Skin rashes in children
Chickenpox
Chickenpox is a viral illness that most children catch at some point. It most commonly affects children under 10 years of age.
A rash of itchy spots turns into fluid-filled blisters.They crust over to form scabs, which after a while drop off. Some children only have a few spots, whereas others have them over their entire body.The spots are most likely to appear on the face, ears and scalp, under the arms, on the chest and belly, and on the arms and legs.
There's no specific treatment for chickenpox, but you can takesteps to relieve the symptoms. For example, paracetamol canhelp relieve fever (don't give aspirin to children under 16), and calamine lotion and cooling gels can be used to ease itching.
The most common type is atopic eczema , which mainly affects children but can continue into adulthood.
Atopic eczema commonly develops behind the knees or on the elbows, neck, eyes and ears. Itisn't a serious condition, but if your child later becomes infected with the herpes simplex virus , it cancause the eczema to flare up into an outbreak of tiny blisters called eczema herpeticum, and will cause a fever.
About one in five children in the UKhas eczema, and in eight out 10 cases it develops before the age of five, often before a child's first birthday.
Read about treating atopic eczema .
Medically Reviewed by a doctor on 21 Dec 2018
Introduction
Information and advice about common childhood rashes, including chickenpox, eczema, impetigo, measles, psoriasis, ringworm, scabies and slapped cheek syndrome.
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Chickenpox
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Erythema multiforme
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Ringworm
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