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Diaper Use Increases the Risk of Buttock and Perineal Abscesses
Dante Pappano1, Heather Radu, Michelle Sexton
1From the East Tennessee Children's Hospital, Knoxville, TN.
Insights
Diaper use is a significant risk factor for buttock and perineal abscesses in young children. Reducing diaper use can help prevent these infections.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Infectious Diseases
- Public Health
Background:
- Abscess incidence has increased, particularly in diaper-wearing children.
- Buttock and perineal regions are common sites for abscesses in this demographic.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if diaper use is an independent risk factor for buttock and perineal abscess formation in young children.
Main Methods:
- Case-control study involving children aged 2-4 years presenting with buttock/perineal abscesses.
- Age-matched controls were recruited for unrelated emergency department visits.
- Surveys assessed diaper use, type, brand, and hygiene practices.
Main Results:
- Fully toilet-trained children had a lower risk of abscesses.
- Diaper use solely for sleep did not reduce abscess risk.
- Female sex was identified as a significant risk factor.
Conclusions:
- Diaper use is a modifiable risk factor for buttock and perineal abscesses.
- Interventions targeting diaper use may help reduce abscess formation.
Objectives:
Over the last decade, there has been a notable increase in the incidence of abscesses. Children in the diaper-wearing age group are disproportionately affected, and most of these abscesses occur in the buttock and perineal region. Using case-control methodology, we sought to determine if diaper use itself is an independent risk factor for abscess formation.
Methods:
Cases were patients, at least 2 years of age but less than 4 years, who presented to the emergency department with a complaint of a buttock or perineal abscess. Age-matched controls presented to the emergency department for unrelated reasons. Caregivers of subjects responded to a survey regarding diaper use (toilet trained, for sleep only, or all day), type and brand of diaper, and diaper hygiene-related factors.
Results:
We enrolled 465 patients (93 cases, 372 controls). Fully toilet trained children were less likely to have buttock and perineal abscess than their sleep-only and all-day diaper-wearing peers. Limiting diaper use to naptime and overnights (sleep only) did not confer protection against abscesses. Diaper hygiene-related factors did not affect the risk of abscess formation. Female sex was also identified as a strong risk factor for buttock and perineal abscess formation.
Conclusions:
Diaper use is a potentially modifiable risk factor for buttock and perineal abscess formation in young children.
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