Why does my baby have warts?

As parents, we are constantly learning about our children's lives and we are alert to any changes in their bodies, we check all the time that their bodies are functioning correctly and we are alert to any symptoms, however, there are some that attract our attention more than others, such as warts. In this article you will learn more about this condition that is more common than we think.

What are warts?

They are small areas of hardened skin with an irregular surface. They usually appear on the hands, feet and face, although they can be found on other parts of the body.

The good news is that most warts won't make your child sick or cause any major problems, and if they do bother your child, your doctor can remove them using a variety of treatments or practices.

Why do warts appear?

Warts come from a germ associated with the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), which can inhabit your child's body for any number of reasons, from a wound that has become infected to contact with towels, clothing, surfaces or other people's warts. Warts prefer warm, moist places to reproduce and are not usually seen immediately - a wart can take at least a month to grow, making it impossible to track where and how your child got them.

Although most of the time they are harmless, we need to be aware of the different types of warts so that we can go to the doctor and seek the necessary treatment to eradicate them.

There are usually four types of warts: common, flat, filiform and plantar.

Common warts are characterised by being uniform, hard, light brown or greyish in colour. They grow on the fingers, hands, feet, knees and elbows.

Flat warts, on the other hand, are soft, smooth or very slightly raised. They usually appear in small groups on the face, hands or on the front of the calves. They can be pink, light brown, yellow and are the size of a pinhead. There may be up to 100 flat warts together.

Plantar warts are the most painful, causing discomfort when walking or resting the foot. They are rough, spongy, brown or grey with black dots.

Filiform warts, on the other hand, are those that grow on surfaces such as the nose, mouth and chin, similar to those we see in children's stories and in films with witches and wizards.

Although these are the most common warts, there are other periungual warts and genital warts, the former appear around the fingers, on the skin between the cuticle and the fingers, and can cause very painful cracks, are prone to infection and occur when the child bites his or her nails or hurts his or her fingers. The genitals can get warts for a variety of reasons, including using contaminated toilets, towels or underwear from a person who has them, or contact with the hands of an infected caregiver when changing a nappy or bathing a child. In some cases it may even be a sign of abuse by an adult towards the child.

How do I get a diagnosis?

The paediatrician can do this, but in special cases the paediatrician may refer you to a skin specialist or dermatologist. Depending on the type of wart, a biopsy may be required if the doctor considers it necessary.

We know what warts are and what type they are, but how do we treat them? Most warts go away on their own or with treatment with over-the-counter drugs and cream.

There are many ways to treat warts and they are usually for these reasons: the area where the wart is, how long the child has had them and whether or not they are growing. With this in mind the doctor may prescribe: salicylic acid cream or other topical irritant medications, freezing the wart with liquid nitrogen - cryogenics, removing the wart with laser surgery or scalpel, electrocautery of the wart.

How can I prevent my child from becoming contaminated and developing warts?

Maintain excellent hygiene, be careful to dry the body after bathing, paying special attention to the areas where warts appear, get your child used to not lending clothes, towels, even less shoes or underwear. Ask them to always wear shoes, slippers or flip-flops in swimming pools, even indoors, so that they do not develop plantar warts.

If in doubt, the best thing to do is to call your paediatrician, take your child for a consultation and rule them out.