Different kinds of rash in children
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
All iLive content is medically reviewed or fact checked to ensure as much factual accuracy as possible.
We have strict sourcing guidelines and only link to reputable media sites, academic research institutions and, whenever possible, medically peer reviewed studies. Note that the numbers in parentheses ([1], [2], etc.) are clickable links to these studies.
If you feel that any of our content is inaccurate, out-of-date, or otherwise questionable, please select it and press Ctrl + Enter.
If your child has a rash, it is necessary to see a doctor. Rashes caused by the same diseases are so different in different people that even specialists in skin diseases can sometimes be difficult to diagnose. Therefore, our goal is to give a general idea of the different types of rash.
Sweat. It occurs in children with the onset of hot weather. It begins around the neck and on the shoulders in the form of a cluster of small beige-pink pimples, on some of them appear tiny bubbles.
Intertrigo. It appears only on those parts of the skin where the urine enters. By appearance, intertrigo is a pink and red areas of different sizes or rough red spots.
Eczema. Red rough spots on the skin, which first disappear then appear again. With severe eczema, the spots are flaky, itchy and crusty. In infants, eczema usually begins on the cheeks, at the end of the first year - on the body, and after a year - on the knees and elbows.
Hives are blisters fairly uniformly covering the body or single (similar to a mosquito bite) and causing itching.
Bites of insect bites. They are different: from large swollen tumors to a small spot of dried blood without any tumor. Most places of bites have one common feature: in the center there is always a tiny hole or a tubercle in the place where the stinger penetrated. Typically, bites are exposed to exposed skin. If the bite site is very itchy or sore, you can grease it with a paste made from soda and water. If this does not help, you can try to soak this place with vinegar. With bee stings, first you need to remove the sting, and then do what was written before. In addition, we must remember that the bites of insects, especially bees, wasps, hornets, bumblebees, can cause a general allergic reaction - Quincke's edema, bronchospasm and even anaphylactic shock. Therefore it is desirable to give the child as soon as possible suprastin (from a quarter to one tablet depending on the age), tavegil, fenkarol or other antihistamine, but it's best to see a doctor.
Scabies. The accumulation of pimples, covered with crusts, and many traces of scratching, indicate the presence of an itch mite inside the skin. Pimples are usually located in pairs and are unbearably itch. Typical localization of the rash - the back of the hand, abdomen, genitals. Scabies are contagious and need treatment.
Ringworm. These are round spots of rough skin, usually the size of a penny. The edges of the leaves are covered with small tubercles. Ringworm on the head - it's rounded spots of scaly skin, devoid of hair. Ringworm is a fungal disease, it is contagious and requires treatment.
Impetigo (pustular skin disease). In a child who has emerged from infancy, impetigo is a crust of partially brown and yellow color. Generally speaking, crusts on the face, as a rule, represent impetigo. The disease begins with the appearance of a pimple with a yellowish or white tiny bubble, which the child soon combs. The vial, or rather, the pustule bursts, and in its place a crust appears. Pustules appear on the face and on those parts of the body where the hands will infect the infection. Impetigo quickly spreads, if not treated, and contagious to others.
In newborns, pustular diseases proceed somewhat differently. First a very small pustule appears, containing pus. Around the pustules, the skin turns red. It quickly bursts and skin erosion is formed, and not a crust. This disease is called vesiculopustulosis and refers to those diseases of the newborn that can lead to sepsis. It requires urgent medical attention. Only in extreme cases it is possible to remove these elements with cotton wool and alcohol and treat them with greenery or pioktanin. It is also desirable to prescribe antibiotics (the age dosage will be determined by the doctor).
Pediculosis (lice). In children's groups there is a spread of lice. Bites of lice cause itching and the appearance of red spots on the scalp (head louse). Detecting a louse in the hair is more difficult than its eggs (nits), which are attached to the hair and look like a box (under a microscope). To get rid of lice, you need to wash your hair in a solution of vinegar and comb out the nits with a special scallop. For the night you need to moisten your hair with a solution of vinegar and wrap your head with oilcloth and a towel. In the morning they wash their heads with soap and comb them again with a scallop.
Birthmarks. Many newborns on the back of the neck can see small red spots. They can also be between the eyebrows and on the upper eyelids. Usually these spots gradually disappear themselves and do not require treatment. They are called hemangiectasies. Sometimes there are true birthmarks. If they do not cause cosmetic defects (when placed on the face), it is better not to touch them. However, if they mutilate the child, they can later be removed.
[