The purpose of this thesis was to create a guide to public health nurses for the identification and care of skin problems of under school-age children. The objective of the guide is to offer reliable information about the identification and care of skin problems of the under school-age children.

The subject matter of this thesis was the identification and care of the skin problems of the under school-age children. The central concepts of the study are the special characteristics of children's skin and skin diseases. The significance of the guide for the field is the promotion of health of the under school-age children and their families. This study offers information about the occurance, curing and preventing of skin problems to public health nurses in a child health clinic.

The method of implementation of this thesis was functional. The study was implemented as a working life based assignment. The commission came from the child health clinic in Kuusamo and the planning and realisation of the guide were based on the needs of the commissioner for the contents and appearance of the guide. The commissioner had a need for a practical guide containing information about identification and care of skin problems in 0 – 6-year-old children.

The practical guide contains information about the care of atopic rash, nappy dermatitis, warts, mollusca and thrush. Also, it offers information about skin care subsequent to baby measles, HFDM and chickenpox. As a conclusion the public health nurses who work in the child welfare clinic can use the guide for identification and guidance of skin problems of the under school-age children. The guide can also be used as a home care instruction or as a general instruction for the care of a child's skin, and prevention of different skin problems. A further study could be a guideline for clinical examining of a child's skin at a public health nurse's reception.