Spots on the baby's legs

Children often have various rashes on their skin, e.g. Of allergic or infectious origin. Parents themselves are unlikely to be able to determine the nature of children's rashes: it is necessary to consult a doctor, take tests, etc. It is equally difficult to determine the cause if there are spots on the legs of the child. Only a specialist will be able to identify the disease and prescribe exactly the treatment that will help in a particular situation.

Causes of the spots on the baby's legs

Spots on the legs of a child can be a manifestation of both trivial food allergies, [1] and a serious infectious disease. Such a symptom is not a separate disease, but a reason for further diagnosis.

The most common causes of stains are as follows:

• allergic processes;
• insect bites;
• infectious pathologies;
• impaired blood clotting;
• mechanical irritation of the skin;
• worm infestations, etc.

Doctors categorize spots on the legs of children into two categories, according to the underlying cause. These are infectious and non-infectious rashes. Infectious spots occur as an external manifestation of all sorts of infections (mainly of viral origin). Non-infectious spots on the legs - a consequence of allergic processes, insect attack, violation of hygiene rules (sweating) and so on.

Risk factors

The following factors contribute to the appearance of spots on a child's feet:

• non-compliance with the special principles of nutrition during pregnancy and lactation period;
• complicated pregnancy (low or high water, toxemia, multiple pregnancies, intrauterine infections);
• Infectious and inflammatory diseases that the child suffered in infancy;
• artificial feeding;
• too early introduction of complementary food, improperly organized complementary food;
• helminthic diseases (ascariasis, giardiasis, etc.);
• diseases of the digestive system in the child, enzyme deficiency;
• long periods of taking medications, taking antibacterial and hormonal drugs;
• Forced inhalation of tobacco smoke (e.g., when adults smoke near the child);
• living in unsanitary conditions;
• Improper or inadequate adherence to the child's personal hygiene practices.

Pathogenesis

Spots on the legs of a child can be caused by infections (viral, fungal or microbial), direct exposure to an irritant, atopy, drug hypersensitivity, inflammatory pathologies, insect bites, other internal disease processes.

In general, the most common pathogenetic factors are considered to be:

• skin irritation on the feet (without a fungal component, or with candidiasis);
• atopic dermatitis; [2]
• viral exanthema.

Many viruses can cause spots on a child's legs. For example, this list includes chickenpox, [3] measles, [4] infectious erythema. [5] In drug allergies, maculopapular erythema is most commonly seen, but more severe skin reactions can occur in some cases. [6]

Less common, but more serious factors for the appearance of spots on the feet are considered:

• Staphylococcal burn dermatologic reaction;
• meningococcal infection;
• Kawasaki disease;
• SSD (Stevens-Johnson syndrome).

Epidemiology

If you are interested in international statistics, then for two extreme decades, the frequency of spots on the legs of children has increased by about 3.5 times, and this is primarily due to the increased development of allergic processes.

Medics have been sounding the alarm about the prevalence of allergies in children for a long time: for example, in Ukraine, allergic rashes of various types are found in almost 40% of children. At the same time, every second little patient is a child under one year of age.

Statistics link the increase in the occurrence of spots on the legs with poor diet, unfavorable ecology, an abundance of allergens in the home. An important role is also played by hereditary predisposition, improper introduction of complementary foods, nutritional disorders of the mother during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Symptoms

Rashes in the form of spots appear on different parts of the lower extremities, which depends on the cause of the disease:

• with fungal infection affects the area of the feet, fingers, interfinger spaces;
• Allergies can affect the whole limbs as well as the lower legs, hamstrings, inner thighs and groin;
• In infectious diseases, the lower leg and thigh are more likely to be affected.

Spots on the legs have different origins, so the first signs and general symptoms of pathology are always strictly defined, depending on the initial disease:

• redness of the skin;
• itching;
• sometimes flaking.

In newborns and children of the first year of life rashes occur frequently, but, fortunately, the vast majority of them are not dangerous. Spots on the hands and feet of the child completely pass without special treatment, without complications and troubles. The main thing is to fulfill the norms of hygiene and care for the baby. It should be remembered that diaper rash in the form of redness is most often found on the bends of the elbows and knees, in the area of the buttocks and groin folds.

Infectious rash is mostly bright red, can be transformed from spots into blisters, ulcers, crusts, etc. If the child has spots on the toes, then, first of all, you should suspect a fungal infection. But with further rapid spread of the process, we can assume the viral nature of the disease. In favor of infection speak and such additional symptoms:

• a rise in temperature;
• signs of general intoxication (lethargy, muscle aches, stool instability, headache);
• enlarged lymph nodes;
• flaking in the area of the feet and palms.

