If the mother brings in her child because he has a skin infection, you should start by asking her some simple questions such as 'Does the child have skin itchiness?' Or, 'Does the child have pain from the skin problem?' If the mother answers yes to your questions you should then get more detailed information from her.

Signs of skin infection

Ask the mother:

  • 'Does the child have skin itchiness?'
  • 'Does the child have pain from the skin problem?'

Then, look and feel more closely for:

  • extensive warm, redness and swelling
  • localised warm, tender swelling or redness
  • swelling or redness around the eyes
  • obvious lesions with pus or crusts
  • small swellings on the skin of the hands, knees, elbows, feet, trunk
  • round or oval scaly patches.
Last modified: Thursday, 10 July 2014, 6:12 PM