Baby rash

Definition

In medicine, the term skin rash (exanthema) refers to the sudden appearance of irritated and/or inflamed areas that appear on the skin surface. A rash in a baby can basically appear on any body surface, be accompanied by itching or the formation of dandruff and/or be painful. A severe, itchy rash is often experienced by the affected children as very stressful and they become increasingly restless.

Causes

There can be a variety of causes for a baby’s rash. These range from harmless changes, which disappear again after a few days, to serious infectious diseases. Especially in the area of the buttocks, irritation caused by the urea contained in the urine is often a cause for the development of skin rashes.

When wearing diapers, the skin is exposed to the irritating urine and thus increasingly attacked. The result is the development of slight redness, rashes and even sore spots. Reactions to an allergenic substance (so-called allergen), which leads to a far-reaching immune reaction in the organism, can also occur in early childhood.

In an allergen-induced rash, the red spots can be accompanied by moderate to severe itching. However, rashes in babies can also be caused by various infectious diseases. So-called maculopapular exanthema (nodular-stained skin rash) can be a symptom of an acute measles or scarlet fever infection.

Other typical childhood diseases can also lead to the development of rashes in babies. Stork bites in babies are also often thought to be a rash. However, these are harmless vascular dilatations, which usually disappear on their own as the baby grows.

A baby may already have an acne-like rash on its face at birth. Baby acne, however, does not appear in the majority of affected children until the first weeks of life. Typically, in the presence of baby acne, the rash has a central yellowish elevation (pus) with a reddish surrounding area.

This type of rash usually occurs on the baby’s face in the area of the cheeks, forehead or chin. Some of the affected children also develop similar rashes on their back. In most cases, baby acne does not need to be treated and disappears by itself after a few months.

In many babies and toddlers the first signs of chickenpox infection appear in the area of the face. The rash typically begins with the appearance of small red spots, which are often confused with insect bites. Within a few hours, these red spots develop into small blisters filled with liquid.

The typical rash of chickenpox infection spreads from the baby’s face to the entire body. The rash in the presence of chickenpox is usually very itchy. In addition, general symptoms such as fever, vomiting, headaches and an increasing refusal to eat can often be observed in a baby suffering from chickenpox.

Already at a young age and even in a baby, a herpes infection can appear as a conspicuous rash on the face. Typically, an infected baby develops tiny blisters or pustules around the lips. In addition, there may be swollen gums and open sores in the oral cavity.

Babies affected by this form of rash often stop eating due to enormous pain. The so-called cradle cap is a rash of the baby’s skin which is noticeable in the form of scaly deposits. In most cases, seborrhoeic eczema already occurs in infancy and manifests itself mainly directly on the scalp.

However, cradle cap can cover the entire body of a baby and appear on the face, neck, underarms and in the diaper area. The best treatment against this form of rash in a baby is regular washing with lukewarm water and a soft brush. The first signs of atopic dermatitis in babies are often dry, itchy skin rashes.

The altered areas of skin are usually reddish in color and appear cracked.Typically, this form of rash occurs in the baby’s face (especially around the carts), neck, elbows and the back of the knees. Neurodermatitis is in most cases a children’s disease (rash) that can grow out until teenage age. A skin rash in babies often occurs as an accompanying symptom of an infectious disease.

The form of the rash, the parts of the body affected by it and its course over time show very typical characteristics of some childhood diseases. You can find more information on this topic under Is my rash contagious?

• Three-day fever: The three-day fever, which occurs at the age of 6 – 24 months and is caused by viruses, begins with a rapid fever rise to 40°C over three days and then subsides rapidly.

  As the fever subsides, an irregular rosy skin rash appears on the baby’s trunk. If the rash appears, the three-day fever is no longer contagious. The therapy depends on the symptoms: Make sure that your baby drinks enough and apply antipyretic measures (e.g. calf compresses).

• Measles: Measles, which is widespread throughout the world, is caused by viruses, is characterized by its typical rash and is highly contagious.

  Measles begins with flu-like symptoms such as rhinitis, coughing, conjunctivitis of the eye and fever. After about two to three days, the characteristic white spots appear on the cheek mucosa near the front molars. After the third to fifth day the actual rash of the baby appears.

  It starts behind the ears, spreads from there over the face and further over the trunk, the arms and finally over the legs. The rash presents itself through initially light red and later on darker spots, which can merge over a large area. The treatment is symptomatic and involves sufficient fluid, cough-relieving medication and antipyretic measures.

• Hand-mouth-foot disease: The hand-mouth-foot disease, which occurs particularly frequently in playgroups and kindergarten, is also caused by viruses and is highly contagious.

  In addition to the typical symptoms of the disease such as fever, there is a characteristic rash in and around the mouth, on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet. The blisters typical of the rash can be very painful, but do not itch. Because of the pain in the mouth, the baby may not want to be breastfed or may refuse to eat.

  Here too, the treatment of the symptoms is the main focus.

• Chickenpox: Chickenpox, which occurs somewhat less frequently in babies, is also caused by viruses and is characterized by very itchy blisters that can spread from the face to the entire body. It is even possible for the mucous membranes (mouth, eyes, genitals) to be affected. In addition to the skin rash, fever and a poor general condition may occur.

  Scratching must be avoided as far as possible in order not to cause permanent scars. A vaccination against chickenpox is possible.

• Rubella: Rubella, which is a mild form of rubella associated with a skin rash, is caused by viruses. The disease begins with fever and after one or two days the characteristic light red lentil-shaped rash behind the ears begins.

  From there it spreads over the face and the whole body and lasts for about three days. Also here there is a possibility of vaccination from the age of 12 months.

• Scarlet fever: Scarlet fever caused by bacteria occurs very rarely in babies and is more likely to affect infants between the ages of three and eight years. It is highly contagious and begins with sore throat, difficulty swallowing and fever. After one or two days, a typical rash appears: pinhead-sized dense spots spread from the armpits, over the groins, to the entire body. The disease should be treated quickly with an antibiotic.