Do not panic if you find a single reddish spot on the bend of a child's leg - it is probably just an insect bite. But when other, above mentioned infectious signs are attached, if the rashes "spread" and spread over the body, you should definitely see a doctor. The slightest delay can turn into aggravation of the condition and the development of complications of the disease.

Temperature and spots on the legs of a child almost always indicate intoxication and an infectious process in the body. The temperature is usually subfebrile, there may be pain in the joints, signs of general intoxication in the form of weakness, a feeling of fatigue, appetite and sleep disorders. The child becomes cranky, lethargic, irritable.

If you find even one spot of any localization, you should carefully examine the entire body of the baby, including the scalp and genitals. It is important not to miss any other manifestation of the disease, because it directly affects its outcome.

Itchy, constantly bothersome spots on the feet of a child can be associated with insect bites, with scabies, with fungal infections. Against the background of scabies, a close look can sometimes reveal specific scabies passages, as well as a spotty rash not only on the feet, but also on the back of the head, in the navel and nipple area.

Spots on the legs and abdomen of a child with infectious mononucleosis appear around the fifth or seventh day of the disease. The spots are 5-15 mm in size, but often merge and become extensive.

The difficulty lies in the fact that not always mothers bring their child to the doctor in time, taking the spots on the legs, for example, for allergies. Go to the doctor only when other painful symptoms join: and at the stage of a vivid clinical picture, it becomes more difficult to treat the disease than at the initial stage. Therefore, do not wait for clinical aggravation, it is better to seek medical help as early as possible.

Forms

Types of spotty rashes on the legs of children are quite a lot: they differ, both in appearance and in origin. Here are some of the most common examples of such diseases in a child.

• With meningococcal infection, purple or red spots appear on the legs of a child. They are localized mainly in the gluteal, thigh area, in the ankle joint area. Against the background of the occurrence of spots, body temperature increases, nausea (up to vomiting) is observed, consciousness is disturbed. The disease is very dangerous and requires urgent hospitalization of the child in an inpatient department. [7]
• With psoriasis, or psoriasis, there are often pinkish rough patches on the legs of a child. Such formations outwardly resemble plaques covered with gray small scales. Spots in most cases are itchy, and even quite strong. In neglected cases, plaques begin to get wet, which significantly increases the risk of infection. [8]
• Rubella causes dry spots on the child's legs, round or oval in shape, up to half a centimeter in diameter. Then the spots spread throughout the body, the temperature rises, the child becomes lethargic and cranky. When such signs appear, it is necessary to call a doctor at home. Hospitalization is not necessary. [9]
• In atopic dermatitis (diathesis), reddish flaky patches are found on a child's legs. Spots over time can be transformed into sores with wet crusts on the surface. The disease requires mandatory medical consultation, elimination of the provoking allergen, as well as high-quality anti-allergic treatment. [10]
• In vitiligo, or leukopathy, a white spot appears on a child's leg or elsewhere on the body. Such a spot is an area devoid of melanin pigment - the so-called depigmented area. The disease is usually chronic: depigmented areas are prone to enlargement, spreading and sloughing. [11]
• In measles, the spots are multiple, prone to fusion, bright. A pink spot on the leg of a child is usually accompanied by cough, rhinitis, inflammation of the conjunctiva of the eyes, fever. The disease is contagious, has a high degree of danger and requires immediate medical attention.
• If a child has blue spots on the legs, you can suspect several painful conditions at once: liver disease, hypovitaminosis, leukemia, Cobb syndrome, Kaposi's sarcoma and so on. However, most often blue spots are ordinary hematomas, the appearance of which is associated with many causes, including increased fragility and permeability of blood vessels. Such situations require an individual diagnostic approach.
• In some mycoses and in diabetes mellitus, brown spots on the legs of a child are sometimes found. Of course, they are not the main sign of the disease, but every second patient with these diseases has such brownish or brown rashes. In diabetes, such spots are explained by increased vascular fragility. [12]
• Allergic spots on the legs of a child can be both small and quite extensive, reddish or pinkish in color, with an uneven distribution over the skin surface. Often such spots are itchy, cause severe discomfort. If allergies are suspected, it is necessary to neutralize the possible allergen, give the baby an anti-allergic drug as soon as possible and go to the doctor.
• An insect bite often looks like a pinkish or reddish bulging spot on a child's leg. Such a spot may be a single one, or there may be several of them at once. Small insects - mosquitoes, gnats, fleas - usually leave small-sized "traces". However, after the bites of some mosquitoes and bedbugs are possible spots of quite impressive size. Affected places are usually itchy, cause a lot of discomfort. If the child scratches them, there are bleeding wounds, crusts. Particularly sensitive children may develop allergies after bites.

