3 Rashes You Don't Want to Ignore In Your Child

No matter if they are a baby or a toddler, your child is extra susceptible to various, serious rashes. Failure to notice these rashes or seek treatment for them can result in issues that will affect your child for the rest of their life. It is very important to be aware of the various rashes that can seriously affect your child’s health. 
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Meningitis

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This skin rash has the appearance of tiny red or purple blotches. A quick home test can be done by holding a clear glass against your child’s rash. If the red blotches and spots remain red under the pressure of the glass (instead of fading away), your child may have a meningitis rash. This rash indicates that your child is infected by meningococcal disease. This can be life-threatening if ignored. 

If your child is refusing food, fussing, sensitive to light, feverish, or overly drowsy along with this skin rash, get them medical help immediately. Meningococcal disease is considered a medical emergency, therefore it is vital to not wait on the rash to progress. 

Measles 

Not only is measles highly contagious, but it can lead to life-altering complications in a child. Measles can initially seem like a cold with coughing and sore eyes, but after three to four days, a skin rash will form. This rash is red with slightly raised bumps. 

It is very important to remember how contagious measles is when taking a child to the doctor. It is also good to remember that your child will remain contagious up to a week after their initial rash appears. Keeping your child at home and away from other children is the best way to avoid spreading the infection to others. 

Chickenpox 

Chickenpox is commonly seen in popular media as a rash of big red spots all over the body. While a child will experience red, fluid-filled spots, the number of spots can vary. Chickenpox is highly contagious and while it is usually easily resolved, it can still seriously harm your child. 

Your child may have a fever throughout their infection and will most likely want to scratch at their spots. Scratching at the spots can lead to scars. Calamine lotion is a great way to prevent this as it provides relief from the irritation the spots cause. You can also clip your child’s nails and put gloves on their hands at night to prevent scratching.  After five to six days, the spots on your child should dry up into scabs and fall off. Be wary about allowing your child to be around other children. Your child will be contagious until all their blisters have dried up. 

How to Help a Serious Rash 

One big factor in understanding what your child’s rash may be is finding the cause of the rash. Sometimes, a rash may be from something as simple as a new soap or a pet. Other times, rashes could be caused by poison ivy, a simple diaper rash, or something more serious. 

You can gently clean a rash and use a wet cloth to relieve its symptoms to help your child, but it isn’t always that easy. If a rash isn’t getting better or looks similar to the serious illnesses listed above, you should seek out help immediately. Ignoring a rash that looks more serious than a typical diaper rash or skin rash may lead to problems that will affect your child for the rest of their life. 

When seeking immediate help, you can rest assured knowing that BASS Urgent Care has help on standby. We help patients of all ages daily and are equipped to examine and treat your child. Don’t let a rash become something deadly. Instead, allow us to be there for you to help you and your child.