want to scream. Maybe there are worse versions but in our case tea tree oil, Thuja, apple cider vinegar, plasters didn't work. Nothing but time did. There is a thread on here somewhere where a woman in France says that they treat them agressively there and the doctor will remove them (which they won't here). I am desperately sorry for anyone going through this - both my children had an awful time with MC albeit in different ways - DD's used to pop and bleed, a sensation she says she can still feel years later. I believe that DD picked it up in the swimming pool (Though the dr said it was okay I didn't let her swim for the whole time she had it and I didn't send DS to pre-school til it had cleared up) and DS through touch (can't think of any other way for him as he was only 2 at the time)

I've had both my children go through it. First one lasted 2 years, I tried everything I could find including tea tree, colodial silver, terrasil, cider vinegar, nothing worked so i gave up and did nothing.then they just disappeared. When my second one got them she was covered from face to legs, I was gutted for her and so frustrated. But I found out about this stuff called Poxiderm and I applied it once a day after bath time (beware staining of clothes!) they were all gone 4 months later. I swear by that stuff now it really sped up the process. Good luck!