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Children's health

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Original poster

Can anyone tell me about mollescum?

20 replies

davidbowiescodpiece · 09/02/2009 17:38

Ds has just been diagnosed with mollescum on his arms and torso and it seems to be spreading. I was a bit to be told that it could last for years. All I am getting on google is pictures of willies so could someone tell me anything about it? The health visitor said to take him t the GP so we have an appointment for Thursday, but she also said they are unlikely to do anything and to think about seeing a herbalist instead. I feel so sorry for ds. This is the latest in a long line of problems with his skin and he's only 8 months old Is it contagious? Will it irritate him? And how on earth did he get it??

OP posts:

Original poster

davidbowiescodpiece · 09/02/2009 19:11

bump

OP posts:

LIZS · 09/02/2009 19:13

It's a virus so he could have contracted it almost anywhere. There isn't any real treatment although if you search MN lots of anecdotal things have "worked" but reality is they tend to suddenly go. Not contagious as such and most people will have had conact at some point.

LIZS · 09/02/2009 19:15

oh and full name is molluscum contagiosum.

curlygal · 09/02/2009 19:23

Hi Codpiece

Try not to worry about it, I was pretty upset when DS started to get these horribler spots all over his torso. I had no idea what it was so took him to GP who told me it was molloscum and gave me a print off explaining it. I had never come accross it before.

I was told there was no treatment and that it would clear up in a few YEARS!

DS has had it for almost two years now (he is three) but most of them have gone - he only has three now - one on neck, one on chest and one an belly. He has quite a few scars - some of which may be from me squeezing them when I got too distressed by the size and pusiness of the spots

They will clear up of their own accord but they can be quite unpleasant if you ask me although they didn;t seem to bother DS much - not nearly as much as my squeezing them with a hot wet flannel. I gave up trying to squeeze them and they did clear up.

GrimmaTheNome · 09/02/2009 19:25

..the full name giving the clue to one of your questions, yes it is contagious but adults rarely seem to catch it AFAIK.

It typically takes about 12-18months to clear up (I know that sounds an age when your DC is only 8 mo!) but its not that bad -DD was a bit itchy but in some ways may better to get it over with before school age, when the child isn't self-conscious about it, which is possibly the worst thing about it.

wideratthehips · 09/02/2009 19:26

ooh its such a shame that your lo has got it at such a young age.....my ds1 has it (hes 4.5) and hes had it for 2.5 years. it spreads around his legs. spots come and go......most of his friends/cousins have had it and it seems to be a right of passage for a toddler. sudocrem helps with the itching.

its a virus

there is not much treatment........dr suggested popping with tweezers (don't do this to your baby...i wouldn't dream of doing it to my son)

he could well have picked it up from swimming......

Original poster

davidbowiescodpiece · 09/02/2009 19:27

Ah, thank you. I am worried as I was only given lots of half information, you know what it's like at baby clinics It does upset me, much like all his other skin problems have, I think because it's not something I've ever had a problem with so I'm at a loss really for how to help. I feel maybe it's my fault somehow that he's got it Do you think it's reasonable to ask for a referral to a skn specialist? His skin has been a constant problem since birth and just when one kind of treatment seems to work, it stops and the problems return.

OP posts:

Original poster

davidbowiescodpiece · 09/02/2009 19:30

wideratthehips, I read that the incubation period can be quite long, and the only time he has been swimming is when he was about 2 or 3 months old, so could be. I am worried now though that he may have picked it up at the baby clinic, where he tends to play with and drool over all the toys. Do you think I should let them know so they can give everything a good clean?

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TrinityRhino · 09/02/2009 19:31

try to feel that hom catching it this young means that it will be gone before he starts school
Thats what hanging onto

dd2 had them and the are just starting to go now, she is 4 in march and has had them nearly two years

gecko has a huge one on her bottom eyelid and a couple in the inside corner of the same eye and more are coming on her cheeks

she was 2 at the weekend, I so hope they will be gone before nursery...

TrinityRhino · 09/02/2009 19:32

thats what I'm hanging onto....

wideratthehips · 09/02/2009 19:33

this is the print out my gp gave me.

your dr may take into consideration your sons other skin conditions re referal.

you couldn't have done anything to prevent it.

i haven't stopped my children sharing a bath even though it could be passed around (don't want ds1 to feel embarrased about it.....ds2 could get it from another source..hes nearly two and no probs yet)

Original poster

davidbowiescodpiece · 09/02/2009 19:34

Ah Trinity, it's hard isn't it. I know there are many, much worse thigns I should be grateful he doesn't have but it just looks so uncomfortable Luckily the ones he has (so far) are on his arms and torso so will remain mostly hidden (til summer at least). And there's also the realisation that people will look and wonder what's wrong- I know I would

OP posts:

EustaciaVye · 09/02/2009 19:35

davidbowiescodpiece - my dd has had it for about 1 year. it started as a cluster of about 18 spots behind her knee and now she has about 8 in random places.

It is a virus. Your baby could have caught it from touching toys or other children. Most adults dont catch it as they already have immunity. Most people get it as children I believe.

The spots will eventually turn red and angry and they look and are sore. This is normally a good sign though as they get angry looking before they 'burst' and then disappear.

Try not to worry.

Original poster

davidbowiescodpiece · 09/02/2009 19:35

That was what I was wondering wider, my ds and dd go in the bath together. She is 4 and so far has no problems, so as long as they continue to have their own flannels and towels hopefully there will be no problem.

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EustaciaVye · 09/02/2009 19:37

my dd2 has bathed with dd1 and hasnt caught it.

JackJacksmummy · 09/02/2009 19:40

My DD had them on the backs of her knees a few years ago, took her to the doctor who said they could last up to 2 years.

I squeezed them like one or two a night which was painful for her but they have not spread or scarred luckily and she has not had any since.

rozzyraspberry · 09/02/2009 19:53

My ds2 had these - I think they only lasted around a year. They started under one arm then spread to the insides of his arms and on his chest. Then all of a sudden they were everywhere (even his willy and testes)but then suddenly started coming off whilst I was drying him and all went. No scars. The worst thing was that I found he got really sore dry skin in the affected areas. I thought he had exzema and got creams and oilatum from the doctor but as soon as the molloscum cleared up the dry patches disappeared.

My doctor said it wasn't actually contagious and there wasn't anything you could do. He did say that if it got really bad he would refer us to a herbalist who could give something to boost immune systems which might help. As for it being contagious my ds1 did get it but only the dry skin and only a few spots - cleared up really quickly with him.

Scratching can spread it so try to get some cream to help with the itching - on the positive side at least he's too young to be self-conscious about it - hopefully they'll be gone before he gets to that stage.

spiderbabymum · 09/02/2009 20:01

Yeah look here .

Google dermnet .

See site Dermnet .nz ........

Search MolluscUm .

Hopefully all you need .

petitmaman · 09/02/2009 20:04

DD had this last year.
Took her to GP who said can catch it but only really from shared water or clothes, not touching etc. also said that prob won't scar but might scar/get infected if they were picked. she did pass them to dd2 (they bath together every night) but it didn't bother eith of them and they were gone within about 9 months.

PrincessButtercup · 09/02/2009 20:08

My DS (5 at the time) had them last year (all around his willy - he'd have made a great medical journal photo case!). They did last about 8 months and though they looked unsightly didn't bother him in the slightest. Not a sign of them now and I was relieved to hear that once you've had them, you don't catch them again.

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