MRSA is caused by staph bacteria resistant to methicillin. Children are susceptible to MRSA due to injuries, such as circumcision, and infections around the belly button. Hospital admissions and children’s underdeveloped immune systems also increase the risk of MRSA.
The causes of methicillin-resistant Staph aureus (MRSA) are the same regardless of the patient’s age, but children can be particularly susceptible to some conditions. MRSA in infants and adults is caused by staph bacteria that are resistant to ordinary methicillin, a popular antibiotic that is often given orally in pill or liquid form. While children can have the bacteria on their bodies almost all the time, it only becomes a problem if your child has a wound that becomes infected with this particular type of staph bacteria. One of the reasons MRSA in newborns may be prevalent is simply because of certain injuries that are commonly associated with newborns.
One of the common areas of MRSA in babies is after an injury caused during a circumcision procedure. The National Organization of Circumcision Information Centers reports that male babies are 12 times more likely to get MRSA than uncircumcised babies. Wounds caused by circumcision or any other surgical procedure should be dressed and treated as directed until healed.
Another cause of MRSA in babies is infection around the belly button or the remains of the umbilical cord. This is often a wound that takes a long time to heal in infants, often a week or more. Additionally, many parents may not understand what the area should look like as it heals, which could give the MRSA bacteria a chance to settle in even more. If there is sustained bleeding for more than a few days or the area doesn’t seem to heal, your child should see a pediatrician.
Other hospital or long-term care admissions may also lead to an increased incidence of MRSA in newborns. This is especially true if your child is hospitalized after being injured or receives surgical wounds or incisions once in the hospital. While hospitals strive to maintain as sterile an environment as possible, staph bacteria is found on everyone’s skin and it’s impossible to eradicate it completely. Hospital procedures can be responsible for as many as nine out of 10 cases of MRSA. Antibiotic resistant bacteria are often more prevalent in hospitals.
One of the other reasons MRSA episodes in children can be so high or so worrying is because children have not developed sophisticated immune systems. Thus, injured children may be more susceptible to MRSA than adults, simply because adults have the ability to fight infection naturally. While this is not a direct cause of MRSA in children, it is a secondary factor that makes children more prone to such infections.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
