Rash on the face of a child: what diseases it indicates and how to treat it. What different skin rashes look like in children

• Rash
• On the face
• On the body
• On the stomach
• On the back
• On the neck
• On the buttocks
• On foot

Parents always perceive the appearance of a rash on a child’s skin with alarm, because everyone knows that the condition of the skin reflects the condition of the entire organism. Is a child's rash always a cause for concern? We will tell you in this article how to understand what is happening to the child and how to help him.

Features of children's skin

Children's skin is different from adult skin. Babies are born with very thin skin - the dermis of newborns is approximately two times thinner than the middle skin layer of adults. The outer layer, the epidermis, thickens gradually as the baby grows older.

In the first month of life, the skin may be red or purple. This is due to the fact that the blood vessels in babies are located close to the surface, and there is not enough subcutaneous tissue, which is why the skin may look “transparent”. This is especially noticeable when the newborn is cold - a marbled vascular network appears on the skin.

The skin of babies loses moisture faster, it is more vulnerable to bacteria, viruses, fungi and mechanical stress. It begins to thicken only at 2-3 years and this process lasts up to 7 years. The skin of younger schoolchildren is already beginning to resemble the skin of adults in its characteristics and functionality. But after 10 years, children's skin faces a new test - this time, puberty.

It is not surprising that thin children’s skin reacts to any external influence or internal processes with rashes of various sizes, colors and structures. And not every childhood rash can be considered harmless.

It is important to understand that there is no causeless rash in children; any pimple or change in pigmentation has a reason, sometimes pathological.

What is a rash?

In medicine, a rash is considered to be a variety of rashes on the skin that in one way or another change the appearance of the skin in color or texture. For parents, all rashes are approximately the same, but doctors always distinguish between primary rashes, which formed first, and secondary ones, those that formed later, at the site of the primary ones or nearby.

Different childhood diseases are characterized by different combinations of primary and secondary elements.

This is not a complete list of diseases that occur with the formation of a rash.

Most ailments, as can be seen from the table, require mandatory medical consultation; some, for example, meningococcal infection and scarlet fever, require emergency medical care.

If a rash appears in a child that does not resemble acne or prickly heat, you should definitely show your child to a pediatrician or dermatologist to rule out dangerous and serious infectious diseases, pathologies of internal organs that affect metabolism and digestion.

It is important to remember that many infections that appear on the skin can be very contagious. Therefore, you should not take your child to the clinic at your place of residence, so as not to infect others in the general queue. It is best to call a pediatrician at home.

If possible, you can take the child to a specialized infectious diseases hospital, where it is possible to quickly undergo the necessary examination and confirm or refute the infection.

Treatment

Treatment of a rash does not always require only local action; most often it is a whole range of measures aimed at changing the child’s living conditions, revising his diet, and taking medications.

The rash should be treated only after the true cause of its occurrence is known, because incorrect treatment can only worsen the child’s condition. Depending on the true nature of the skin rash, different treatments will be prescribed.

Infectious viral

The rash that accompanies most “childhood” diseases (chickenpox, measles, scarlet fever, etc.) does not require treatment. No medications or folk remedies can affect its duration.

The rash goes away when the immune system produces a sufficient amount of antibodies and completely deals with the virus that has entered the body.

Depending on the severity of the disease itself, the doctor prescribes immunomodulatory drugs, antiviral drugs, vitamins, and antipyretic drugs.

A child with a viral infection is advised to drink plenty of warm fluids.

For the most part, antiviral drugs sold in pharmacies have no effect; they have no proven effectiveness. Many popular homeopathic remedies are also essentially a “dummy” placebo effect.

But nothing else is required from these medications, because viral infections go away on their own, with or without pills. The drugs are prescribed so that parents have something to do while on sick leave and so that the doctor is not accused of inattention.

Typically, treatment of a viral infection takes from 5 to 10 days, after the rash disappears there are no traces left. An exception is chickenpox, in which damaged vesicles can leave quite deep, life-long pits in the skin.

A rash caused by herpes viruses (on the face, on the lower back, on the genitals) is much less itchy and painful if you use Acyclovir cream.

Infectious bacterial

A pustular rash caused by pathogenic bacteria is treated with antibiotics and antiseptics. Moreover, antibiotics are selected after a culture test, when the doctor has clear information about which bacteria caused the suppuration and to which antibacterial agents they demonstrate sensitivity.

Usually children are prescribed penicillins, less often cephalosporins. For mild infections, local treatment with ointments that have an antimicrobial effect is sufficient - Levomekol, Baneocin, erythromycin ointment, gentamicin ointment, tetracycline ointment.