Diagnostics of the spots on the baby's legs

The doctor must necessarily clarify the time of appearance of spots on the legs of the child, find out if there were no other suspicious symptoms.

Then the doctor conducts a thorough examination of both pathological rashes and the whole body, including the throat, sclerae, genitals. The work of the digestive system is assessed, the function of the joints, check the neurological symptoms.

It is obligatory to clarify questions about the use of any medications, clarify family history. Of particular importance is the presence of meningeal signs such as occipital stiffness, Kernig's and Brudzinski's symptoms.

Tests include a general blood count, renal function tests, examined fecal matter if hemolytic-uremic syndrome or helminthiasis is suspected, blood and cerebrospinal liquor cultures in meningococcemia, Gram staining.

Instrumental diagnostics is prescribed according to individual indications. Often requires X-ray examination, ultrasound, less often - encephalography, magnetic resonance imaging.

Differential diagnosis

Differential diagnosis is primarily between allergic and infectious spots on the legs of a child:

• If the spots are of infectious origin, then in the vast majority of cases the child has a fever;
• weakness, fatigue, headache, the child becomes cranky and sleepy, may be bothered by nausea (up to vomiting), diarrhea;
• the lymph nodes are enlarged;
• the skin may flake;
• it is possible for another family member to develop the same disease.

If at least one of the above-mentioned signs is detected, you should urgently go to the doctor. No self-treatment is categorically inadmissible.

Treatment of the spots on the baby's legs

Treatment procedures for spots on the legs of a child are always aimed at neutralizing the cause (for example, in allergies, antihistamines are prescribed, etc.). If the problem is associated with insufficient hygiene, it is recommended to change the child's clothes more often, regularly wash with hypoallergenic soap and warm water, be sure to wash after each act of defecation and at night. In some cases, external medications containing zinc oxide or vitamins A and D are useful.

Oral antihistamines are prescribed to eliminate itching in any situation.

Tavegil syrup	Systemic antihistamine drug, which is prescribed for children under six years of age 5 ml twice a day, children from 6 years of age 10 ml twice a day. Syrup is taken before breakfast and in the evening before bedtime. Tavegil has a mild sedative effect, so the child may experience drowsiness, headache, loss of appetite.
Hydroxyzine	It is prescribed if the spots on the legs are accompanied by intense itching. Tablets are taken in individually prescribed dosages, taking into account the age and body weight of the child. In general, the drug is indicated for children from 3 years of age, with a weight of at least 15 kg.
Cetirizine	An antihistamine agent prescribed for spots of allergic or idiopathic origin. It is used for the treatment of children from the age of six: 1 tablet once a day. Possible side effects: fatigue, dry mouth, drowsiness.
Loratadine	The drug successfully copes with the symptoms of allergic rashes, contact allergodermatitis, eczema, reactions to insect bites. Loratadine in the form of syrup is prescribed to children from 2 years of age, and tablets - from 12 years of age. They are taken regardless of food intake, once a day.

Before the course of drugs that improve the composition of intestinal flora, prescribe enterosorbents:

Activated carbon	Children from 3 years of age are prescribed 2-4 tablets up to 4 times a day, in the form of suspension (tablet is grinded with water). Increased dosage may lead to constipation, and prolonged use sometimes causes hypovitaminosis.
Enterosgel	Enterosorbent, effective in allergies, poisoning or infectious diseases. Infants are prescribed ½ tsp. Up to six times a day with water, children under five years of age - ½ tbsp. L. Three times a day, children under 14 years - 1 tbsp. L. Three times a day. Prolonged treatment sometimes leads to constipation, other dyspeptic phenomena.
Smecta	An enveloping preparation that is prescribed to children in the amount of 1 packet per day. Usually the drug is well accepted by the body, is not metabolized and not adsorbed. Side effects occur only in isolated cases.

