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Red rash on children


Nappy rash - NHS

Around 1 in 4 babies and toddlers in nappies have nappy rash at any one time. It doesn't usually develop in newborns, but all babies can get nappy rash.

Nappy rash can be caused by:

  • your baby's skin being in contact with wee or poo for a long time
  • the nappy rubbing against your baby's skin
  • not cleaning the nappy area or changing the nappy often enough
  • soap, detergent or bubble bath
  • alcohol-based baby wipes
  • some types of medicines, such as antibiotics or laxatives (used to make a baby poo more often)

There may be red patches on your baby's bottom, or the whole area may be red. Their skin may look sore and feel hot to touch, and there may be spots, pimples or blisters.

Most babies with mild nappy rash don't feel sore, but if the rash is severe your baby may feel uncomfortable and be distressed.

Treating nappy rash

If your baby gets nappy rash, you can usually treat their skin yourself.

If the rash isn't upsetting your baby, at each nappy change apply a thin layer of a barrier cream to protect their skin. Ask your health visitor or pharmacist to recommend one.

Follow this advice to help look after your baby's skin.

  • Change wet or dirty nappies as soon as possible.
  • Clean the whole nappy area gently but thoroughly, wiping from front to back. Use water or fragrance-free and alcohol-free baby wipes. Read more about how to clean your baby and change your baby's nappy.
  • Bath your baby daily – but avoid bathing them more than twice a day as that may dry out their skin.
  • Dry your baby gently after washing them – avoid vigorous rubbing.
  • Lie your baby on a towel and leave their nappy off for as long and as often as you can to let fresh air get to their skin.
  • Do not use soap, bubble bath, or lotions.
  • Do not use talcum powder as it contains ingredients that could irritate your baby's skin.
  • Make sure your baby’s nappy fits properly. If it is too tight then it can irritate the skin and if it is too loose, then the nappy will not be able to soak up pee properly.

Nappy rash usually clears up after about 3 days if you follow this advice. You should keep following this advice as this will help prevent nappy rash from coming back.

If the rash is causing your baby discomfort, your health visitor or pharmacist can recommend a nappy rash cream to treat it.

You should apply the cream first and wait a few minutes before you apply the barrier cream.

Other rashes in the nappy area

If the rash doesn't go away or your baby develops a persistent bright red, moist rash with white or red pimples that spreads into the folds of their skin, they may have an infection.

Ask a pharmacist or health visitor for advice. The pharmacist may recommend a cream for you to use.

If the rash is severe, take your baby to the GP who may prescribe cream or medicine. Follow a GP's instructions on whether and when to apply barrier cream as well as the prescribed cream.

It's normal for babies to develop skin rashes, but it's important to know the difference between a minor irritation and a condition that requires attention.

Read more about rashes in babies and children.

Page last reviewed: 17 September 2021
Next review due: 17 September 2024

Scarlet fever - NHS

Scarlet fever is a contagious infection that mostly affects young children. It's easily treated with antibiotics.

Check if you have scarlet fever

The first signs of scarlet fever can be flu-like symptoms, including a high temperature, a sore throat and swollen neck glands (a large lump on the side of your neck).

A rash appears 12 to 48 hours later. It looks looks like small, raised bumps and starts on the chest and tummy, then spreads. The rash makes your skin feel rough, like sandpaper.

On white skin the rash looks pink or red. It may be harder to see on brown and black skin, but you can still feel it.

Credit:

BIOPHOTO ASSOCIATES/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY https://www.sciencephoto.com/media/262529/view

A white coating also appears on the tongue. This peels, leaving the tongue red, swollen and covered in little bumps (called "strawberry tongue").

Credit:

SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY https://www.sciencephoto.com/media/262413/view

The rash does not appear on the face, but the cheeks can look red. The redness may be harder to see on brown and black skin.

Credit:

ISM/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY https://www.sciencephoto.com/media/101463/view

The symptoms are the same for children and adults, although scarlet fever is less common in adults.

Non-urgent advice: See a GP if you or your child:

  • have scarlet fever symptoms
  • do not get better in a week (after seeing a GP)
  • have scarlet fever and chickenpox at the same time
  • are ill again, weeks after scarlet fever got better – this can be a sign of a complication, such as rheumatic fever
  • are feeling unwell and have been in contact with someone who has scarlet fever

Scarlet fever is very easily spread. Check with a GP before you go in. They may suggest a phone consultation.

What happens at your appointment

GPs can often diagnose scarlet fever by looking at your tongue and rash.

