Skin rash due to specific triggers

Rashes in the abdominal area are relatively common in toddlers and babies and have very different causes. One possible cause is drug intolerance.An antibiotic allergy is the most common reason for a skin rash. The clinical picture, also known as drug exanthema, usually appears a few minutes to hours after taking antibiotics.

Children often react to the antibiotic (penicillin) sold under the trade name Amoxicillin with a skin rash. Since babies cannot swallow tablets, the antibiotic is always administered as a juice. The first symptoms appear shortly after taking the antibiotic on the back and stomach, sometimes also on the arms, legs or hands.

Typical symptoms of a drug exanthema are rosy to deep red skin and blotchy, confluent skin discoloration. Sometimes accompanying itching can occur, which is signaled by a restless and crying child. If the typical spots appear in the skin area after taking antibiotics, the medication should be discontinued very quickly and switched to another medication.

However, this should always be done in consultation with the treating pediatrician. Other accompanying symptoms such as shortness of breath, heavy sweating and indisposition can also occur if the child is intolerant to the medication. In most cases, however, a drug intolerance in babies is limited to a skin rash.

Vaccinations for babies are one of the most important steps in disease prevention and can prevent the occurrence of serious diseases. For this reason, the recommended vaccinations should be administered to the baby as soon as possible. However, many parents are afraid of the possible side effects of a vaccination.

In general, however, it can be said that the risk of serious side effects is much lower than the risk of secondary diseases caused by an infection. For this reason, vaccination should not be omitted out of fear of side effects. In most cases, only minor side effects, if any, occur in the baby after vaccination.

These are usually easily treatable and do not pose any danger to the baby. If a skin rash appears after bathing, this can have various causes. On the one hand, an allergic reaction, e.g. to bath additives, can lead to a rash on the skin or overheating of the body.

In the case of overheating, the body does not manage to dissipate the heat generated by the bath, which it then tries to ensure by dilating the vessels. By dilating the blood vessels, more blood reaches the skin, which then turns red. The point is to bring more blood to the surface of the skin so that the blood cools down there.

Skin redness after bathing is quite normal and only indicates a borderline or too high water temperature as well as a too long bathing time. If you see red skin on the baby’s body during bathing, the bathing process should be stopped. Usually the red areas on the body disappear after a few minutes or hours.

A heat-related skin rash almost never causes itching. However, if the reddish skin changes are caused by an allergic reaction to the bath additives, the babies usually cry and scream because of the accompanying itching. The treatment of the rash due to the heat is done by cooling the skin, or with anti-allergic gels if there is an allergic component behind the rash.

In this case a treatment with Fenistil gel may be considered. Teething can also cause rashes in the form of slightly reddened cheeks and the skin around the mouth. However, if the rash is larger, elsewhere or accompanied by other symptoms such as fever or tiredness, there is usually another cause.

During teething, however, infections and rashes or an outbreak of neurodermatitis in the baby may occur more frequently. This is mainly because the baby’s immune system is weakened during teething. The body “concentrates” on the growth of the teeth.

If the baby develops a rash due to a too dry skin, this is usually not allergic. The skin needs a certain level of moisture, which should not be undercut. The moisture of the skin makes it supple, more robust and less susceptible to infections.

Dry skin becomes cracked, itchy, reddened and sometimes painful. Especially in winter, when the skin is exposed to constant heating air, the skin often dries out. The skin then becomes more sensitive and starts to itch and flake.Sometimes the moisture level of the skin can drop so much that a rash develops.

Fortunately, the treatment is carried out with simple means that quickly eliminate the cause. If a rash is caused by dry skin, moisturizing ointments or creams are used to make the skin smoother and less sensitive to pain. If the skin is moisturized, skin irritation and rashes are also reduced.

If the skin is very often dry, it is also important to ensure that you drink enough. Skin rashes in babies, which occur especially after intense heat, are not allergic but are caused by overheating. Especially when the sweat produced is no longer sufficient to lower the body temperature, the body tries to bring as much blood as possible into the overheated area by dilating the blood vessels.

This is clearly visible in certain areas of the body which are then reddish in color. Viewed from further away, the picture of a spotty skin change can then appear. The first measure should be to get the child into the shade and into a cool place as soon as possible.

If this is not done, there is a risk of sunstroke. Cooling cloths etc. can also be placed on the reddened area of the body.

This should quickly restore the accustomed temperature of the body. If a skin rash occurs directly after exposure to the sun, it can always be due to a sun allergy. Typical for a sun allergy are red spots that appear after a short time of exposure to the sun and can sometimes be associated with itching.

In principle, every area of the skin of the body can be affected. Mostly those areas are affected which were directly exposed to the sun. The first thing to do is to take the baby out of the sun.

After a few minutes the red skin changes will disappear. Cooling pads can also be placed on the rash. The human skin reacts very sensitively to a too high dose of UV rays.

Adults, but also babies, who stay unprotected in the sun for a longer period of time often develop sunburn. For the skin surface of a baby, however, the sun and the UV rays it emits are many times more dangerous. After excessive exposure to the sun, a baby may develop a clear rash for this reason.

This rash does not necessarily have to be caused by UV radiation. Much more frequently, small children and babies react to the overheating caused by exposure to the sun by developing heat spots (sweat blisters). This form of rash is a minor skin irritation that occurs mainly in the neck, armpits and around the edges of the diaper.

This means mainly on the natural skin folds and on those parts of the body where friction occurs due to the contact between clothing and the skin surface. The direct cause of the development of such a rash in babies is a combination of a hot environment (sun) and high humidity. In addition, excessive sweating can promote the development of heat spots.

Heat pimples in themselves are not dangerous even in a baby. However, it should be noted that this form of rash is an indication that a baby has been in the sun too long or is simply too warm. In addition, a rash in a baby that appears after exposure to the sun can be an indication of the presence of a so-called “sun allergy”.

However, sun allergy is not comparable with a classic allergy. As a rule, the sun-induced rash in a baby is caused by an increased sensitivity to UV-A radiation. In rare cases, UV-B radiation can also be responsible for the development of a rash.

In most babies and toddlers, allergy to the sun is manifested by reddened skin rash and the appearance of small wheals or blisters. The rash typical of the sun allergy is usually very itchy and appears only a few hours after exposure to the sun. Typical locations for this type of rash are the shoulders, forearms, neck, back of the hands and face.

The best prevention against a sun-induced rash in a baby is a slow habituation to UV radiation.Especially for small children, the principle applies that the midday sun should be avoided and especially light-sensitive body regions should be covered. Beyond that beta Carotin tablets can be taken preventively. The application of this medicine must be taken over a period of approximately 8 to 12 weeks. A baby who develops a conspicuous skin rash for the first time after exposure to the sun should be promptly presented to a pediatrician.