Plantar Warts in Children: Care Instructions

Overview

A plantar wart is a harmless skin growth. Plantar warts occur on the bottom of the feet and may be painful when your child walks. A virus makes the top layer of skin grow quickly, causing a wart. Warts usually go away on their own in months or years.

Warts are spread easily. Your child can be infected again by touching the wart and then touching another part of their body. Others can also be infected by sharing towels or other personal items.

Most plantar warts do not need treatment. But if warts cause your child pain or they spread, your doctor may recommend that you use an over-the-counter treatment. These include salicylic acid or duct tape. Your doctor may prescribe a stronger medicine to put on warts or may inject them with medicine. Your doctor also can remove warts through surgery or by freezing them.

Follow-up care is a key part of your child's treatment and safety. Be sure to make and go to all appointments, and contact your doctor if your child is having problems. It's also a good idea to know your child's test results and keep a list of the medicines your child takes.

How can you care for your child at home?

• Use salicylic acid or silver duct tape as your doctor directs. You put the medicine on every day or put the tape over a wart for 6 days and then file down the dead skin on the wart. You can use the salicylic acid treatment for up to 3 months or the tape for up to 2 months. You may also use both the medicine and the duct tape together to increase the chances that the wart will go away.
• If your doctor prescribes medicine to put on warts, use it exactly as prescribed. Contact your doctor if you think your child is having a problem with a medicine.
• Give your child comfortable shoes and socks to wear. Avoid shoes that put a lot of pressure on the foot.
• Pad the wart with doughnut-shaped felt or a moleskin patch. You can buy these at a drugstore. Put the pad around the plantar wart so that it relieves pressure on the wart. You also can place pads or cushions in your child's shoes to make walking more comfortable.
• Give your child an over-the-counter medicine, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) if your child has pain. Read and follow all instructions on the label. Do not give aspirin to children and teens. It has been linked to Reye syndrome, a rare but serious illness.
• Do not give your child two or more pain medicines at the same time unless the doctor told you to. Many pain medicines have acetaminophen, which is Tylenol. Too much acetaminophen (Tylenol) can be harmful.

When should you call for help?

Contact your doctor now or seek immediate medical care if:

• Your child has symptoms of infection, such as:
  • Increased pain, swelling, warmth, or redness.
  • Red streaks leading from a wart.
  • Pus draining from a wart.
  • A fever.

Watch closely for changes in your child's health, and be sure to contact your doctor if:

• Your child does not get better as expected.