Sometimes they may:

  • wipe a cotton bud around the back of your throat to test for bacteria
  • arrange a blood test

Treating scarlet fever

A GP will prescribe antibiotics. These will:

  • help you get better quicker
  • reduce the chance of a serious illnesses, such as pneumonia
  • make it less likely that you'll pass the infection on to someone else

Taking antibiotics

Keep taking the antibiotics until they're finished, even if you feel better.

Things you can do yourself

You can relieve symptoms of scarlet fever by:

  • drinking cool fluids
  • eating soft foods if you have a sore throat
  • taking painkillers like paracetamol to bring down a high temperature (do not give aspirin to children under 16)
  • using calamine lotion or antihistamine tablets to ease itching

How long scarlet fever lasts

Scarlet fever lasts for around 1 week.

You can spread scarlet fever to other people up to 6 days before you get symptoms until 24 hours after you take your 1st dose of antibiotics.

If you do not take antibiotics, you can spread the infection for 2 to 3 weeks after your symptoms start.

Important: Important

If you or your child has scarlet fever, stay away from nursery, school or work for 24 hours after you take the 1st dose of antibiotics.

Is scarlet fever dangerous?

Scarlet fever can be a serious illness, but thanks to antibiotics, it's less common than it used to be and easier to treat.

But cases of scarlet fever have increased in recent years. For more information see GOV.UK: Scarlet fever guidance and data.

Complications from scarlet fever are rare. They can happen during or in the weeks after the infection, and can include:

  • ear infection
  • throat abscess
  • sinusitis
  • pneumonia
  • meningitis
  • rheumatic fever

Pregnancy advice

There's no evidence to suggest that getting scarlet fever during pregnancy will harm your baby.

But it can make you feel unwell, so it's best to avoid close contact with anyone who has it.

Contact a GP if you get symptoms.

Many of the antibiotics used for scarlet fever are considered to be safe to take during pregnancy.

How to avoid spreading scarlet fever

Scarlet fever is very infectious and can easily spread to other people.

To reduce the chance of spreading scarlet fever:

Do

  • wash your hands often with soap and water

  • use tissues to trap germs from coughs or sneezes

  • bin used tissues as quickly as possible

Don’t

  • do not share cutlery, cups, towels, clothes, bedding or baths with anyone who has symptoms of scarlet fever

Page last reviewed: 29 June 2021
Next review due: 29 June 2024

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Causes of rashes in children

Naturally, only a pediatrician, dermatologist or allergist can correctly determine the cause of rashes , diagnose and prescribe treatment for a child. But parents themselves can provide initial assistance, relieve itching and help the baby, knowing the main signs and causes of occurrence rashes . At the first stage, it is important to determine the nature of the rash - infectious , allergic or none of the above.

Causes of rashes in children:

1. Newborn acne . For the first time may occur in newborns at the age of 1 - 2 months. As a rule, such rashes are hormonal in nature, are not contagious and are not allergies . A rash in the form of pimples, sometimes with a white dot in the middle, appears on the head, body of the baby. If there are no purulent compartments, then the rash goes away on its own and does not require treatment. Acne can also occur in teenagers. They most often appear on the face as black dots and are associated with hormonal changes in the body of a teenager and increased work of the sebaceous glands. To prevent acne, there are cosmetic lotions, washing gels and other products. In case of inflammation, it is better to seek advice from a pediatric dermatologist or cosmetologist, because. antibiotic treatment may be needed;

2. Urticaria is an allergic reaction on the skin of a child, accompanied by itching and blisters on various parts of the body, in some cases fever and disturbed chair child. Blisters appear suddenly and can also disappear quickly, but sometimes they disappear only after a few days. The causes of urticaria can be various factors: hormonal disorders, malfunctions of the liver, kidneys, consumption of foods that caused an allergic reaction (fish, eggs, citrus fruits, etc.), insect bites, reaction to sunlight, temperature changes, emotional stress etc. Urticaria may be chronic and not go away for a long time, and acute - disappearing after a few hours. For the treatment of urticaria, it is important to identify the underlying cause that caused it;

3. Food allergy manifests itself as spots pinkish red. It is slightly convex, edematous in places of scratching and is accompanied by itching. It is localized, as a rule, on the baby's cheeks, but can also appear on other parts of the body. It can occur in both infants and adolescents. If the baby is breastfed, then the allergy that has arisen is associated with the products consumed by the mother. If the newborn is artificially fed, then an allergic reaction may appear on the mixture. In older children, food allergies can be caused by fish, eggs, nuts, chocolate, strawberries, and other foods;