The external treatment of spots on the legs of the child is also important:

Fenistil gel	It can be used to treat spots on the feet of children from the age of 2 years, sometimes earlier, at the discretion of the doctor. The gel is applied up to 4 times a day, for one week. Side reactions are usually short-term and disappear on their own (dry skin, itching, swelling).
Zinc ointment	Apply the ointment to clean, dry skin, three or four times a day, daily for several days until the spots on the legs disappear. The product can be used from infancy, side effects are extremely rare and are expressed in a slight irritation of the skin in the treatment area.
Bepanthen	Bepanthen cream can be used several times a day, spreading a thin layer over the surface of the affected skin of the child. Rarely, hypersensitivity to the drug is detected: in such a situation, the treatment should be reconsidered.
Saline solution with boric acid	Boric acid is diluted in a ratio of 1:1 with physiological solution, treat spots on the legs twice a day - in the morning and at night. Possible side effects: allergies, skin rashes.

Vitamins

Vitamins play an essential role in the treatment of dermatologic diseases. Most hypovitaminoses are accompanied by some kind of skin manifestations. Mono- or multivitamin preparations are prescribed in different dosages - from small to large "shock" doses for a short period of time.

For the elimination of spots on the legs of a child, these vitamins are most relevant:

• Vitamin A is prescribed for a long course in sufficiently high dosages - for example, to treat excessive dryness of the skin, excessive flaking, psoriasis and so on.
• B-group vitamins accelerate the process of skin recovery after vascular, metabolic or neurogenic dermatoses, improve the condition of the body against hypovitaminosis.
• Ascorbic acid is an active detoxicant and desensitizer. This drug is usually prescribed in "shock" daily doses - up to 1-3 g. Smaller doses are well combined with rutin and used to regulate vascular permeability. In addition, "ascorbinka" has a pronounced depigmenting effect.
• Vitamin _D3 in combination with calcium is used in the complex therapy of atopic dermatitis and other causes of spots on the legs of the child.
• Vitamin E is the strongest antioxidant, which is indispensable in dermatoses of vascular genesis and connective tissue pathologies. The combination of tocopherol with retinol (e.g. Aevit) is particularly recommended.

Multivitamin complexes, supplemented with the necessary micro and macronutrients, are often prescribed for any manifestation of dermatosis. The drugs of choice, depending on age, may be Centrum, Vitrum Kids, Supradin, etc.

Physiotherapeutic treatment

Practicing doctors note the particular effectiveness of certain physiotherapeutic procedures in the course of treatment of pathological spots on the legs of a child. The list of applied techniques includes cold and thermal effects, current, ultrasound or ultraviolet influence, physical and chemical combinations. Any procedure is prescribed individually, taking into account the indications and contraindications.

• Phototherapy, light therapy - a type of physiotherapy, the essence of which is to irradiate the affected skin with ultraviolet light. This leads to suppression of excessive local cellular immunity and acceleration of recovery.
• Acupuncture, reflexology - involves a special acupressure with the connection of common and local points corresponding to the pathology. It can be supplemented with laser and phonopuncture.
• Magnetotherapy - application of alternating or constant magnetic fields in continuous or pulsed mode. Sessions have a positive effect on the function of the autonomic nervous system and trophic processes in tissues.
• Hyperbaric oxygenation - the method consists in stimulating the enzyme element of antioxidant mechanisms, in increasing the partial oxygen pressure in the damaged skin, in optimizing microcirculation in the epidermal tissues.
• EHF therapy - involves electromagnetic exposure to waves with millimeter length and low intensity. The procedure allows to accelerate biological and chemical reactions, correct enzyme activity, stabilize intercellular connections.

It is also possible to use other physiotherapeutic techniques, as well as sanatorium-resort treatment.

Folk treatment

To get rid of all kinds of spots on the legs of the child actively use medicinal herbs and other folk remedies. For very young patients, baths and lotions are recommended, and for older children you can use infusions and decoctions for ingestion.

• One of the most effective remedies for the appearance of spots on the legs and on the body is considered mumie. To treat a child is enough to dissolve 1 g mumie in 1 liter of warm boiled water. Children are given the solution in such dosages:
  • up to 3 years of age - 50 ml per day;
  • up to 7 years of age - 70 ml per day;
  • over 7 years of age - 100 ml per day, daily, for a month.
• If you are not allergic to bee products, you can use zabrus - honeycomb "lids", a kind of bee product, for cure. It is added a little to drinks, or simply chewed for fifteen minutes daily.
• Every day before meals, the child is offered half a spoonful of sea buckthorn or rosehip syrup with a few drops of fennel oil or bay leaf oil.
• Throughout the day, give your child fresh juice from any greens (parsley, cilantro, celery, dill), apples and cauliflower. You can prepare juice mixtures and drink them, starting with a few teaspoons up to 100 ml at a time.
• Lubricate the spots on the legs with aloe juice, a strong solution of sea salt.

