Kids' Health

What Is Causing My Little One To Rash Out? What Can I Do About It?

Babies and rashes, name a more iconic duo. Unfortunately, because your little one’s skin is so delicate and sensitive, it can break out in a rash for a plethora of reasons. Infant rash appears as itchy, red patches on your child’s skin, caused by many factors, including friction, infection, illness, heat, dampness, chemical irritants, and allergies. Even while rashes in babies and toddlers are common and frequently insignificant, they can still be a rather unpleasant experience for your little one. While rashes can be treated at home in most cases, they should still be treated carefully, and could require a visit to the physician’s office for a check-up or treatment in some cases.

In order to better understand how to deal with rashes in infants and toddlers, we’ve compiled a list of the most common types of rashes below.

Different Skin Rashes in infants and toddlers

1. Diaper Rash

The bane of babies and parents everywhere, most infants and toddlers will eventually have the spotty red rash on their butt cheeks or genital region known as diaper rash.

Causes of Diaper Rash:

Diaper rash can be caused by a variety of reasons connected to the conditions inside your baby’s diaper. In some cases, urine and faeces can cause skin irritation from the humid conditions or pH adverse environments they create, or in rare instances, yeast or bacterial infections. In other cases, diaper rash can arise from allergies to components in diapers or wipes.

In any instance, irritation can be exacerbated by hot conditions creating greater humidity in the diaper, as well as excessive friction between the diaper materials and your baby’s skin.

What can parents do about it?

  • High-quality diapers: Using high-quality diapers can help protect your baby’s skin against diaper rash. It’s best to choose a diaper that is soft, hypoallergenic, and absorbent. Made with parents’ love and striving to make babies as cosy, comfortable and happy as possible, new baby product brand BabyCozy’s Bouncy Soft diapers check all the above boxes, making them a good choice.
  • Proper hygiene: Don’t wait too long to change your baby’s diaper when it becomes wet or dirty. When changing it, make sure your child’s skin is properly clean and dry before putting on a new diaper. Choose alcohol-free wipes that include natural moisturisers, such as BabyCozy’s Coconut Nourish Wipes. Such wipes can form a protective nourishing barrier between the skin and environmental irritants.
  • Aloe vera gel: If the diaper rash causes intense itchiness, apply a small amount of gel to the affected area.
  • Baking soda: Alkaline salts present in baking soda can help reduce diaper rash as well.

2. Eczema

Eczema, also known as atopic dermatitis, is a persistent ailment characterised by dry, irritated, or itchy patches of skin. Eczema flare-ups come and go, but they can be controlled for the most part by moisturising the skin and avoiding identified irritants.

Causes of Eczema:

Although the specific cause of eczema is unknown, those who suffer from it have skin less able to defend itself against irritants and allergens in the atmosphere, such as pollen, rough fabrics, detergents, and some foods. Both children and adults alike can be affected by this skin condition. Typically, skin can erupt with eczema rash when exposed to irritants.

What can parents do about it?

  • Moisturize: When your child gets out of the bath or the pool, use a soft towel to pat them dry before moisturizing their body. Choose moisturizers free of fragrances, alcohols or other irritating chemicals.
  • Dress shrewdly: If feasible, choose only clothes made of soft, breathable materials like cotton. Use a detergent free of allergens, such as colors and fragrances.
  • Consult your pediatrician: They may prescribe over-the-counter lotions or creams to help your baby manage and relieve their eczema symptoms.

3. Bug Bites

Babies’ skin may become red and inflamed after being bitten or stung by bees, wasps, mosquitoes, ants, or ticks. Anaphylaxis, a severe and sometimes fatal allergic response that forces the airways to expand and makes it difficult to breathe, can also be brought on by an insect bite in exceptional instances.

Causes of Bug Bite Rashes:

When bitten or stung, an insect’s saliva or venom causes the body to give an anaphylactic response, resulting in blotchy, irritated skin.

What can parents do about it?

  • Clean the bitten area: First, apply first aid cream or rub an alcohol swab on the bug bite.
  • Treat swollen areas: An ice pack or cold material should be applied to swelling for at least 10 minutes.
  • Relieve itchiness: You can apply cooling calamine lotion containing approximately 1% hydrocortisone.

4. Roseola

Often known as the sixth disease, the virus roseola mostly strikes infants between the ages of 6 months and two years, but can also strike children between the ages of 3 months and four years. Characterized by a fever accompanied by a blotchy, widespread rash, babies and toddlers typically recover in around a week on their own.

