Treatment for Molluscum Contagiosm Four Year Old

Updated on October 03, 2008
M.V. asks from Spring, TX
39 answers

My son's pediatrician has diagnosed him with molluscum contagiosm. She has refered him to a dermatologist to have a bubbling agent applied to each one, basically an acid to destroy the wart like lesions. They are on the back of his legs and a few under his arm. He is only four years old and I don't want to burn his skin with acid. Are there any natural alternatives? Has anyone experienced this condition with their child?

What can I do next?

  • Add yourAnswer own comment
  • Ask your own question Add Question
  • Join the Mamapedia community Mamapedia
  • as inappropriate
  • this with your friends

So What Happened?

Thank you for all of the advice I have received thus far and I hope more will keep coming. Yes, this is a virus and caused by a type of pox virus. I guess that is why I'm not sure about burning them off, since more will probably appear until the virus clears up. I did schedule a dermatologist appt., but the earliest they can see us is in two months. I'm hoping before then to try some tea tree oil or thieves on the bumps. Actually, we have determined he has had this virus for about 7 months. At first he just had one under his arm. It turned bright red and popped. I thought it was just a pimple. But, now I know that it was really the beginning of the molluscum. He is not in any pain right now and the bumps don't bother him at all. They are covered by his shorts on his legs and shirt under his arm. I think our pediatrician is concerned that they will continue to spread. That is why she is recommending to burn them off. But, like someone else posted, this is a virus, so burning them off won't be the cure all. I do have an almost two year old and I check him everyday, but I haven't seen any signs of the molluscum.
Jen

Featured Answers

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

S.G.

answers from Austin on

My little girl had molluscum, too. The doctor sent us to a pediatric dermatologist who gave us the option to wait it out. He said that unless she started getting the warts on her genitals or her face treatment was optional. She contracted mulluscum when she was about 6 months, and by the time she was 4 they were all gone. The only evidence they were ever there is some pock marks on her back. If I were you, I'd just wait it out...it worked for me!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

C.P.

answers from Austin on

I saw another post on here awhile ago and a handful of people wrote in about covering them with Duct Tape and that is REALLY works!! He may look silly for awhile but it sounds like a good alternative to a bunch of medical intervention that may or may not work. Perhaps do a google search on MC and Duct Tape and see if you can find any more testimonials.

Good Luck!!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

S.H.

answers from San Antonio on

Good Morning Michelle,

I have not personally had to deal with this skin issue but I looked up this condition on a testimonial page and found someone who was able to treat it with Essential Oils. They used an Essential Oil called Thieves. Apparently this has done the trick for her child. If you need information on how to get Thieves feel free to contact me.

More Answers

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.C.

answers from Houston on

we had the same issue with my son. it took about 3-4 treatments during the year, but now they're gone. we didn't have to go to a derm; our pediatrician just applied the meds in the office. super simple, not painful. you have to wash it off in a certain amount of time. the blisters that form look painful, but they are not. my son was 5 years old and never complained of any pain. our pediatrician made it sound like no big deal and that's how we looked at it, too.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

C.L.

answers from San Antonio on

My niece got this and she never got sent to a dermatologist basically her doctor said it would run its course and it would go away. Its been about 6 months and it now appears it is finally getting better. Maybe you should try a second opinion.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

S.B.

answers from Killeen on

While it may sound extreme it's really the best way to go in this day in age. I've had my warts frozen off and I've had them burnt with acid (they numbed me for the acid, not with the freezing).

It took me almost a year to get rid of my warts with freezing and finally, finally when they suggested a new route I was relieved. The freezing of the warts was excruciating and I had to sit there for 30 seconds with the post of the tool freezing my skin. Plus, I had ample scarring and can still see the freeze marks today.

When they finally did the acid treatment they numbed the area first (which was the most painful part) They put the acid on a large q-tip and woosh it away. I do have scarring but nothing like I did with freezing.

I have a three year old and I know it would be hard for me to make a decision like that with him too. There are all kinds of wart removers at grocery stores in the pharmacy section. They work well too. I have the WalMart brand that comes in a little brown glass bottle. It's gotten rid of a few small ones but I have an old one that I might just have to go back to the doctor for. This stuff burns but it's not as big of a burn as alcohol..less than that..so I would try it for a few weeks before going to the acid treatment.
Good luck to you and your son.