Herbal treatment

• Medicinal baths with succession, chamomile, yarrow, celandine, calendula, sage can be recommended for a child of any age. You can take a mixture of herbs, or only one medicinal plant, pour boiling water, insist for half an hour, filter and add the infusion to the bath tub.
• Herbal lotions eliminate redness, relieve inflammation. Gauze or soft cotton cloth is soaked in an infusion of herbs from the above recipe, applied to the affected skin for about half an hour, two or three times a day.
• Herbal infusions and decoctions improve blood properties, strengthen local defense, reduce the body's sensitivity to damaging factors. Very popular in this regard is an infusion of nettle leaves. For its preparation, 3 tbsp. Tbsp. Crushed leaves pour 1 liter of boiling water, insist for 35 minutes, filtered. Give the child 50 ml of infusion twice a day, before breakfast and before dinner. Instead of nettle allowed to brew chamomile color, rose hips, calendula flowers. It is very important to observe regularity, do not skip appointments and do not complete the treatment halfway through. It is allowed to continue taking these infusions - for example, every day for three months.

Homeopathy

The use of homeopathic remedies has been gaining popularity over the years, because in the dosages proposed by homeopaths, such remedies are absolutely safe even for children. Without undesirable side effects, homeopathy eliminates the cause of spots on the legs of the child, and even strengthens the body as a whole, stimulating its internal reserves. In this situation, the use of such homeopathic remedies is appropriate:

• Hamomilla - use a dilution of at least 6, starting with the lowest dosage.
• Belladonna - prescribed for allergic nature of spots, in dilution 3, 6, 12 or 30. For other acute signs of allergy, you can take 5 drops of the drug every half an hour.
• Sulfur - suitable if the appearance of spots is combined with respiratory allergy symptoms. 6 dilutions are used.
• Rus - helps if spots, blisters and other rashes occur on the feet. 30 dilution is used.
• Borax - used in the formation of spots, aphthae, ulcers on the legs and on the body.

Even homeopathic safe remedies should be treated only by a specialist. Self-treatment is prohibited, because if any complications develop, correction or replacement of drugs will be required, which is impossible to do on your own.

Surgical treatment

The assistance of a surgeon is required only in isolated cases - for example, with extensive lesions, purulent processes on the legs. In such situations, the child is admitted to a surgical hospital.

Complications and consequences

If the spots on the legs of the child are associated with infectious processes in the body, then it is possible to develop all sorts of unfavorable consequences - for example, complications from the respiratory and digestive apparatus, CNS.

Complications may be related to the infection itself and its effect on the body (development of bronchitis or laryngitis, pneumonia, encephalitis, etc.), or due to the attachment of microbial pathogenic flora (bronchitis or pneumonia, otitis media, purulent meningitis, encephalitis, stomatitis, enterocolitis, blepharitis, etc.).

Complications associated with the presence of the virus in the body are observed at the peak of clinical symptoms. In this case, the most formidable problem is encephalitis, which, in turn, can be complicated by paralysis, mental disorders, and the development of epilepsy.

When secondary infection is attached, pustular diseases often develop, and the most dangerous pathology is considered purulent meningitis of microbial origin, which can occur as a result of generalized spread of infection.

Prevention

Measures to prevent the appearance of spots on the legs of the child, first of all, should be reduced to personal hygiene, and within organized groups (children's camps, preschool education centers) - to the observance of general hygienic measures. Any mechanical injuries on the feet should be treated in a timely manner with antiseptic solutions. Do not overheat and overcool the skin, as sharp temperature changes and sweating reduce local immunity, which can contribute to the development of infectious pathology.

For a child should be selected not only functional, but also lightweight and high-quality clothes, which should be changed often, and after washing - ironed with an iron.

Nutrition plays an important role, because products for children should contain all the necessary vitamin and mineral substances for the normal development of the child's body.

Any spots on the legs should be treated by a dermatologist. This is the only way to reliably protect the child from possible negative consequences and complications.

Forecast

Fortunately, the largest percentage of cases of spots on the legs in childhood are benign. If the condition is accompanied by systemic symptoms, then a serious pathology can be suspected, more often of infectious nature. Single spots more often disappear on their own - about a week, not requiring a special therapeutic approach, except for external treatment with antihistamine ointments. It is quite another matter when there are multiple spots on the legs of a child, quickly spread and merge, accompanied by other painful symptoms. In such a situation, you should not delay in contacting a doctor: the sooner medical help follows, the sooner recovery will occur.