Skin infections among infants and parental awareness: Is there any relationship?

Introduction: In Mauritius, studies on skin problem are limited to adults only and no reports are available on skin health of infants and toddlers. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of skin problem among infants and toddlers and to investigate whether there is an association between socioeconomic status and education level of parents on skin problem of infants and toddlers. Material and Methods: Survey data was collected from 500 parents that have children between the age of 1 month till 5 years. A questionnaire was distributed to elicit information on family history, socioeconomic and education details of parents, hygiene level and level of awareness of parents on skin problems and data was analysed using SPSS. Results: Skin problems were mostly nappy rashes, eczema and skin rashes. Itching has been noted to be the most prevalent among infants and toddlers with a prevalence of 22%. Socioeconomic status and education level of parents have an effect on prevalence of skin problem. A high percentage of parents possess good knowledge on hygiene, risks factors and concern towards the skin health of the child. Conclusions: There is a high prevalence of skin problem noted among infants and toddlers. Children having parents with low socioeconomic status and low education level have a higher incidence of skin problem. The majority of parents show high concern on skin health of their children.