Common Types of Rashes in Newborns and Babies

From time to time, you may see a rash forming on your baby’s skin. It’s often not anything to worry about, but sometimes you might need to check in with your doctor or health visitor. Read on to learn about some of the most common rashes in newborns and babies and find out what you can do to treat them.

What Is Baby Rash?

A rash is a change to the usual skin often characterised by textural changes, for instance, the skin may feel bumpy or swollen. This may be accompanied by colour change, so the skin might look redder, darker or lighter than the original skin colour. A rash can be itchy, and sometimes may be accompanied by a fever. Rashes are often harmless, but keep in mind that a rash can also be a sign of an allergic reaction, or other condition that may need immediate medical attention. In this article, we’ll cover some of the most common types of rashes affecting babies. However, not all rashes are listed, so do contact your midwife, health visitor or a doctor if you have any questions or concerns about your baby's skin.

What Can Cause Baby Rashes?

The majority of rashes appearing in babies during the neonatal period are generally short-term and non-infective in origin. For instance, the common and benign rashes in newborns, toxic erythema and transient neonatal pustular melanosis. Some other cause of skin rashes in babies can include:

• Insect bites and stings

• Parasites

• Allergies

• Bacteria

• Fungi

• Viruses

• Heat

• Moisture

• Chafing

• Dribble.

What Are the Most Common Rashes in Newborns and Babies?

In this section, we describe some of the more common rashes and skin conditions involving rashes in newborns and babies:

Nappy Rash

Nappy rash can be triggered by:

• Wet or soiled nappies being left on for too long

• Wearing a poorly-fitting nappy

• Not cleaning the nappy area properly

• Your baby being given antibiotics recently.

Nappy rash typically clears up in three to four days if whatever’s causing it is alleviated. Tell your health visitor or doctor if the rash doesn’t go away or gets worse after a few days of taking the steps below. To help prevent or clear nappy rash:

• Make sure your baby is wearing the right sized nappies. Use our nappy size guide to get the right fit for your baby.

• Change soiled or wet nappies as soon as possible. Some newborn nappies have a wetness indicator to help you decide when they could be ready for a change.A soiled nappy must be changed immediately as the combination of faeces and urine can damage the skin barrier. Wet nappies should also be changed but there is less of an urgency here provided there is no nappy rash already active.

• Clean your baby’s nappy area carefully. Use alcohol-free wipes or cotton wool and water for this. It can also help to expose your baby’s bottom to air whenever possible. Ensure the nappy area is dry before a fresh nappy is applied as a damp nappy area can trigger a moisture associated nappy rash.

• Apply a thin layer of barrier cream at each nappy change. Ask your baby’s health visitor, doctor or pharmacist to recommend a suitable product. Let the barrier cream dry before applying a new nappy.

• Bathe your baby once a day. Avoid using soaps, lotions, bubble baths or talcum powder, and dry your little one gently after each bath.

Eczema

You may notice patches of dry skin that may be red or darker, lighter or violaceous compared to the original skin colour, or itchy skin on your baby’s face or behind the ears. This type of rash can also appear in the creases of the neck, knees and elbows. Your baby will usually grow out of the eczema with time; but tell your doctor or health visitor if you think your child has it. To help soothe eczema or prevent it from reoccurring:

• Gently apply a non-scented moisturiser to the affected skin several times a day. Don’t use aqueous cream as this can sting or burn.Apply moisturiser from top to toe and aim to finish 250 grams of a cream-based moisturiser per week. Use creams rather than lotions as creams are heavier so may help restore the skin barrier quicker.

• Avoid baby soaps and bubble baths. These can dry out and irritate your baby’s skin. Bath your baby with a non-scented bath oil or use their moisturiser as a soap substitute. Plain water alone can irritate the skin barrier exacerbating Eczema. Keep baths to under 10 minutes with body temperature water (not too hot but not too cold).

• Keep your baby’s bedroom cool. Being hot and sweaty can make the eczema worse.

• Identify and avoid things that might trigger your baby’s eczema. Common environmental triggers can include scratchy clothing, too many layers of synthetic clothing, plain water left on the skin, fragranced skin care, cigarette smoke, old dry air or central heating with low humidity. For some children, house dust mites and animal dander may worsen their eczema, so it’s worth regularly changing bedsheets, vacuuming often and avoiding pets on furniture.

