Rash in a child: How can you tell if a rash is serious? allergy or infectious disease?

Rash in a child occurs as Pimples, papules, spots – such changes very often appear on the skin of a small child. The rash, however, is not equal to the rash. They differ not only in appearance, but also in the cause of their occurrence.

1. Rash in a child – causes and treatment

Parents are usually concerned about a rash on the child’s back, abdomen, hands or face . With the help of a dermatologist, Tomasz Iwanowski from the Invicta Clinic, we take the rashes under the magnifying glass and check what the various pimples mean and whether they should raise our concern.

Agata Dutkowska, Wirtualna Polska: Most children develop skin rashes from time to time. Parents wonder if they should see a doctor with each such condition?

In fact, redness, small lumps, or blemishes appear quite often in young children. If there are no other symptoms, it is a good idea to wait a day or two before visiting a doctor. Some changes disappear by themselves. It may be alarming if, in addition to skin changes, the child has a fever , vomits , complains of general malaise, is excessively sleepy, scratches intensely, etc. It is also worth going to a doctor for advice if the rash or redness persists for a long time .

What are the most common pustules on an infant’s body?

Most often, they are the so-called heat rash , which is small, sometimes red, fluid-filled blisters. They can sometimes itch or sting, but usually don’t cause much discomfort. Changes appear in places exposed to overheating and excessive sweating, e.g. in skin folds, on the back, in the groin.

Prophylactically, it is worth taking care of appropriate, not too thick clothes of the child and avoiding situations where the skin does not reach the skin in selected places. If the condition worsens, it is worth consulting a doctor who will help you choose preparations supporting healing.

Can children also suffer from some types of acne?

Of course. If your newborn has tiny red spots on their face, the color of which becomes more visible when the skin is warmed, it may be baby acne. Generally, it is a minor ailment associated with hormonal changes. It can accompany a toddler for several months, then disappear on its own. Baby acne does not require any additional measures. Intense treatment is not advisable in this case.

What about allergies? Could any food product or environmental factor that a young child’s body cannot tolerate cause these symptoms?

An itchy rash, red patches, blisters, dryness, and peeling of your baby’s skin are symptoms that may indicate an allergic reaction. They may be accompanied by fever, abdominal pain , vomiting, or shortness of breath. Typical changes are located on the abdomen, face, in the folds of the arms and under the knees. It is because the little one’s immune system reacts incorrectly to an environmental factor called an allergen .

Usually, it is enough to avoid the source of the allergy to make the symptoms disappear. In order to take additional measures, it is necessary to identify the allergens (perform appropriate tests). Depending on the severity of the reaction and the cause, your doctor may recommend dietary changes, desensitization, or periodic medication.

Many toddlers also suffer from skin changes around the diaper at least once. Are they abrasions or the result of some disease?

Of course, there may be mechanical irritation of the skin, but more often it is inflammation, manifested by redness and changes in the skin. Young children are often diagnosed with conditions like diaper dermatitis , which is the result of the irritating effect of urine and feces on the skin of the buttocks, genitals, and groin.

In the first stage, such burns result in redness, and gradually the lesions become inflamed, lumps appear, sometimes even purulent wounds. They are usually painful for a child. Unfortunately, inflammation may appear despite proper care, e.g. when a toddler changes his diet or has stomach problems. The most common cause, however, is inaccurate washing and changing the diaper too infrequently .

The appropriate preparation for the care of the diaper area is also important. If the parents’ reaction is quick and the changes are not serious, hygiene, airing the skin more often and changing the baby’s clothes is enough. In case of purulent wounds, see a doctor immediately.

The rashes we see in children most often affect the face, abdomen and back. And what may mean pimples, e.g. on the hands or feet, especially between the toes?

This could be a symptom of scabies . Mites , especially scabies, can cause the disease in a child . A rash then appears on the body in the form of small lumps and sometimes fluid-filled blisters. In addition, on the skin – most often between the fingers, in the bends of the arms and legs, the soles of the feet, on the head and neck – there are several millimeters of grayish protuberances. Symptoms require consultation with a doctor and appropriate therapy with antiparasitic drugs.

The rash is also a symptom of several diseases typical of childhood …

Indeed, skin lesions accompany many childhood infectious diseases. One of them is rubella , caused by a virus. The typical ailment is pale pink spots, occurring in the first phase behind the ears and gradually spreading to the back and breasts. They are accompanied by fever, malaise and enlarged lymph nodes. The symptoms should disappear by themselves after a few days. If they persist longer, it is worth visiting a specialist.

The so-called “three days” , which occurs in children up to 2 years of age, can also cause erythema (red, flat spots on the skin). In the beginning, a high fever usually appears, and after it decreases, after two to three days, the skin changes. The child should drink plenty of fluids, sometimes given some medications to lower the temperature. The disease usually does not require specialist treatment, but it is worth consulting a pediatrician who will rule out possible other causes of the ailment.

So in the end we are left with the bane of all children – intensely itchy smallpox.

Unfortunately not only. Smallpox and shingles are two diseases caused by the same virus. Small blisters appear on the skin, and the rash gradually spreads over the body. After consulting a doctor, painkillers and relieving the itching are given. Measles is another infectious viral disease that affects infants between 6 and 12 months of age .

Initially, on the mucous membranes, e.g. irregular red spots appear in the mouth, which gradually spread to other parts of the body and cause itching. In the treatment, topical preparations for the affected skin and antipyretics are used.

Scarlet fever also causes skin changes; – patients have large clusters of tiny red pimples. The child also develops a fever, abdominal pain, nausea, and a red throat.

Treatment requires antibiotic therapy . As you can see, in some cases, the rash informs us about the condition that requires practically no action, while in others, on the contrary, it is necessary to implement treatment. Therefore, whenever we notice disturbing symptoms in a child, we should consult a doctor.