Shaena

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

A.F.

answers from McAllen on

Check out Vit. A. Be careful about dose. Dermotologist told us and they were gone in 2 months. They were warts so might be different. asf

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

K.D.

answers from San Antonio on

Michelle,

I wonder what the reasons are for your aversion to a treatment that will solve your son's unpleasant condition? Are you afraid that "burning" the lesions off with acid will hurt? It doesn't. Do you think it is cruel? It is far worse to continue to let him suffer from the MC that is irritating and unsightly than to have the quick, proven medical fix that gets rid of the problem. Are you afraid of scars? The body is amazingly resilient to ALL types of cuts and burns - especially "controlled" ones. I cannot imagine that he would develop a scar or have ANY tell-tale reminder. I think you should "just do it." He will be glad to have it over and not have to endure natural alternatives.

All the best,
K.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

D.A.

answers from Austin on

Hi Michelle,

I cannot stress enough how you do NOT have to have those lesions burned off. Please try homeopathy with a trained homeopath. I know this condition is very treatable without any pain or burning of the skin. Remedies are very pleasant and will work fast.

Nanette Pavlova is a licensed homeopath in Austin. She works with Birthwise. You can find her through Birthwise's site or I think if you look for her she will have a link to Birthwise and her contact info is there.

Good luck-
D. ;)

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

E.B.

answers from Houston on

Burn them off!! Notice that second word - Contagiosm. They are VERY contagious. My then 3 yr old got them from a friend at school who had gotten them from her twin friends. Then my daughter spread them to my older daughter and eventually my older son got them, also. They WILL eventually go away on their own- but probably not until you have given them to a zillion other people- especially if you have a pool like we do. The doctor said they could spread them by taking baths together or in the pool (or just touching). I spent a million dollars and many,many hours trekking to the doctor's office before the kids quit spreading them back and forth. The younger one didn't really mind them but the older ones- especially the girl- hated how they looked on her legs. (Like a bunch of warts.) The first dermatologist we went to scraped them off after giving us some deadening cream to put on first. That was bloody and painful and more trouble than it was worth. Then we found a good pediatric dermatologist (Nigro Derm- Dr Hanson-offices in Sugar Land and near Buffalo Speedway ) who burned them off- not sure it was acid- think it was more freezing them off with liquid nitrogen. It burned a bit and then they blistered- and it took REPEATED monthly visits to get rid of them all- but after 3 (4?) years of fighting them, they are all gone. If you don't treat them, be prepared to have your son's friend's moms saying "I don't know where he got those molluscum, they are so hard to get rid of."

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

T.H.

answers from Austin on

3 of my kids have ended up with this after either swimming at Anderson Mill pool, or playing on the playscape at McDonalds. Nice eh? There is no cure for it, natural or otherwise, that doesn't involve acid or burning. It's just one of those things that takes months to go away on its own. I'm so sorry your little one is dealing with it. Just take solace in the fact that they don't hurt. DON'T let your ds pick at them though, because if he does manage to pick them open, they can get infected.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.F.

answers from Austin on

Michelle,

If this is indeed a viral issue, Olive Leaf Extract might be a good option for him. Olive leaves are naturally anti-viral and anti-bacterial, and taken as a supplement, have done some amazing things. I've been taking it since last year, and haven't had any major ailments since then. As a matter of fact, I've remained unscathed while the rest of my family has suffered a nasty virus over the last month, causing fevers and ugly digestive issues.
They do make a version for kids, and since I've had such luck with it, I was planning to start my kids on it, when I place my next order.
http://prostores2.carrierzone.com/servlet/ameridencom/-st...

Here are a couple of websites that give more information on it. There is information all over the internet, so please google it yourself to find even further information.

http://www.healthychristianliving.com/olive_leaf_extract.htm

http://www.anyvitamins.com/olive_leaf_extract.htm

Best of luck!
M.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.S.

answers from Houston on

Hi M.,

My then 5 year old daughter had Mollescum and it took almost a year for all of them to go away. It is a virus and most doctors will say that it has to run its course. Some of hers got very irritated so our pedi. gave us some cream called "differin". It's actually an acne cream but it dries out the "pimple". That helped alot on the really red ones. I don't know about burning them off. We never did and now they are gone. And she did not spread it to my other daughter and we have a pool. I would just not let others use his towels, etc. Likes others have said, they do not hurt but they are not so pretty to look at.

good luck,
M.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

V.L.

answers from Houston on

Apply pure vitamin e oil direct from a capsule. This worked for my husband and they too never returned. He did burn some of the lesions at one point and they just came back. Good luck!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

S.W.

