Your child can develop a rash for a number of reasons. Sometimes it's difficult to identify the cause of the rash but to prevent future rashes, you have to eliminate what caused the rash. Certain rashes will go away on their own while others might require a prescription from your child's pediatrician. It's best to have the rash identified by your child's health care provider so you can treat it properly.
Identification
Your child can develop a rash on any part of his body. Different rashes will have different appearances. Some rashes will just leave red patches on his skin while other types of rashes will leave bumps and blisters. Depending upon the severity of the rash, your child may experience itching but if scratched, or scratched hard enough, tiny breaks in the skin can cause the rash to ooze pus which can leave behind crusting once the pus has dried.
Types
There are many types of rashes, but a common rash is contact dermatitis, according to MedlinePlus. Contact dermatitis is a rash resulting from something your skin has come into contact with that it's allergic to such as a specific chemical or other substance you're allergic to like poison ivy. Eczema is another type of rash that usually results in small fluid-filled bumps, according to KidsHealth. Heat rash is another type of rash which typically appears as clear or red small bumps on your child's skin. Heat rash generally appears during warm summer months and is a result from overdressing, according to MayoClinic.com. Your child can also develop a skin rash from allergies to soaps, perfumes, dyes, foods, pet dander and certain medications.
Significance
Once your child has developed a rash, she may want to scratch it to relieve itching, but it's very important that she does not scratch the area. Depending upon the type of rash, scratching it can make it spread to other areas of the body which only worsens her condition or the rash could become infected. It's also important that the rash is properly identified before you begin to treat it. Treating her rash with the wrong type of medicine could make it worse.
Treatments
A variety of treatments exist for different rashes. There are creams, lotions, ointments, gels, moisturizers and antihistamines, according to MedlinePlus. Depending upon the type of rash, your child's doctor may prescribe a lotion instead of an ointment as ointments tend to be composed of a heavier solution. If your child develops a rash due to an allergic reaction from pet dander, your pediatrician may recommend antihistamines.
Considerations
After your child has developed a rash and the cause has been identified, avoid the possibility that he will have another rash due to the same cause. If your child developed a skin rash due to an allergic reaction to soap, change soaps. If he developed hives from a food allergy, do not purchase that food again and alert his school or daycare of his food allergy. If he's allergic to certain medications, let all school or daycare medical personnel know that he is allergic to that particular medication so the staff does not give him that medication.
