Children may get diseases of the scalp because they have direct contact with each other in settings such as daycare centers and preschools. They may get such diseases when they go to elementary school or simply play together with other children. Because children may have difficulty expressing the exact pain and discomfort they feel, parents need to know what to look for.
Ringworm
Children may become infected with ringworm, a communicable disease spread by person-to-person contact, MayoClinic.com reports. Actually a type of fungal infection, ringworm also can occur elsewhere on the body beyond the scalp. It causes itching and redness as well as the appearance of bald patches. The child will complain of an itchy scalp along and experience circular hair loss areas on the scalp. While anti-fungal medications can treat ringworm, MayoClinic.com indicates these do not help as much as two oral medications, terbinafine hydrochloride and griseofulvin.
Head Lice
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report head lice as a common communicable disease of the scalp especially prevalent in children for the same reasons as ringworm: contact with other children. Head lice present as a tingly, itchy feeling on the scalp and have increased activity at night in the dark. These tiny grayish-colored bugs spread from direct contact with someone who is already infected. The lice lay eggs on the hair behind the ears, near the neck and on the sides of the scalp. They live on the blood of the person. Head lice treatments include specialized shampoos as well as washing and drying clothes in hot water and a hot drier. Killing lice on the scalp must accompany killing them in clothes, bed sheets, blankets and stuffed animals, otherwise, the lice will re-infect the child. The child also may get secondary bacterial infections in the scalp with head lice and may need antibiotic therapy.
Alopecia Areata
Alopecia areata commonly occurs in children and remains as circular patches of hair loss, as reported by American Academy of Dermentology. This disease, related to the body's immune system, occurs and attacks the root of the hair causing the hair to fall out with baldness as the end result. Hydrocortizone shots into the areas of hair loss can help treat it because hydrocortisone shuts down the dramatic immune response that triggered the hair loss. All the hair may grow back and may fall out again.
Cradle Cap
Cradle cap occurs in babies and manifests as patches of shiny, flaky skin on the scalp, MayoClinic.com indicates. It also may appear as thick crusts on the baby's scalp. If the crusted areas move to the neck and chest it requires a pediatrician's evaluation and treatment. Washing the baby's hair every two to three days will help prevent cradle cap.