Causes of Roseola:

Roseola is caused by a human herpes virus. The illness is highly infectious and can be passed on by coughing, sneezing, or contacting infected surfaces. Adults can still catch roseola from their little ones if they did not have it as a child.

What can parents do about it?

  • Rest: Make sure your child receives plenty of rest to restore body fluid.
  • Fever Reduction: Since there is no specific treatment for roseola, a pediatrician often recommends fever-reducing medications such as ibuprofen.
  • Anti-itch medication: If the rash is too itchy, you can use antihistamines for your child after consulting with their pediatrician.

5. Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease

Parents are usually relieved at the end of the winter season, assuming that the risk of infectious disease also goes down as the temperature goes up. Unfortunately, the new season brings with it the new risk of Hand, Foot and Mouth disease. Enterovirus Coxsackie effects include high fever, hoarseness, and nasal congestion, followed a few days later by the development of relatively small blisters all over the body including the mouth, fingertips, palms, buttocks and the soles of babies’ feet.

Causes of Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease:

Children under five years are most frequently affected by outbreaks, which can also spread within summer camps, daycares, and children’s daycare facilities.

What can parents do about it?

  • Closely monitor the symptoms: Call your child’s physician immediately if his or her fever persists for more than three days or if they become dehydrated.
  • Minimize discomfort: Ibuprofen or Acetaminophen is the best way to reduce discomfort, with mouthwash helping ease pain from oral ulcers.
  • Ensure your child stays hydrated: Make sure your little one drinks plenty of water. If you believe your baby is dehydrated, contact your physician right away.

6. Ringworm

Ringworm is a scaly, ring-shaped rash that can develop on your baby’s body or scalp. The fungal rash starts small and slowly expands outwards. Although the infection is rarely severe, your little one may experience itchiness and discomfort along the rash.  Keep in mind that ringworm is not specifically a childhood illness and can spread to you via skin-to-skin contact.

Causes of Ringworm Rashes:

Ringworm can occur when hot and wet surroundings create an environment allowing naturally residing fungus on the skin or scalp to overgrow. Sharing hairbrushes, caps, or towels with sick individuals or animals can also transmit the disease.

What can parents do about it?

  • Control the source: If you have pets, look for scaling, itchy, bald spots on their fur, and treat them at the vet if any are found. Avoid sharing hair brushes, headbands, accessories, and caps with children.
  • Treat less severe rashes at home: Depending on the severity of the rash, you can use antifungal lotions available without a prescription on your little one.
  • Consult your pediatrician: Medications suitable for reducing ringworm may be prescribed by your pediatrician to minimize itchy rashes. Pediatricians can also prescribe special shampoos based on your baby’s scalp’s condition.

7. Impetigo

Impetigo is a common bacterial skin illness that is prevalent and highly infectious among infants and children. It usually appears as itchy, blotchy reddish sores on the face, around the mouth or nose, or sometimes on the hands or feet. After a week the sores can burst, leaving a honey-colored crust.  Antibiotics can be used for treatment, either orally or topically.

Causes of Impetigo:

Impetigo is caused when the Streptococci bacteria invades through breaks in your child’s skin.

What can parents do about it?

  • Cleanse and protect: Use antibacterial soap to wash the affected area. To help avoid contact that might transfer the illness to other people or other regions of the body, lightly cover the affected area. After you have cleaned your child’s wounds, thoroughly wash your hands.
  • Do not scratch the skin: Keep your kid’s fingernails trimmed so they avoid accidentally scratching their rashes. Scratching on other places of your child’s body might cause the illness to spread there. You can place a band-aid temporarily to stop your child from scratching the affected part of their body.
  • Consult your child’s pediatrician: Pediatricians typically prescribe antibiotics to treat impetigo and relieve itchiness. Antibiotics can come in the form of skin cream or oral medicine.

The Final Takeaway

As stated by BabyCozy representative Cherry, “It’s important to stay vigilant in protecting your little one’s skin. First, ensure only gentle, natural materials and substances come into contact with his or her skin, and two, in the event that they get a rash, have a plan for relieving their irritation. This includes visiting your child’s pediatrician when necessary.” Cherry continued. “The world can be unforgiving to your baby’s skin, but armed with the right information, and a proactive mindset, your little one is in good hands.”

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