• Dress your baby in cotton fabrics rather than wool or synthetic fibres.

• Ask your doctor about topical anti-inflammatory agents which may be steroids or non-steroidal. These, alongside large volumes of moisturiser and avoiding soaps can help reduce eczema flares. These might be able to help stop eczema from getting worse if nothing else seems to be working.

• Stress, illness or change in environment can all trigger flares of Eczema even when moisturiser and soap substitutes are being used regularly. Try not to be disheartened, most infants do improve.

Rash on a Baby’s Face When Teething

Food Allergy Rash

Foods that sometimes cause an allergic reaction in small children include:

• Cow’s milk

• Eggs

• Foods with gluten, such as wheat or barley

• Peanuts and other nuts

• Seeds

• Soya

• Fish and shellfish.

Just because these foods sometimes cause an allergic reaction in some children doesn’t mean you need to avoid giving these foods altogether, but experts do recommend introducing new foods one at a time. This way, if there’s a reaction you’ll know what caused it. If your baby does have an allergic reaction to a certain food, he or she may develop a rash. Other symptoms of a food allergy can include:

• Vomiting and diarrhoea

• Coughing

• Shortness of breath

• Swollen lips and throat

• Blocked and runny nose

• Sore, itchy eyes.

If you notice any of the above symptoms, stop giving your child the food that might have caused the allergic reaction, and tell your child’s doctor or your health visitor. Seek immediate medical attention if your child has difficulty breathing, seems confused or has trouble staying awake.

Erythema Toxicum

Baby Acne

The spots can show up in the first four weeks after birth, but usually clear up in a few weeks or months. Don’t use any anti-spot lotions, creams or medicines intended for adults or older children. Washing your baby’s face with water and applying a mild moisturiser might help though. If you have any concerns, see your GP. If the acne is very persistent or associated with your infant developing body hair see your GP urgently so an assessment of precocious puberty can be made.

Milia

Prickly Heat (Heat Rash)

Heat rash can appear anywhere on your baby’s face or body and may also spread to other areas. Adults sometimes experience it too, but babies can get it more easily because they can’t yet control their temperature as effectively as adults and older children. The symptoms of prickly heat can include

• small red spots

• itching or a prickly feeling

• mild swelling and redness.

The best way to prevent or treat heat rash is to keep your baby’s skin cool, for example by

• dressing your child in loose, cotton clothing

• using lightweight bedding, and keeping the temperature of your baby’s bedroom nice and cool

• making sure your baby gets plenty of fluid, to avoid dehydration.

To soothe the itchy or prickly rash

• cool it with a cold damp cloth or ice pack (wrapped in a dry tea towel or cloth) for no more than 20 minutes

• avoid using scented soaps or creams on the affected area

• ask your child’s doctor or a pharmacist about treatments that might be suitable such as calamine lotion or antihistamine medicines.

Cradle Cap

Cradle cap can also appear elsewhere, such as on your baby’s eyebrows and nose, or even around the nappy area. It’s thought to stem from a mite known as Malassezia interacting with the skin barrier. We all have this mite living on the skin, usually in harmony, so cradle cap is not considered to be contagious. It generally doesn’t itch or cause your baby any discomfort. Cradle cap usually clears up by itself within a few months, but there are a few things you can try to help that process along:

• Regularly wash your baby’s hair with a mild baby shampoo and use a soft brush to carefully loosen the flakes

• Don’t pick at the crusts as this could lead to an infection

• Gently rub inertia ointment such as petroleum jelly into the crusts to help soften them

• Leave baby oil or vegetable oil on overnight and wash it off with a baby shampoo in the morning.

Scabies

It can appear as silvery lines with a red dot at the end, or as clusters of red dots. The rash can be very itchy, and appear almost anywhere on your baby’s body, although it often starts between the fingers. Scabies spreads easily from person to person (you can’t catch it from pets), but the rash can take eight weeks to appear after the mites lay their eggs. This means that if your baby has scabies the whole family will usually need to be treated because the mites may have been spreading before you realised there was a problem. Your pharmacist can recommend a cream or lotion that needs to be applied to the whole body, usually more than once. If your baby is less than 2 months old and you think a rash might be caused by scabies, take him or her to the doctor.

