At first, you peg those irritated red bumps on your child’s bum as winter dry skin. And hopefully, that’s the case. But a small study out by Johns Hopkins Children’s Centerpoints to the resurgence of another possible – though rare – culprit: toilet seat dermatitis. Toilet seat dermatitis causes skin irritation around the buttocks and upper thighs. Untreated, researchers say, discomfort can persist and lead to painful and itchy skin eruptions. In a news release, researcher Bernard Cohen, MD, director of pediatric dermatology at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center, said, “Toilet seat dermatitis is one of those legendary conditions described in medical textbooks and seen in underdeveloped countries, but one that younger pediatricians have not come across in their daily practice. If our small analysis is any indication of what’s happening, we need to make sure the condition is on every pediatrician’s radar.”
The study documents five recent cases in children, some of whom were misdiagnosed for years. Initially described in 1927, the condition was blamed on exposure to wooden toilet seats and the associated varnish, lacquers, and paints. As most toilet seats were changed from wooden to plastic in the 1980s and 1990s, and sanitary seat covers became more available, researches say the condition almost disappeared in the US. Of late, some homeowners have been installing toilet seats made from exotic woods and there has been an increased use of harsh toilet seat detergents. In two of the study’s cases, the children’s toilet seat dermatitis resulted from the chemical cleaners being used at school.
To prevent toilet seat dermatitis, researchers recommend the following steps:
- Use toilet seat covers in public restrooms, including hospital and school bathrooms. Such covers are widely available in major retail stores. The researchers add that allergy to toilet seat covers has not been reported in the medical literature.
- Replace wooden toilet seats with plastic ones.
- Avoid harsh cleaners.