In some cases, for widespread and severe infection or an infection that risks spreading to internal organs, it is prescribed antibiotics orally - for children in the form of a suspension, for preschoolers and adolescents - in tablets or injections.

Preference is given to broad-spectrum drugs, usually of the penicillin group - “Amoxiclav”, “Amosin”, “Amoxicillin”, “Flemoxin Solutab”. If drugs in this group are ineffective, cephalosporin antibiotics or macrolides may be prescribed.

As antiseptics Well-known aniline dyes are often used - a solution of brilliant green (brilliant green) for staphylococcal infections or "Fukortsin" for streptococcus. Damaged skin is treated with salicylic alcohol.

Along with antibiotics, if they are prescribed orally, the child is recommended to take drugs that will help avoid the occurrence of dysbacteriosis - “Bifiborm”, “Bifidumbacterin”. It is also useful to start taking vitamin complexes appropriate for the child’s age.

Some purulent rashes, such as boils and carbuncles, may require surgical intervention, during which the formation is incised crosswise under local anesthesia, the cavity is cleaned out and treated with antiseptics and antibiotics. There is no need to be afraid of such a mini-operation.

The consequences of refusing it can be very dire, because staphylococcal infection can lead to sepsis and death.

Heat rash and diaper rash

If a baby develops prickly heat, this is a signal for parents to change the conditions in which the child lives. The temperature should be at 20-21 degrees Celsius. The heat only makes the prickly heat worse. Irritation from sweat, although it gives the child a lot of excruciating sensations and pain, can be treated fairly quickly.

The main cure for this is cleanliness and fresh air. The child should be washed with warm water without soap or other detergents. Several times a day you need to give your baby naked air baths. You should not wrap your child up, but if he does get sweaty, for example, while walking outside in a warm overall in winter, then immediately upon returning home, bathe the child in the shower and change into clean and dry clothes.

For severe diaper rash, damaged skin is treated 2-3 times a day. Most carefully and thoroughly - after daily evening bathing. After it, Bepanten, Desitin, and Sudocrem are applied to still damp skin with signs of prickly heat. Use the powder with great care, since talc dries out the skin very much.

Baby cream or any other greasy creams or ointments should not be applied to the skin of a child with heat rash, as they moisturize and do not dry out. You should also avoid getting massage oil on diaper rash during evening restorative procedures.

Allergic

If the rash is allergic, treatment will involve finding and eliminating the child's exposure to the allergenic substance that caused the rash. To do this, the allegologist performs a series of special tests using test strips with allergens. If it is possible to find the protein that caused the rash, the doctor gives recommendations on eliminating everything that contains such a substance.

If the antigen protein cannot be found (and this happens often), then parents will have to try and exclude from the child’s life everything that poses a potential threat - pollen, food (nuts, whole milk, chicken eggs, red berries and fruits, some types of fresh herbs and even some types of fish, plenty of sweets).

You will have to be especially careful when using baby skin care products.

Usually, eliminating the allergen is more than enough for the allergy to stop and the rash to disappear without a trace. If this does not happen, or in case of severe allergies, the doctor prescribes antihistamines (“Tavegil”, “Cetrin”, “Suprastin”, “Loratadine” and others).

It is advisable to take them simultaneously calcium supplements and vitamins. Locally, if necessary, the child is given hormonal ointments - Advantan, for example. Severe forms of allergies, in which, in addition to a skin rash, there are pronounced respiratory manifestations, as well as internal pathologies, the child is treated as an inpatient.

A rash can warn of a developing illness, especially if it is accompanied by a high fever. However, in most cases, the rash does not pose any threat when the child behaves calmly and does not complain of pain.

A harmless rash on a child’s face: photo with explanations

The following common rashes are usually not accompanied by additional symptoms and go away quickly if certain rules are followed.

Irritation from saliva

Appears around the mouth, especially during teething. To avoid this, you need to wipe your skin more often with a cotton cloth or napkin. For faster healing, you can use ointments with panthenol.

Hormonal acne

Occurs before the age of 1 month as a result of the establishment of the child’s hormonal levels. They do not cause any inconvenience and go away on their own without additional treatment.

The rash appears as red or white bumps on the face.

Sebaceous cysts

Another name is milia. They form both on the face and on other parts of the body, including the genitals and mucous membranes. They appear as a result of skin inflammation, as well as during injury, when the hair follicle is filled with kerotene. In this case, a bag with this liquid is formed.

They look like white or yellow pimples. Large cysts are mobile when palpated and do not cause pain. Usually they do not require treatment, but there are exceptions - too large formations that cause discomfort. This is typical for adults.

