Psoriasis and children.

August 4, 6:22 PMWaterville Parenting ExaminerCatrina McKechnie

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What is psoriasis?

According to beatpsoriasis.com “an estimated 20,000 children who are diagnosed annually, the spots are actually lesions from psoriasis.” They also say, “Psoriasis appears as raised red patches of skin covered with silvery scales – often called plaques. It is very simply a speeding up of the usual replacement processes of the skin. This process is the same wherever psoriasis occurs on the body.”
In addition to being unsightly, the lesions can be itchy and painful, says Dr. Alice Gottlieb, director of the Clinical Research Centre and a professor of medicine at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Jersey.
"It can be disabling physically," she explains. "For example, if it's on your hands and feet, it can hurt to walk and use your hands. Psychologically, it can also be very disabling because it's very unsightly and is an embarrassing condition to have."

Beatpsoriasis.com also says “The type of psoriasis that most commonly occurs in children and teens, called Guttate, frequently follows an upper respiratory infection, although the infection does not directly cause psoriasis. Lesions from Guttate typically appear on the trunk, limbs and scalp. Other factors that can trigger outbreaks include stress, skin injuries and strep infections.”

Psoriasis is usually treated with shampoos and topical steroids. But Gottlieb says that because the condition is much more common in adults, few psoriasis treatments have approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for children.
Beatpsoriasis.com explains “Children with severe, or disabling psoriasis may be treated with ultraviolet light therapy or systemic treatments such as methotrexate, Acitretin and cyclosporine.”

The important thing is for parents to help their children cope with psoriasis. Children look to their parents to “make it better”. Often time’s children feel that they “look different” and this causes self esteem issues and the child to be rejected by other children, who do not understand what psoriasis is. Some children may feel embarrassed, angry or sad about their psoriasis. Psoriasis at a young age impacts the body’s image more severely than an adult. Psoriasis can be scarring and damaging for the child’s body and mind.

Parents can help their children by learning about the disease. Helping your children includes helping yourself to understand what it is your child may be going through. Ways to help your child include helping your child know that psoriasis is not life threatening, millions of people have psoriasis, psoriasis is not contagious.

As with any condition handling questions and curiosity with an upfront, open attitude will help your child to develop the same sense of confidence and willingness to be open and not ashamed of their condition.

Make sure that your child knows psoriasis is not their fault. Psoriasis has nothing to do with what they eat or hygiene

Help your child understand that psoriasis comes and goes. Sometimes it is gone for long period of times before reoccurring.

Enforce medication usage and any other lifestyle changes prescribed by the doctor.
Encourage your child’s questions and help them to learn whatever it is that they want to learn about the disease.

If your child needs you to listen to them about how this makes them feel, be a support system for them.

Psoriasis is much less common in childhood than other skin problems such as eczema although around 10% of adults with psoriasis seem to have developed it before the age of 10. Guttate and scalp psoriasis are more common in childhood.

Source: National Psoriasis Foundation.