Skin Conditions in Children

Young children often get spots and rashes of various types. These may be due to a viral infection, a particular kind of food, or an eczema of some kind. New moles may also show up – some of them stay for good, others fade or disappear.

Below, you will find information on common and more unusual rashes in the skin of your baby or young child.

 

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Spots and rashes caused by viruses

Sudden appearances of spots, blisters or continuous rashes are often due to viral infections. Often – but not always – the child also has other symptoms, such as fever. It might be a case of a well-known childhood disease (see below), but often the cause is concluded to be some kind of unverified virus.

  • Measles, rubella and scarlet fever almost always start off with febrile illness, before any rash appears.
  • Chickenpox begins with a fever, fatigue, and headache. Dots appear initially on the chest, stomach, and back and change after a few hours into blisters that itch and break easily. The blistering rash spreads to the face, scalp, arms, legs, and mucous membranes.
  • Three-day-fever – roseola infantum – can cause a reddish, non-itchy rash right after the fever is gone.
  • Glandular fever often give diffuse disease symptoms – sometimes including fever and skin rashes.
  • Fifth disease usually induces a rash that normally starts in the face, with bright redness on the cheeks, much like after a slap. The rash spreads to the arms and legs where it can form a garland-like pattern.
  • Hand, foot, and mouth disease, (not to be confused with foot and mouth disease in cows) is a viral infection with blisters appearing inside and around the child’s mouth, and sometimes on the hands or feet.

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