Prickly heat

Occurs due to unregulated functioning of the sebaceous glands. It is observed mainly in a month-old child when he is overheated. To get rid of this disease, proper hygiene, air baths, and clothing made of cotton fabrics are necessary.

The rash looks like red or white pimples, usually located in the area of ​​diapers, clothing, in skin folds, and also affects the face, scalp and neck.

Red pimples occur due to the accumulation of sweat in the ducts of the deep layers of the skin. White, watery pimples appear on the surface of the dermis due to clogged pores. After the tubercles burst, crusts appear.

Allergies, urticaria, dermatitis

All these diseases are a skin reaction to exposure to an allergen. Usually disappear after limiting contact with the irritant.

Allergies most often appear on the cheeks in the form of red pimples, which can lead to the formation of crusts:

Hives, similar to nettle pricks, are small red rashes that can appear on any part of the body. The affected area is very itchy. Irritants include poisonous plants and insects.

Dermatitis is a skin rash resulting from contact with an allergen that appears immediately after contact.

Types of rash that require consultation with a specialist

The occurrence of the following rashes can lead to serious illness. Therefore, it is not recommended to self-medicate before diagnosis.

Hemorrhagic rash

Can be caused by many diseases. The main causes are vascular disease or improper functioning of platelets in the blood. As a result, both external and internal bleeding occurs.

The rash may appear as small or large spots of various colors, most often red or burgundy. It can also be pinpoint, similar to spider veins. Occurs on any part of the body: legs, arms, stomach, back. Rarely it can appear on the face.

If any signs of such a rash appear, urgent hospitalization of the sick child is necessary.

Scarlet fever

This is a contagious disease of an infectious nature. The rash appears on the chest, arms, legs, less often on the face, but does not affect the nasolabial triangle. The disease is severe with high fever.

Chickenpox

It is characterized by the appearance of blisters first on the face, and then on the body and limbs. This is a contagious disease that most often affects children.

The appearance of pimples is accompanied by itching and high fever.

There are many more diseases to which a child reacts with a rash on both the face and body. In this case, lethargy, moodiness and high temperature are observed. In order to avoid serious consequences, you must urgently call a doctor. Do not take your child to the clinic under any circumstances, because the disease can be contagious.

Video materials to help young parents

It is a serious problem as it spreads rapidly throughout the body and can become a difficult to treat disease. In the future, we will consider how to recognize this in a child and what signs they have.

What does urticaria look like in a child?

This disease is easy to diagnose independently; most often it affects children under 3 years of age. Often it appears in the form of small dots. A rash on a child’s face, photo, all types of rashes should be examined very carefully. They are distinguished by the presence of a reddish tint and blisters, which increase in size when scratched. The cause of the occurrence is the entry of an allergen into the body, due to which an increased amount of histamine is produced, leading to thinning of the walls of blood vessels. In this case, the urticaria disappears quite quickly, within two hours, appearing in another place almost immediately. The irritants are:

1. Food products such as milk, eggs, chocolate, fruits and more.
2. Infections from viruses, bacteria.
3. Medications.
4. Impurities such as pollen, dust, fluff and the rest.
5. Nickel, resin.
6. Dyes.

To make a diagnosis, it is enough to tell your doctor the time and place of the onset of the initial symptoms.

To make sure the diagnosis is correct, your doctor may do skin tests, a full-body examination, and a blood test.

Urticaria should be treated immediately, because it can develop into a severe form, which will be accompanied by labor-intensive treatment and a long onset of results.

Measles and what it looks like

Rashes of various types appear quite often in children. There can be many reasons for this. A rash on the face can be caused by diseases dangerous to the child or by the most harmless reasons. Only a specialist can determine exactly what exactly caused it to appear.

The child has a rash on his face

Red rash on a child's face

About half of all cases of red rash on a child's face turn out to be erythema toxicum. The reasons for its occurrence have not yet been established. The rashes are red spots and small pustules that appear in the baby after birth. They can be located not only on the face, but also on the entire body. A few days after birth, the rash subsides and disappears without any treatment.

Towards the end of the first month of life, a baby may experience neonatal acne, which looks like a red rash. The reasons for this phenomenon are hormonal changes in the child’s body.

Often red rashes become manifestations of an allergic reaction, prickly heat and improper care of the baby.

Infectious causes of a rash in a child are also possible. The most common diseases, the symptoms of which are red rashes on the face, are chickenpox, sudden eczema, or roseola, scarlet fever, measles and rubella.

