Parents are always saying, “Don’t scratch that or it’ll get infected…”  But sometimes, the inevitable happens.  Doctors call skin that gets infected impetigo, and it’s most often caused by one of two common bacteria.  If a child’s skin looks infected to you, it probably deserves quick attention, and you want to be the knowledgable person to provide the right advice.  Not every case of impetigo needs a trip to the pediatrician’s office, but if what you’re trying at home is consistent with the advice in this teaching sheet and things aren’t getting better:  act fast.  It’s very common to pass skin infections from one person to another if treatment isn’t started early.