answers from Sherman on

My daughter (who was 7 at the time) had molluscum. The doctor kept telling me I could leave them alone and they would eventually take care of themselves. After about a year and a half, she had about 50-60 lesions on her legs and hands. I took her to her pediatric dermatologist and they removed them with very little discomfort. She never complained that it hurt. A few months later, she developed about 10 more lesions and she asked me to take her back to get them "burned" off. I decided then it must not hurt since she wanted to go back! Since then, she has not had anymore. I never tried any natural alternatives but I am sure they are out there and could be beneficial. Hopes this helps if you end up taking him to a dermatologist. I would make sure to use a pediatric dermatologist, they are much better with kids!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

J.S.

answers from Houston on

One of my daughters had this too, we did not go the dermatologist route as we were able to prevent her from scratching and allowing it to spread by covering it up. It does go away on its own, eventually. I would be concern about potential scarring and the discomfort from the procedure. Good luck!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

O.C.

answers from Austin on

Michelle,
Ask your dr about XANTHONES, ask him How these can help, they are natural with NO Side Effects.
www.pubmed.gov is the national library of medicines, the Dr can look this up and find the science to them.
These are great and helps with many skin conditions, like psoriasis, virtiligo, eczyma, it just might help your son

Good luck,
Oly

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

K.T.

answers from Houston on

My son (then 4) had MC last year. Our pedi recommended doing nothing. It ran it's course in a few months. They never seemed to bother him, no itching or anything. They also left no marks after they went away. I have a friend who's son had them. They spent lots of money on prescription meds, and they didn't go away any faster than with nothing. If you freeze them off, you stand a chance of leaving little scars where every one are. We did change towels after every bath to keep from re-infecting. Good luck!!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

H.C.

answers from Houston on

Hi,
My daughter experienced this when she was five yrs old. We went to several dermatologists who said that they do not treat
Mulloscum. Simply its a virus and wait it out. After five months it spread to her private area. It was mainly on her bottom. Thats when I decided to see a Pediatric Dermatologist
at Texas Childrens Hospital. At out first appt, they said it really needed to be treated. ( i knew that already) They used african beetle juice.
And within 12 hours she was completely healed. It was a miracle to us. She suffered immensely from this virus, which btw I believe she got from a public swimming area. I was impressed and happy of how they handled the areas it was located. So my daughter wouldn't be so scared they let herhand the nurse and dr the medicine. I can look up the number for you. The drs name is Alana Bree. I know African Beetle Juice sounds silly, but its true. I just wished I had found Dr. Bree Sooner. Best of luck
H.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.M.

answers from Houston on

My older son had this and while he only had two, we still went ahead and went to the dermatologist and it did not seem to bother him any. Now my 5 year old has them and alot of them and I am worried about putting so much acid on his skin as well. We will probably go ahead and do it because it is starting to bother him now. I will let you know what happens and if you find a natural treatment before, then please let me know.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.F.

answers from Houston on

Michelle, my daughter had them for about 10 months when we went to a dermatologists. She had over 100 by that time. The dermatologists took some liquid nitrogen and froze them (one by one) and then scrapped off the head. She did about 20 to start with. I am not sure if your four year old will sit through this but in one month her body starting fighting them on their own and they were gone. DO NOT USE any type of wart removal - my regular doctor told us to try and all it did was irritate the area.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

S.W.

answers from Longview on

My son had the same condition when he was 8 and the dermatologist we used actually scraped off the "bumps". It was horrible to watch and he said it hurt horribly but was told that was the only way to remove them. He had to go for several visits and each one seemed to have gotten better than the last but still wasn't fun for either one of us. Good luck to you!!! Let me know if you get any other advice!

J.M.

answers from Austin on

Hi Michelle V

I would not want to put acid on their skin either. There is a whole lot of knowledge out there about natural healing.
http://www.creeksideherbhouse.com/
That is my free teaching website, please study the theory page. Also on the reading page, there is a list of books you can get at any library, that will expand upon the knowledge on the website.

My suggestion would be to get them on peppermint tea with raw pure honey melted in it, before cooling. Peppermint will soothe the mucus membranes of the body and will help with their elimination. Get them on a good childrens problitics, that is for life, antiboitics are against life. A good liquid calcium and mineral supplement. Get them off red meat, pork, diary, white flour, and sugars.
Change their diets to more juicing, you can juice carrots, add one piece of celery and one granny smith green apple. That combination will booste the natural immune system, which is the one system that knows what is wrong with the whole body.
There is a lot of recipts on the info page.

If you want to contact me, my information is on the website

Good Luck

Blessings
J. M

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

L.B.

answers from Odessa on

I've used apple cider vinegar to remove regular warts before. It's a natural antiviral. You might give it a shot. I just put some on a cotton ball and taped it on with a bandaid.

