Pattern of Dermatoses in Small Children in a Tertiary Care Hospital

Aims: The aim of the study was to study the pattern of dermatoses in children up to 5 years of age. Settings and Design: It is an observational study done in a tertiary care hospital. Subjects and Methods: A total of 505 patients, aged up to 5 years, attending the department of dermatology, venereology, and leprosy for a duration of 18 months from January 2017 to June 2018 were included in the study. Statistical Analysis Used: All results were statistically analyzed by IBM SPSS software and Chi-square test was used to compare the associations. Results: Preschoolchildren (75.44%) formed the majority. Males (54.65%) outnumbered females. Infections constituted the most (45.94%) followed by eczema (21.98%), hypersensitivity disorders (14.25%), nevi (4.55%), papulosquamous (3.76%), pigmentary (3.76%), physiological and transient noninfective neonatal conditions (3.56%), sweat gland (2.97%), hair disorders (0.59%), and other dermatoses (2.97%). Conclusions: Infections/infestations constituted the most among the dermatoses in children up to 5 years of age. As they are preventable, educating the parents, guardian, care takers, and teachers in the preschool about communicable diseases can limit their transmission and improve the well-being of children.