Skin allergies in children are due to many reasons, which we will mention in this article. We will also mention the types of skin allergies that children are exposed to, with an illustration in pictures, and then we will mention the appropriate treatment for each of the different allergic conditions.
Children are exposed to skin allergies at various stages of life from birth to adulthood, and it is a skin infection or rash in one of the areas of the child's body, or it may be spread to the whole body.
The appearance of skin allergies in children
A rash appears in children, or what we call an allergy, as a result of a bacterial, viral or fungal infection. It may also appear as an immune reaction to certain diseases. The rash also sometimes appears with high temperatures or some skin diseases such as eczema, dryness, itching, diaper inflammation, as a result of insect bites, as a result of eating food, or as a result of allergies to some medicines, soaps, cleaning agents and perfumes.
Skin rash occurs as a result of a disease or as a result of an allergy to certain substances or as a symptom of some diseases, so a pediatrician should be consulted for diagnosis and supervision of treatment.
Skin rashes or skin allergies in children can appear in infants from the age of a day. Therefore, the baby should be observed from birth and inform your doctor of any rash that appears on your baby to determine its causes and research its treatment.
Causes of skin allergies in children
Skin allergies occur after various skin injuries, whether viral, bacterial, fungal, parasitic, after insect bites, dry skin, eating food that the body is allergic to, or touching chemicals that the body is allergic to as a result of the body's secretion of inflammatory factors that move to the site of injury and appear somewhere in the body, or the inflammatory factors spread throughout the body and thus the rash appears Skin in different areas of the body.
For example, if the body dries up or an insect bites somewhere, the inflammatory factors move to this place, and therefore the rash appears only in this place. But if the child has a viral infection that spreads through the blood, and therefore the body secretes large amounts of inflammatory factors that spread to the whole body, and therefore a rash or allergy appears in the whole body.
From the previous example, it is clear that the appearance of allergies somewhere in the body, it means an injury in this place or dehydration that occurred in this particular place. As for the appearance of an allergy in the entire body, this means a viral, bacterial, fungal, parasitic infection or eczema.
Ways to protect your baby from skin allergies
- Constant monitoring of the appearance of any allergic reactions to the baby's skin, recording possible causes and consulting a pediatrician.
- Avoid all causes of allergic reactions that have been recorded or treated under medical supervision.
- Make sure that your child is clean and not exposed to contaminants.
- Use allergy-free care products such as soaps and perfumes.
- Use a moisturizing cream to protect the baby's skin from drying out.
- Use an insect repellent cream or spray when going out in open areas such as gardens.
- Not sharing baby clothes.
Types of skin allergies in children with images
Skin allergies in children appear as a result of several causes as follows:
Bacterial infection:
- A child may become infected with a bacterial infection when bathing in a swimming pool or when bathing with warm water or wearing swimwear that has not been thoroughly cleaned, as these bacteria infect the hair follicles and a rash appears in the hair growth areas.
- Infection of cracked areas of the baby's skin, such as areas around insect bites, with a bacterial infection, especially with high humidity in the atmosphere.
Fungal injury
- Tinea or ringworm infection appears as an Oval inflammation on the skin and infection with tinea or ringworm spreads in the summer, such as sports football, as a result of sharing clothes and wardrobes in the games areas.
Viral infection
- Foot, hand and mouth virus infection is more common in summer and autumn, and the rash appears accompanied by small blisters on the palm, fingers, foot, mouth and tongue.
- Molluscum virus infection is more common in hot and humid climates, a rash appears on the child's chest, back, legs, forearms, and blisters or watery warts appear in these areas.
Parasitic infection
- Infection of swimmers as a result of infection with parasites that grow on snails that pollute swimming pools, and the rash appears in the form of red spots as a result of digging these parasites into the skin.
- Sandworm infection as a result of infection with parasites contaminating the feces of cats and dogs, in which the rash appears in the form of lines in the groin area and around the foot as a result of these parasites crawling under the skin.
Insect bites
- A rash appears at the site of insect bites, such as mongooses, flies, wasps and other insects, and a circular dermatitis appears around the place of insect bites. Some children may have more severe symptoms, up to the spread of inflammation in many places on the body and difficulty breathing.
Dry skin;
- A rash and inflammation appear in dry areas of the skin affected byEczema.
- An allergy appears in the child's foot as a result of dry and wet feet, then dry and wet, and so on.