Thanks for your post. That's very interesting, and I'd never heard of it before. I appreciate the education and wish you the best of luck.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

K.L.

answers from Houston on

Tea tree oil applied with a quetip 2x's a day is really working with our 2 year old. Good luck!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.S.

answers from San Antonio on

We had these in our house for 2 yrs between my three kids (youngest being younger than two yrs old) and never used an acid. We were using Aldara every other night (we never knew to wash it off as another person said) and then when we got them down to less than 20, the doctor froze them off. It stings a little so what she did was freeze the end of a q-tip and then put it on it real fast. Keep in mind that these do not hurt and will go away on their own...EVENTUALLY! I do sympathize, I know it's just bothersome and a pain since they are contagious to contact.

Good luck,
M.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

R.J.

answers from Houston on

My son had this when he was 11 years old - mostly under his arms. The doctor told us this was more of a viral type thing and that it would run its course in the span of a few months. We were cautioned not to share towels and things like that as it can be contagious. We left it alone and it didn't bother him and it went away on it's own within about 3 months.
Hope that helps - maybe go see the dermatologist to confirm that you can just let it be.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

J.T.

answers from Victoria on

I had warts as a kid and went to the dr to have them removed. they were frozen off. then when i got another a few years later i used compound w ( i think was the name of it). it didnt hurt at all as long as i keept it on the wart and not on the skin. i do not know what molluscum contagiosm is but i hope my wart story helps. keep it on the bump and not on the skin. if any gets on the skin have a damp cloth ready and wipe it off right away.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

B.S.

answers from San Antonio on

My dd had some of these bumps last year and was really hard for her b/c they were on her Face. Well the doctor told us it was MC and referred us to a dermatologist but the wait was 3 months. I decide to buy Silver Cure on the internet. Let me tell you it was the best thing to do. I had her schedule appointment w/ the dermatologist but by that time her MC had cleared up. I hope this helps some of you others out there that have struggle w/ MC.
Good luck

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

J.V.

answers from Austin on

Hi Michelle,
My two sons got these from their cousin. With the older one, it went away really quickly, the other one had them for a year. Our doctor shared our philosophy that we should let his body take care of them as they are not harmful or painful.

If you are worried about spreading them to other kids, I would just put a band aid on the ones that the other kids might touch. From what I understand it is just the stuff inside of the bump that is contagious. He has had friends over and none of them ever got it.

Be careful with some of the advice you get about home remedies. Please check with your doctor before trying them. Sometimes what seems like it would help makes things worse.

J

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.F.

answers from Houston on

my little girl first got these when she was three. We did let the dr use cantherin to burn some of them and it was effective. We did not return for the others, rather we ordered some zymaderm from drugstore.com and have had great success with this product. My daughter is 4 now. Let me know if you want to talk further and best of luck!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

B.R.

answers from Houston on

Hi Michelle,

My son had Molluscum Contagiosum at 2 years old. He suffered greatly from the conventional treatments. At first the doctor "cut" it off with something that looked like a crochet hook (or popping the wart-like lesions off). Then he bled so badly that they put silver nitrate on him to stop the bleeding which turned his skin black, and it peeled off and was raw. He looked like a severe burn victim. His skin was charred. The rash was on his bottom. Then he went through the treatment your doctor is recommending with the chemical. His skin blistered up really big. Then the blisters popped, and his skin was raw again and very sore - vulnerable for infection. He also had some burned off. Because these treatments were so barbaric, they could only do a small patch at a time - thus, prolonging his recovery. My poor child would shake in pain, and I would tell the doctor to stop. But I felt like I had to submit him to the treatments because the doctors told me that the rash would only spread if it wasn't taken care of and cover his whole body.

A friend of mine owns a health food store in Atascita. It is called A Gift of Health and is on 1960. Her sister (who now lives in Hawaii) is an iridologist who tested my son and recommended an herb made by the Pure Herbs company. You can probably purchase it at their store or another health food store that carries Pure Herbs (liquid herbs). I bought a bottle of Garlic and Mullein Oil for under $10. (My co-pays with insurance were more than that!) When I put it on my son's rash, he said "feels better." Because he was still in diapers, I put it on him after every diaper change which was probably about 6 times a day. It took a couple of months, but the rash disappeared and has never returned. I could see it gradually fading. He is now 6 years old and happy to be rid of Molluscum Contagiosum.

