Lee Health Pediatrician Dr. Phillip Mote said there are a variety of skin rashes. “You see a new skin rash and think is that something dangerous or something common?” Dr. Mote said the first step is to try and see if you can pinpoint the cause. “For instance, they used a new perfume that day, or a new type of soap. Were they out in the woods and they were around a plant?”

For newborns, a good rule of thumb is to use products made for sensitive skin. “Use something that will have no preservatives in it, so something that’s unscented usually that comes in detergents as well as soaps,” said Dr. Mote. It’s also important to see if the rash blanches or not. “If you’re pressing on a rash or what looks like a rash and it’s not changing color, that’s more concerning because that could have more to do with vessels bleeding or different blood issues.”

The vast majority of the rashes Dr. Mote sees are contact dermatitis or an eczema and irritation of the skin. “If a kid has a red rash and it’s flakey or dry and they’re itching at it, the common thing you can do is try moisturizer on it. The key with that is something very greasy and oily so pure Vaseline, pure palm oil, or coconut oil…the key is you want it to be an ointment. You want it to be greasy, you don’t want it to be a lotion that just rubs in and disappears because then it doesn’t provide that moisture or hydration.”

If the rash looks serious and your child has a fever, is looking sick and having trouble eating or they’re vomiting, it’s best to seek emergency care.




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