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Rashes
Skin rashes are common in babies and children.
- Most rashes are harmless and go away on their own
- The causes of skin rashes tend to differ in babies compared to older children. Many viruses can cause a rash in addition to other symptoms such as fever and cough.
- The rash often varies in shape and size, usually appearing as blotchy red spots commonly affecting most of the body. They sometimes appear quite quickly and usually last for only a few days. These rashes are generally ‘non-specific’, which means that it is often hard to say which specific virus is the cause
- For a visual guide to common causes of skin rashes in babies click here
Click below to watch a video from Best Beginnings on common skin rashes:
When should you worry?
If your child has any of the following features:
- Has a rash that does not go away with pressure (the glass test)
- Swollen lips or tongue and struggling to breathe
- Breathing very fast, too breathless to talk, eat or drink
- Working hard to breathe, drawing in of the muscles below the ribs, or noisy breathing (grunting)
- Breathing that stops or pauses
- Is pale, blue, mottled or feels unusually cold to touch
- Difficult to wake up, very sleepy or confused
- Has a fit (seizure)
You need urgent help
Go to the nearest Hospital Emergency (A&E) Department or call 999 - consider using ‘What 3 words’ to best describe location to ambulance service
If your child has any of the following features:
- Painful rash
- Blistering rash unless recent contact with chicken pox
- Develops red lips or a red tongue
- Develops a lot of skin peeling
- Has had chickenpox in the past few days and is now getting more unwell
- Breathing a bit faster than normal or working a bit harder to breathe
- Dry skin, lips or tongue
- Not had a wee or wet nappy in last 8 hours
- Not drinking
- Irritable (Unable to settle them with toys, TV, food or hugs even after their fever has come down)
- Temperature of 38°C or above for more than 5 days or shivering with fever (rigors)
- Temperature less than 36°C
- Getting worse and I am still worried
If your child has any of the following:
- Impetigo like rash (starts as a small blister which pops and dries leaving a patch of yellow crusting)
- OR Insect bite with swelling or redness that is spreading
You need to contact a doctor or nurse today
Please contact your GP practice or call NHS 111.
If symptoms persist for 4 hours or more and you have not been able to speak to either a member of staff from your GP practice or to NHS 111 staff, recheck that your child has not developed any red features.
Please use pharmacy first
Please call your local pharmacy. Your local community pharmacist will be able to see and help you. They can prescribe antibiotics if needed through Pharmacy First or if more worrying signs found, help guide you to the most suitable healthcare professional.
If your child is under 1 year or has had antibiotics in the last 2 weeks please call your GP instead.
- Most children with fever and rash can be safely managed at home
- Watch them closely for any change and look out for any red or amber symptoms
- If you think that this is a worsening of your child’s eczema, please look at the eczema page or contact your GP or practice nurse
- Please look at the pages on Chicken pox, Hand Foot and Mouth disease and Scarlet Fever if you are concerned that the rash might be caused by one of these illnesses
Self care
Continue providing your child’s care at home. If you are still concerned about your child, speak to your health visitor, local pharmacist or call NHS 111.
Children and young people who are unwell and have a high temperature should stay at home. They can go back to school, college or childcare when they no longer have a high temperature, and they are well enough to attend.
What should you do?
- Many rashes simply get better by themselves without any treatment. This includes viral rashes.
- If your child has a fever, you may want to lower their temperature using Paracetamol and / or Ibuprofen.
- Some rashes require you to keep your child off from nursery or school. This includes chickenpox and scarlet fever.
- Mild eczema, nappy rash and cold sores can be treated with creams from your local community pharmacist.
Common rashes
For information on common rashes in children and babies, click here
Where should you seek help?
- If it is non-urgent, speak to your local pharmacist or health visitor.
- If your child has any of the above features, urgently see your GP. For an urgent out-of-hours GP appointment, call NHS 111.
- You should only call 999 or go your nearest A&E department in critical or life threatening situations.
Health visitors are nurses or midwives who are passionate about promoting healthy lifestyles and preventing illness through the delivery of the Healthy Child Programme. They work with you through your pregnancy up until your child is ready to start school.
Health Visitors can also make referrals for you to other health professionals for example hearing or vision concerns or to the Community Paediatricians or to the child and adolescent mental health services.
Contact them by phoning your Health Visitor Team or local Children’s Centre.
Sound advice
Health visitors also provide advice, support and guidance in caring for your child, including:
- Breastfeeding, weaning and healthy eating
- Exercise, hygiene and safety
- Your child’s growth and development
- Emotional health and wellbeing, including postnatal depression
- Safety in the home
- Stopping smoking
- Contraception and sexual health
- Sleep and behaviour management (including temper tantrums!)
- Toilet training
- Minor illnesses
For more information watch the video: What does a health visitor do?
School nurses care for children and young people, aged 5-19, and their families, to ensure their health needs are supported within their school and community. They work closely with education staff and other agencies to support parents, carers and the children and young people, with physical and/or emotional health needs.
Primary and secondary schools have an allocated school nurse – telephone your child’s school to ask for the contact details of your named school nurse.
There is also a specialist nurse who works with families who choose to educate their children at home.
Sound Advice
Before your child starts school your health visitor will meet with the school nursing team to transfer their care to the school nursing service. The school nursing team consists of a school nursing lead, specialist public health practitioners and school health staff nurses.
They all have a role in preventing disease and promoting health and wellbeing, by:-
- encouraging healthier lifestyles
- offering immunisations
- giving information, advice and support to children, young people and their families
- supporting children with complex health needs
Each member of the team has links with many other professionals who also work with children including community paediatricians, child and adolescent mental health teams, health visitors and speech and language therapists. The school health nursing service also forms part of the multi-agency services for children, young people and families where there are child protection or safeguarding issues.