Look for tiny linear areas of redness and crusting between the fingers, representing the female mite's burrow. This image displays a track on the skin, known as a burrow, typical of scabies. A child with scabies may have extensive involvement of all body areas. Scabies lesions are small red bumps that are often scratched due to their intense itch. This image displays sores, bumps, and scabs in the finger and wrist area typical of scabies. In infants with scabies, lesions of the soles and ankles are common. A child with scabies will often have a rash with small red bumps and scabs from scratching on the trunk and limbs. This image displays the mite of scabies magnified under a microscope.
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Scabies (Pediatric)  A parent's guide to condition and treatment information

Picture of Scabies (Pediatric): Look for tiny linear areas of redness and crusting between the fingers, representing the female mite's burrow. Divider line
Look for tiny linear areas of redness and crusting between the fingers, representing the female mite's burrow.
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Overview
Scabies is an itchy skin condition caused by a tiny parasite (mite) called Sarcoptes scabiei that can live and multiply (infest) on skin. Scabies is passed between people by prolonged skin-to-skin contact. Scabies is extremely contagious and spreads rapidly in crowded conditions such as hospitals, nursing homes, child-care facilities, and other situations where people spend extended periods of time in close contact with each other.

The itchy rash of scabies develops when a pregnant female mite burrows into the outer surface (superficial) skin and lays eggs. The human immune system is highly sensitive to the presence of the mite and produces a massive allergic response, which causes intense itching. Although a typical infection includes only 10–20 mites, people are so sensitive to the mite that hundreds of itchy skin lesions are created. Without treatment, the condition will not usually improve.
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Last Modified: 22 Dec 2008
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