In the first year of my daughter’s life, she was ravaged by a skin condition that was extremely persistent. No, it wasn’t life-threatening, but not having a diagnosis concerned me. At the onset of the problem, we visited our pediatrician, who directed us to buy over-the-counter hydrocortisone. After several weeks of little to no relief, we visited our pediatrician again, who simply advised that we should give it more time and that skin rashes were common in children. I happened to be very aware of that fact, so as you can imagine, the pediatrician’s advice provided little comfort.
Then, one night as I mulled over what else could be done to remedy the condition, it came to me—maybe I should schedule an appointment with the dermatologist. Why not? Whenever a skin malady afflicted anyone else in the family, we sought the help of a skin specialist. Why not Baby?
The next morning I called and scheduled the next available appointment with a local dermatologist, and boy am I thankful I did. It didn’t take long for the dermatologist to diagnose my daughter with a skin condition called Pityriasis Alba.
Pityriasis Alba is most common in children. It is characterized by scaly patches of skin, usually appearing on the face around the mouth, chin, and cheeks, which subsides to leave areas of light patches (hypopigmentation). The duration of the condition can vary from months to years, but thanks to the dermatologist's early diagnosis and prescription of the appropriate medication, my daughter began to heal immediately, although it took a bit longer for the pigment in her skin to return to its true color.
The moral of the story—if your pediatrician’s advice is not producing the result you would like, it is okay to seek the advice of a specialist, including a dermatologist. Yes, rashes are common in the early years of life. Yes, many of those rashes will heal without the use of prescribed medication. There are, however, quite a few skin conditions that could benefit (and may even require) specialized medical treatment. If you have any doubt that your child has been correctly diagnosed, seek a second opinion. You’ll be glad you did.
Komentar