INGROWN TOENAILS IN CHILDHOOD

Symptoms: swollen, red, and painful area near toenail; thin, watery pus from the infected area; raw, red tissue covering part of the nail.

Home care

- Soak the toe frequently in warm water.

- If possible, gently cut out the ingrown part of the nail.

- If the ingrown spur cannot be removed, soak the bandaged foot in a solution of Epsom salts and encase the foot, complete with bandage, in plastic wrap or a plastic bag.

- In the case of an infant, do not try to remove the ingrown nail, but wipe the toe several times daily with rubbing alcohol, then soak in warm water.

- Any time home treatment does not work, consult the doctor.

Precautions

- Be sure your child always wears well-fitting shoes; if the shoes are too small or too pointed they can cause ingrown toenails.

- Show your child how to trim the toenails correctly.

Sometimes the corners and edges of toenails break the skin surrounding the nail. Once the skin is broken, infection can set in. The infection causes the tissues to swell, forcing the corner of the nail further into the toe. This condition is known as ingrown toenail, and it cannot heal as long as the nail remains within the tissues.

The initial wound may be caused by injury to the toe as a result of being stepped on or being squeezed by ill-fitting shoes. Or the nail may have been trimmed to leave a sharp spur at the corner; this spur pierces the skin as the nail grows.

Most cases of ingrown toenails involve the big toes of older children; however, any toe can be involved, at any age. A baby can develop an ingrown toenail by digging bare toes into the crib mattress or into another surface onto which he or she has been placed face down.

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