Small rash on a child's face

The appearance of a small rash in a child, localized on the face, in the folds of the body, on the bends of the arms, in the neck area, in most cases indicates prickly heat. Its appearance is associated with increased sweat secretion in some places and blockage of the sweat glands. With proper skin care, such rashes disappear after a few days. To do this, you need to bathe the child every day, give him air baths, and maintain hygiene.

Colorless rash on the face of a child

Small, colorless rashes can appear on a child’s skin due to an allergic reaction, infectious diseases, clogged fat glands and other problems.

Young children often have small, colorless or white rashes on the face, mainly on the nose and cheeks. Such rashes are called milia; they do not pose any danger and disappear quite quickly on their own. This rash does not require special treatment.

Among other things, a colorless rash in a child can appear due to fungal infections, disorders of the digestive system, hormonal imbalances, and lack of vitamins.

Depending on the cause of the rash on the child’s face, there are several types of rash:

1. Toxic erythema. This rash appears a couple of days after the baby is born. The exact mechanism of its development has not yet been established; it is believed that this is one of the manifestations of the child’s adaptation to environmental conditions. The rash is localized on the child’s head, face, chest and arms. The rash looks like red pimples with a dense consistency, in the center of which there is a small gray vesicle. This rash lasts on the skin for several days, after which it goes away without a trace.
2. Acne of newborns. Such rashes appear approximately 2-4 weeks after birth. The reasons for this rash on a child’s face lie in hormonal changes in the body and the release of mother’s hormones that are still present in the baby’s blood. The rash is small, red, and may contain pustules. Treatment consists of skin care; no special therapy is required. The rash disappears after a couple of weeks.
3. Rash on the face and other parts of the body can be caused by insect bites. In such cases, mild itching and preservation of the child’s good health and general condition are also observed.
4. One type of rash on a child’s face is prickly heat. Its elements are small pink pimples. The reasons are increased sweating, hot weather, insufficient care of the baby’s skin.
5. Allergy. The cause of this type of rash in a child is contact with an allergen, which can be food, care products, household chemicals, vitamins and other preparations, animal hair, dust and other factors. The rash itself does not pose any particular danger, but the presence of a reaction to a certain factor should attract the attention of parents. Allergies can develop and, in addition to the rash, swelling of the lips and eyes, as well as swelling of the internal organs and larynx, can occur, which leads to serious consequences.
6. Infectious rash. Such rashes are the most dangerous for the baby. Their distinctive feature is the presence of other signs of the disease, such as increased temperature, impaired general condition, lack of appetite, etc. If you suspect an infection, you should call a doctor at home.

Among the infectious causes of a rash in a child, the most common are the following:

• Chickenpox. This disease affects children of any age. Occurs with increasing temperature. The rashes are represented at the beginning of the disease by spots, and then by small blisters, which over time burst and become covered with crusts. The rash begins on the face, then spreading to the entire body.
• Roseola. It mainly affects children in the first years of life. The causative agent is the herpes virus. The disease manifests itself as an elevated temperature, after which normalization occurs, rashes appear on the child’s skin, disappearing after about a week.
• Measles. A rash with this pathology forms only five days after the temperature rises. The elements are quite large and have a bright red color. The face and neck are first affected, then the arms and torso, and lastly the rash appears on the legs.
• Rubella. It occurs with fever, enlarged lymph nodes and a rash on the arms, torso, face and legs.

A child has a rash on his face, what should I do?

When deciding what to do to cope with a rash on a child’s face, you need to first determine the reasons for its appearance. To do this, you should consult a doctor. Since the rashes are often infectious in nature, it is better to call a specialist home.

Many types of rashes are safe and harmless and go away on their own. The main recommendations for caring for a child who has a rash on the face and body are the following:

• compliance with hygiene rules, daily washing and bathing;
• avoiding scratching and secondary infection; to do this, the child’s nails should be cut shorter; infants can wear special cloth mittens on their hands;
• in the room where the child is located, optimal conditions for temperature and humidity must be maintained;
• mandatory consultation with a doctor.

Fever and rash on the face of a child

An increase in temperature and the appearance of a rash on the face, especially if other signs of illness are observed, such as diarrhea, nausea, poor health, and others, most likely indicate the infectious nature of the disease. In such cases, you should isolate the child from other people as much as possible and call a specialist home. Before the doctor arrives, you should not try to treat or apply skin rashes. You also need to provide the child with rest and bed rest.

Allergic rash on the face of a child

The causes of an allergic rash in a child are often food, medicines, animal dander, plants, dust, etc. The rashes are usually accompanied by severe itching, so you need to make sure that the child does not scratch them, as this can cause a secondary infection. Even if the nature of the rash is beyond doubt, it is worth visiting a specialist to confirm the diagnosis and consult on treatment.

