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I want to know what I can use to clear the dark spots on my baby’s skin?...anytime she has a bite or a scratch when it has healed up it leaves a black spot on her skin so my 10 months daughter has different black spots on different parts of her body…she is African by the the way. Please I will appreciate your advice on what I can use and where I can find it in kuala Lumpur .
Thank you.
Martina
Asked by Martina - Posted 1 year, 8 months, 1 week, 4 days, 22 hours, 49 minutes ago.
Dear Martina,
Thank you very much for your query regarding your baby’s dark spots.
It appears that your baby may have an Insect bite- induced hypersensitivity (IBIH).
It is an increasing problem I face in my practice. The bites can be from mosquitos, fleas or bed bugs. This is more so if you have a pet or your baby is in contact with a pet.
It is uncommon to see this in infants as this problem usually starts at 1 year of age and gradually peaks. I have however seen this in children as young as 6 months of age.
The dark spot or hyperpigmentation that ocuurs following the bite is more often seen in dark skinned individuals.
IBIH usually affects the exposed areas of the body ie. legs and fore arms. The body, chest and genitalia are usually clear.
There is often a history of allergic disease in the family such as eczema or hay fever.
It starts as a papule (fluid filled skin lesion) often less than 0.5cm diameter then breaks and heals with some crusting and finally a dark spot appears in flush with the skin. There may be multiple such lesions on the skin appearing in clusters (groups).
At times these raw skin lesions may get infected and look pussy (yellow discharge).
These remain for weeks to months but eventually heal with no scarring.
The good news is that your baby will outgrow this problem in time. Most kids seem to outgrow this problem after 10 years of age.
Treatment:
This includes the wearing of protective clothing for outdoor play with judicious use of insect repellents. Families with pets should participate in aggressive flea-control measures for the home, including flea collars, flea medication, frequent bathing of the dog/cat, and frequent washing of personal bedding in hot water. If bedbugs are thought to exist in the home, measures such as laundering bedding and mattress pads every 2 to 4 weeks in combination with applying double-sided tape to the legs of the bed have been shown to prevent bedbugs from becoming long-term residents in their common dwelling places. Although flea and bedbug infestations often respond to these conservative measures, families should consider professional application of pesticide treatments to assure removal of allergens.
Some families have used moisturiser creams and antihistamines with little or varying success.
If you are uncertain how these lesions look or would have noticed that simple creams do not resolve the problem or it worsens in time, then please consult your paediatrician on your next consult. Your doctor may advice stronger creams or oral antihistamines in the short term.
I hope this has been helpful
With kind regards
Dr Sanjay Woodhull
