/assets/images/provider/photos/2756566.jpeg)
When to Seek Expert Care for Your Child's Plantar Warts
Plantar warts, like all warts, are benign growths. That means they’re not cancerous. However, also like all warts, they’re highly contagious.
Plantar warts usually look like a callus on the sole of the foot, presenting with a hard, round inner core. They may also be speckled with black dots, which are the ends of hardened capillaries.
When you find one or more on your child’s feet, you may wonder how they got warts. Unless your child has a weakened immune system, they probably picked up the HPV while walking barefoot in a public space, such as a pool.
At North Park Podiatry, Trent Brookshier, DPM, and Ricardo Navarette, DPM — diagnose and treat plantar warts in children as part of our pediatric foot care services in our San Diego, California, office. Although anyone can get warts, they occur most often in children.
When should you seek expert care for your child’s plantar warts? Here are a few scenarios:
Your child has numerous warts
Plantar warts are highly contagious. If your child touches their feet (and what child doesn’t?) and then touches another area of their body — or someone else’s — the warts can spread. They can also spread the HPV to other people if they walk barefoot in the house or in another public space.
Encourage them to wear socks in the house and always wear footwear outside, including to the pool. Flip flops or beach sandals help them reduce the possibility of spreading warts or contracting new ones.
If your child is too young to follow rules or is picking at the warts, bring them for an evaluation. If your child is older, they may be embarrassed by their warts and want them treated.
Your child’s warts are painful
Plantar warts usually grow inward due to the pressure of standing on your feet.
If they only have one or two warts, you may be able to ease their pain by buying corn pads or moleskin at your local pharmacy. The doughnut-shaped corn pads take pressure off the center of the wart, which tends to be the most painful area.
Also, consider over-the-counter pain relieving medicine acetaminophen or ibuprofen. However, never give a child aspirin, which has been linked to a serious illness called Reye syndrome.
If the pain persists, call us. We may recommend gradual wart removal, either through medications or by freezing, cutting, or using laser therapy.
Your child’s warts bleed or are infected
If you notice signs that your child’s plantar warts have become infected, don’t delay in seeking medical care at our office. Signs of an infection include:
- Red streaks emanating from the wart
- Bleeding
- Pus oozing from the wart
- Increased pain
- Swelling or redness
- Warm to the touch
- Fever
Call us immediately if you suspect an infection or if your child’s pain worsens.
Most warts go away…then recur
If your child’s warts are small, there are only a few of them, and they’re not painful, you probably don’t have to do anything. Most warts resolve on their own within a few months, but they tend to recur.
Encourage your children to wash and dry their feet thoroughly and change into clean socks daily. Make sure they wear footwear on the beach, at the pool, or in the gym or locker room.
If you have more than one child, let them know that warts are contagious. They shouldn’t touch their sibling’s warts, and the child with the wart shouldn’t touch their warts without immediately washing their hands thoroughly.
Are your child’s warts causing pain, embarrassment, or worry? Phone our friendly team today to learn more about plantar wart treatment with pediatric foot care. Or, just use our easy online appointment form.