Treatment of an allergic rash involves eliminating all contact with the allergen. In addition, antihistamines may be prescribed to alleviate the baby’s condition. These include Fenkarol, Diazolin, Claritin and others. Some of these drugs have a strong sedative effect (Tavegil, Suprastin, Diphenhydramine and others); when using such drugs, you need to carefully monitor the child and not leave him alone. There are also special external ointments and gels that relieve itching.

Young children cannot always tell what is bothering them. Very often, adults guess about a child’s illness by increased screaming and crying, changes in behavior and appetite. But it often happens that the first symptoms of the disease are “obvious,” or rather, on the face. In response to the introduction of a foreign substance (allergen, bacteria, fungus or virus) into the baby’s body, a small rash appears on the skin. This is a response from the immune system, a signal that something has gone wrong in the body. You always need to find the cause of the rash, and not just eliminate a cosmetic defect. The causes of the rash can be different, ranging from banal diathesis to serious infectious diseases. If a small rash appears on a child’s face, you should consult a doctor to determine the cause and rational treatment.

Why does a small rash appear on a child’s face?

Diathesis. Food allergies or diathesis very often lead to redness on the baby’s face. They are usually accompanied by itching and are treated by eliminating the allergen from the diet of the child or nursing mother. Antihistamines are used as medications.

Prickly heat. Miliaria in newborns occurs due to peculiarities in the functioning of the sweat glands and non-compliance with hygiene rules. Rashes should be looked for not only on the face. For treatment, mild cleansers and drying powders are used.

Acne. Sometimes newborn babies develop acne - pustules on the face and body associated with a temporary excess of male hormones. These violations stop on their own. The skin clears up in a couple of weeks.

Measles. Minor rashes on a child’s face caused by infectious diseases require special attention. Recently, due to the negative attitude of young parents towards vaccinations, cases of measles have become more frequent. This is a rather dangerous childhood infection, and a small rash on a child’s face is one of its main manifestations.

How to recognize measles?

Measles is a well-studied disease. The cause of its occurrence is a virus that is transmitted through the air. During the course of the disease, symptoms appear in a certain sequence and gradually replace each other, creating a specific clinical picture.

It takes about 10 days from the moment of infection to the appearance of the first symptoms of measles. The disease begins as a banal ARVI. The temperature rises to high levels, profuse nasal discharge appears, which gradually becomes purulent. The child complains of a sore throat, sometimes the voice becomes hoarse, and a cough appears. A typical symptom is conjunctivitis, which is accompanied by a fear of bright light. From the first day, the lymph nodes and spleen enlarge.

On the 3-5th day of illness, pinkish-red rashes appear on the soft and hard palate, and grayish-white spots the size of semolina can be found on the mucous membrane of the cheeks, lips or gums. They are usually surrounded by a bright red corolla. These are Belsky-Filatov-Koplik spots. They signal that in 1-2 days a small rash specific to measles will appear on the child’s face.

The rashes are bright red. They appear on unchanged skin and do not itch. On the first day, the rash appears behind the ears and on the face, on the second day it spreads to the torso, and on the third day it spreads to the arms and legs. At the same time, the temperature remains high, and the child’s condition is serious.

The rash quickly darkens and turns brown. In its place, pigmentation appears - darkening of the skin. Usually pigmentation lasts up to 1.5 - 2 weeks, then disappears. The skin then peels off. After pigmentation appears on the skin, the child’s condition begins to improve and recovery gradually begins.

What complications can measles cause?

The disease is accompanied by severe intoxication and fever, starting from the first day. Convulsions and disturbances of consciousness may occur. Against the background of a dry, debilitating cough, which often accompanies the onset of the disease, croup may occur. This is the name for a spasm of the larynx, which makes it difficult for a child to breathe. In severe cases, emergency measures are required, including dissection of the trachea.

Sometimes the virus damages platelets, the blood cells responsible for blood clotting. This is manifested by hemorrhages in the skin, bleeding, and anemia.

Measles is usually complicated by the addition of a bacterial infection. In this case, severe bacterial pneumonia, bronchitis, and otitis occur. One of the most severe complications is measles meningitis and encephalitis. It should be noted that even several years after measles, subacute sclerosing panencephalitis can develop - this disease steadily progresses and within a couple of months leads to the development of dementia (dementia).

How to treat a small rash on a child’s face due to measles?

Despite active vaccination, up to 30 million people fall ill with measles every year. Up to 4% of deaths among children under 4 years of age are still attributed to measles! Therefore, at the age of 12-15 months, it is advisable for all children to be vaccinated against measles.