If you are not able to find a health food store in your area that carries Pure Herbs, e-mail me personally, and I will give you the company's information and, you could order it on your own (althoug it would cost more).

I hope your son gets well soon.

Blessings,
B.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

D.W.

answers from San Antonio on

Hi Michelle,
My daughter has them (she is 16 and she has them in a very uncomfortable place). Her ob/gyn perscribed Aldera (not sure on the spelling)cream and she has had decent results. The problem with the Aldera cream is that it can only be applied before bedtime and has to be washed off the skin as soon as she gets up out of bed. It's very caustic to the skin. I'm not sure how it would work on a little one's skin. My daughter also had a few of them frozen off in the dr's office. Her gyn said treated or untreated it's a very very slow process to get rid of them. Good luck

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

N.H.

answers from Houston on

www.molluscum-contagiosum.net has some info as does Wikipedia website (wikipedia has a LOT of info & natural possible remedies). Just do a general search on the subject & it'll come up. According to that website, once the lesions are gone so is the virus for that 'pod' since it says that the virus lives in the pods themselves since it's not like Herpes, it won't come back unless he's reinfected. Best of luck to you!!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

C.S.

answers from Austin on

Both of my children had/have MC. My daughter was four when she got it and we treated at first which left ugly sores, uglier than the MC itself. The doctor said it would eventually go away on its own. Before the birth of my son, my daughter was about 5 and I started treating again to try to rid of it before the baby came, because I was told that she could spread it by skin contact with her brother. One doctor told me that they usually don't see it in infants. My daughter's MC went away after a year and a half basically on its own. My son ended up with it when he turn about a year old. (maybe the virus incubated before showing up) He turned two today and has a few still under his chin. They do eventually go away. The ones on my daughter's chin did leave very tiny pits where we treated.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

E.E.

answers from Austin on

We used duct tape. We covered them up for about 6 weeks. It was somewhat difficult on a four year old, but it works. The key is to keep it covered at all times, unless you are changing the tape. We took our son to Walmart and he picked out the color of tape he wanted, they have like 10 colors. Good Luck

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

K.L.

answers from Austin on

My 3yr old son has had this since he was 1 yr old. Our pediatrician kept saying.......it will run it's course in a few months. But as soon as 1 went away, another appeared.

Fast forward to this summer I went to my dermatologist & just asked her about his little bumps. She said if we let him sit in the bathtub w/o cloroxing the tub EACH TIME he is basically just re-infecting himself. She suggested having him stand up & shower for a while. It's been 3 mos & we went from having 4 bumps to only 1 left that's going away.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

G.G.

answers from Austin on

DON'T burn them off with acid or freeze them off! It is caused by a virus and the bumps will simply come back. My son had this when he was six (I believe he got it at the local YMCA pool)and when it started to spread from his belly and genital area to his face, I consulted a homeopath (this was in Santa Monica, CA but you could go to people's Pharmacy here in Austin). They confirmed my suspicions about what it was and prescribed thuja ointment and thuja pellets and silica pellets. On this program he would take the pellets twice a day (they are tiny little sugar pellets so kids can easily take them) and we would spread the thuja ointment on him at night. In the course of one month the bumps turned red and got "angry" and "popped" and then they faded away and he has never had it since. It was painless and CHEAP. I don't recall the dosage of the thuja and silica so please get consultation at people's or with a homeopathic practitioner before self-medicating! Good luck!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.D.

answers from Houston on

Hi Michelle,

I experienced this with my two children. If I remember correctly, it was contagious. My son had it worse. They were around the same ages as your little one. We tried a cream at first, which was expensive and did nothing! Then by the recommendation of the dermatologist at Texas Children's Hospital, they recommended the freezing of the Molluscum. They were also doing a study at the time. I had to pay the outpt fee of like $28, and it was done by the nurses. Yes, it does leave a mark. After the freeze, it will scab up and then fall off. It is about the size of a mosquito bite, so if its on the back of the legs, it won't be visible. Unfortunately, my son had a few on his face. I waited until Christmas break, which was not far off at the time, so that they would heal over the break. They did, but he is now 11 years old and although I can tell where they were, he is fair skinned, noone else notices. So, my suggestion is to allow the MD to take them off with this process because they spread and they just don't go away untreated. All other options just didn't work. If you can find an alternative, that would be wonderful, but in our case after months of trying other options, this was the best one with the best outcome. My daughter had a few on her right shoulder. She has much darker skin and now that she is 9, you can't see a thing.

Good luck!

For Updates and Special Promotions
Follow Us

Related Questions

Related Searches