Rashes on the scalp of a one-year-old girl from Taichung deteriorated into potentially fatal cellulitis, because her mother used the traditional folk remedy of treating skin problems with cooking oil, Tungs’ Taichung Metro Harbor Hospital pediatrician Kao Chia-hui (高佳慧) said.
The child’s mother applied sesame oil to the child’s scalp two times a day in an effort to curb the itching, Kao said.
“However, instead of achieving the effect the mother had expected, the rashes became inflamed and swollen and did not respond to any type of medical ointments,” Kao said. “She took the child to the hospital when the condition continued to worsen.”
Photo: Chang Hsuan-che, Taipei Times, courtesy of Tungs’ Taichung Metroharbor Hospital
Kao said when she removed the gauze covering the girl’s scalp, the ulcerated area was 4cm wide and emitted an unpleasant odor.
Kao diagnosed the toddler with cellulitis, a bacterial infection of the skin that can be deadly if uncontrolled, and immediately performed a debridement procedure and put her on a seven-day antibiotics treatment.
“Sesame oil is traditionally believed to be a home remedy for removing a newborn’s white and yellow scalp flakes caused by seborrheic dermatitis, a common skin condition among newborns,” Kao said. “It is also rumored to be effective in treating skin pustules and moistening dry skin.”
The belief has led to numerous cases in which the use of the cooking oil caused a toddler to suffer allergic skin reactions or bacterial infection due to clogged pores, Kao said, adding that there have also been incidents where the oil attracted insects that bit children.
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