Allergy, as a rule, is accompanied by edema, which in turn, if not properly treated and provided with untimely assistance, causes suffocation . If an allergy of any nature occurs, a pediatrician's consultation is required to help in choosing the optimal mixture for the baby, or a pediatric dermatologist - allergist for referral to laboratory tests of older children ;

4. Household allergies . It can occur in both newborns and older children. It usually appears as pimples all over the body and is accompanied by lachrymation, sneezing. The causes of such a reaction of the body can be washing powder and other detergents, dust, plants, animal hair, etc. An allergic rash differs from an infectious rash in that the child does not have a temperature with it, he does not have general ailments, there is no loss of appetite, drowsiness;

5. Prickly heat . It occurs mainly in infants. It manifests itself in the form of red pimples all over the body, especially in the inguinal zone. The affected areas must be smeared with a special baby cream, air baths more often for the baby and a diaper change;

6. Roseola (erythema infectiosum) is an acute childhood viral disease affecting only children under 2 years of age. Very often, roseola is confused with SARS or rubella . At the beginning of the illness, the baby's temperature rises sharply, which lasts 3-5 days, and after that the child becomes covered with a red-pink rash that disappears in 5-7 days. This is not a dangerous disease, it does not require treatment, and if it occurs, the child should be given only antipyretic drugs;

7. Windmill . This is a common childhood infectious disease that requires treatment. The incubation period of this disease can last from 11 to 21 days. Occurs at any age. It is accompanied by a rash on the skin and mucous membranes in the form of red spots, in the center of which blisters with a yellowish liquid are localized. Accompanied by itching. As the disease progresses, the blisters burst, crusts form, leaving scars if the child has scratched the blister and brought the infection. The disease can also cause fever and headache;

8. Measles is an acute infectious disease that is quite rare due to the use of vaccinations. In addition, this virus is rarely activated in babies under 8 months old, because. they are protected by their mother's immunity. The disease begins with symptoms of a common cold - coughing, lacrimation, sneezing and fever up to 40 C. Then the child develops white spots on the mucous surface of the cheeks, nasal discharge, severe headache, photophobia. Then, within a few days, red spots of various shapes appear on the face, neck, near the head and further throughout the body. The disease is contagious within a week of the onset of the first symptoms. The virus is dangerous with complications such as: meningitis , pneumonia , development of deafness, brain damage and even death;

9. Scarlet fever is an acute infectious streptococcal disease. Begins with sore throat, high temperature, enlarged tonsils , in some cases with plaque. Then a small dotted rash appears on the back, chest, knees, armpits, groin and quickly spreads throughout the body and face. Only the area around the mouth remains white. Throat and tongue become very red. By the end of the disease, peeling of the skin on the toes and hands begins;

10. Rubella is an acute infectious disease . The disease begins with a slight increase in temperature and enlargement of the lymph nodes in the parotid and cervical region. A small rash also appears on the face and behind the ears, and then all over the body. Rubella is very dangerous for pregnant women, and complications can occur in older children and adolescents. In children, the disease proceeds in a fairly mild form;

11. Meningitis is an inflammation of the membranes of the brain and spinal cord. Rash in meningitis is not the main symptom. However, with this disease, rashes appear on the back of the throat, as well as on the hips, back, buttocks in the form of a red rash of various shapes. Symptoms of meningitis include very high fever, severe headache, vomiting, photophobia, and neck muscle tension. At the slightest suspicion of meningitis, parents should immediately consult a doctor. Timely help with this disease will save the child's life;

12. Streptoderma is a skin infection caused by Staphylococcus aureus. The disease affects, as a rule, the paranasal and perioral region. In the beginning, redness appears around the nose and mouth, then small bubbles with liquid. When they burst, yellow crusts remain. The disease may be accompanied by fever;

13. Herpes is an infectious disease accompanied by the appearance of blisters on the skin and mucous membranes, in children it is most often located on the lips. This disease is extremely rare in newborns, because. they are given maternal immunity. It affects children from 3 to 4 years of age. In addition to a rash, the disease may be accompanied by a sore throat, fever.

There are a lot of skin rashes and diseases in children, they can be very similar, but some are completely harmless to your child's health, while others pose a threat not only to the general condition, but also to the child's life! Do not take risks, and if you have any doubts, if any spots, rashes and other symptoms appear, contact your pediatrician, who, if necessary, will refer you and your child to a pediatric dermatologist, allergist, neurologist or other highly specialized specialist, depending on the nature of the rash and the severity of the skin disease.

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