Overview
For the most part, children are going to come into contact with several health concerns throughout their lives. As children, skin rashes are fairly common. However, if you are worried about this rash, you may want to seek medical treatment so that you can put your mind to ease and receive treatment for this skin rash. The information contained within this guide can help you to determine what type of rash that you may be dealing with. But, if you are uncertain always seek the medical advice of your doctor. The most common rashes that are found in children are usually caused by:
- Eczema
- Ringworm
- Chickenpox
- Prickly heat
- Keratosis pilaris aka “Chicken Skin”
- Scabies
- impetigo
- Molluscum contagiosum
- Hand, foot and mouth disease
- Slapped cheek syndrome
- Psoriasis
- Cellulitis
- Urticarial (hives)
- Measles
- Scarlet fever
With this being said, the most common that are seen in children include chickenpox, eczema, impetigo and ringworm.
Chickenpox
This is a mild viral illness that is relatively common. In fact, most kids get this at some point in their lives. It causes itchy, red spots that will turn into blisters that are filled with fluid. These will crust over to form scabs and eventually they will drop off. There are kids who will have a few spots, while others may have their entire bodies covered.
Eczema
Many children are affected by eczema that causes the skin to become dry, red, itchy and cracked. Most people have atopic eczema which can continue into adulthood. This commonly happens behind the knees, on the elbow, neck, eyes and ears. It is not considered a serious condition. But in later life, if a child were to be infected by the herpes simplex virus, it could lead to eczema herpeticum, which can cause a fever.
Impetigo
This is a highly contagious bacterial infection that causes sores and blisters on the layers of the skin. In most cases, it is not considered serious. There are two types of impetigo:
- Bullous impetigo – This type causes blisters that are large, painless and filled with fluid
- Non-bullous impetigo – This type of more contagious. The sores burst and leave a yellow-brown curst
For children who may have this, they need to visit their doctor to get an antibiotic cream which should help to clear this infection within 10 days.
Ringworm
This is a common and very infectious fungal infection that causes a ring-like infection on the skin. This can appear anywhere on the body. However, it is commonly seen on the scalp, feet and groin. This is not serious and can be treated with antifungal creams that you purchase over the counter. For those who have ringworm in the scalp this is treated with antifungal tablets combined with an antifungal shampoo.