Touching some plants
- Some plants, when touched, cause skin allergies and a rash accompanied by a burning sensation and severe itching, such as sumac, oak, poison ivy, parsnip, citrus.
Eat certain foods
A rash may appear on your child that spreads to the whole body after eating some foods such as:
- Fish
- Eggs
- Yogurt
- Beans
- Soybeans;
- Wheat
- Sesame
The use of certain drugs
Some medications cause skin allergies and often appear after two weeks of taking these medications, such as:
- Analgesics and non-steroidal antipyretics.
- Antispasmodics and epilepsy
- Antibiotics;
High Temperature
- When the air warms up, the body's secretion of sweat increases to adjust the body temperature, but with the blockage of the sweating channels, a rash appears as pink spots on your baby, especially in the skin flexion areas such as the neck, armpits and thighs.
Treatment of skin allergies in children
To treat skin allergies in children, you must determine the cause and treat the cause while treating the symptoms that appear on your child from dermatitis. Therefore, all the possibilities that led to your child's allergy should be recorded and notified to the pediatrician about it.
The following are ways to treat dermatitis caused by sensitization of your child's body for one of the reasons already mentioned:
Treatment of allergies with prescription drugs
- Topical and oral cortisone medications
- Topical and oral antihistamines
- Topical and oral antibiotics
- Topical and oral antifungal agents
- Topical and oral antivirals
Treatment with over the counter drugs andSkin Care Products
- Anti-inflammatories, including cortisone, such as beta-sitosterol, are given.
- Moisturizers Types such as petroleum jelly, glycerin, panthenol and ceramides.
- Antipruritic agents such as Pramoxine and oat extract.
- Antibacterial and antifungal agents such as tea tree oil and zinc sulfate.
Treatment of skin allergies with natural mixtures
- Cold water compresses: prepared by placing ice in a plastic container and then using it for cooling, taking care not to put ice directly on the baby's skin. Cold water compresses soothe inflammation.
- Oatmeal bath: prepared by stirring a cup of oatmeal with baby bath water, yogurt and honey can also be added. Oatmeal bath moisturizes the skin and acts as an anti-inflammatory.
- Apple cider vinegar bath: prepared by placing a cup of apple cider vinegar on the baby shower water. The apple cider vinegar bath works to kill bacteria and fungi to treat diaper inflammation.
- Sodium bicarbonate bath: it is prepared by stirring a cup of sodium bicarbonate in baby shower water. And the sodium bicarbonate bath acts as an anti-inflammatory and antipruritic.
- Olive oil and turmeric mixture: the right amount of olive oil is mixed with a suspension of turmeric and the mixture is used topically to treat diaper inflammation. The mixture acts as an antibacterial and anti-inflammatory.
- Tea tree oil and coconut oil mixture: it is prepared by mixing a tablespoon of tea tree oil with a cup of coconut oil and applying to the affected areas of the baby's skin. The mixture acts as an antibacterial, antifungal, antiparasitic and as an anti-inflammatory.
- Aloe vera: aloe vera gel, which can be extracted from aloe vera leaves, is used directly on the baby's skin to treat dryness and inflammation and as an antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral.
Summary
- Skin allergy in children can be the result of a bacterial, fungal, parasitic or viral infection.
- Eating certain foods may cause skin allergies in children as well as certain medications and chemicals such as perfumes and soaps.
- Insect bites, dehydration, overheating and contact with some poisonous plants are other reasons for the appearance of allergies in children.
- Allergies in children appear as a result of many reasons that lead to the body's release of inflammatory factors that lead to the appearance of skin rashes.
- Care must be taken to keep the child clean, not exposed to contaminants and strengthen his immunity to prevent skin allergies of various types.
- There are many ways to treat allergic dermatitis that include the use of prescription products such as cortisone and antihistamines. And the use of anti-inflammatory and antipruritic skin care products, moisturizers of various kinds.
- Some natural mixtures can be easily prepared at home to treat skin allergies in children, such as oatmeal bath, apple cider vinegar bath and the use of aloe vera gel.
Sources
- 12 Common Summertime Skin Rashes in Children – HealthyChildren.org
- Food Allergies (for Parents) | Nemours KidsHealth
- INCIDecoder – Decode your skincare ingredients
- Home Remedies for Rashes You Can Try Today
Author of the article
Ibrahim Ammar
More than 15 years of experience in beauty products, skin and hair care
Egyptian Pharmacist
Mansoura University | 2008