Hives

Hives usually clears up in a day or two, but it can also be treated with an over-the-counter antihistamine. Ask your child’s doctor or pharmacist what could be suitable for your child. If your baby regularly has this kind of rash, see your doctor to help determine if your child is allergic to something. Seek immediate medical attention of your baby is having trouble swallowing or breathing, or if you notice sudden swelling in your child’s face, mouth or throat.

Impetigo

The first sign of impetigo in babies is the appearance of red sores or blisters that soon burst, leaving crusty golden-brown patches behind. These sometimes look like corn flakes stuck to your baby’s skin. They may get bigger and spread to other parts of the body. They can also itch, and sometimes even be painful. If you think your baby might have impetigo, take him or her to the doctor, who will usually take a swab to test for the bacteria that causes the infection. Based on the results of this test, your doctor may prescribe an antibiotic cream or medicine. Impetigo in babies isn’t usually serious, but it is infectious until the patches dry out and crust over (if no treatment is needed), or until 48 hours after starting the treatment prescribed by your baby’s doctor. Until then, keep your baby away from other children and avoid touching the rash, to help prevent the spread of the infection.

Ringworm

Your child’s doctor or local pharmacist can recommend a cream or lotion for treating the ringworm. If it appears on the scalp, medicine may also be needed – in this case it’s important to see a doctor. The infection can be spread from person to person or even from animals to people. Ensure your baby’s combs, brushes, hair clips or hats are not shared with others in the household if your child has ringworm. If you have a pet and you suspect that’s where the ringworm infection started a trip to the vet is needed to ensure your cat or dog is treated as well.

Roseola

Symptoms of roseola include a rash consisting of spots, patches or bumps that may be pinkish-red in colour, or darker or lighter than the original skin colour that start on your baby’s chest, belly and back. Later, this rash can spread to the face, neck and arms. In the three to five days before the rash appears, your baby or toddler will often have other symptoms, including

• a sudden fever

• cold-like symptoms, such as a sore throat, runny nose and/or cough

• loss of appetite

• swollen eyelids and neck glands.

Your child with roseola can usually be looked after at home. Let your child rest, and make sure he or she gets plenty of fluid to stay hydrated. Ask your doctor or health visitor about medicine to help with any discomfort caused by the fever. The roseola rash may look dramatic, but it isn’t usually itchy or uncomfortable. And the good news is that by the time it appears, your little one is probably on the mend: The rash usually fades away in about two days, and it’s rare to get roseola more than once.

Slapped Cheek Syndrome

The bright red rash on your baby’s face could be followed by a lighter coloured rash of raised blotches – which may also itch – on the chest, arms and legs. This kind of rash usually clears up on its own in about three weeks without any treatment, although you can help ease your baby’s symptoms by

• making sure your child gets enough rest and drinks plenty of fluids

• gently applying moisturiser to itchy skin

• asking your pharmacist about medicine for a high temperature or an antihistamine to relieve any itching.

Common Rashes on a Baby’s Face

If you’re unsure about the type of rash that your baby has on their face, there are some common rashes that you can look out for:

• Eczema

• Teething rash

• Erythema toxicum

• Baby acne

• Milia

• Impetigo

• Slapped cheek syndrome.

If you notice a rash on your baby’s face, neck or anywhere else on their body, you can find more information about the various types of rashes in the section above and consult with your baby’s doctor, health visitor or pharmacist.

Common Rashes on a Baby’s Belly

Some common rashes that your baby might have on their stomach include:

• Erythema toxicum

• Impetigo

• Roseola

• Prickly heat.

If you spot a rash on your baby’s belly or anywhere else on their body, you can find more information about each of these rashes in the section above, detailing the common rashes in babies. It’s also recommended to contact your baby’s doctor, health visitor or pharmacist for a diagnosis.

When to See the Doctor

There are lots of different kinds of infant rashes, with many causes, and sometimes it can be hard for you to tell exactly which kind of rash your little one has. To be on the safe side or if you’re at all concerned, take your little one in for a checkup. Often the rash won’t be anything serious, however, if your baby or older child has a rash with a fever and seems unwell, it’s best to make an appointment to see the doctor so a professional diagnosis can be made. Call 999 or take your baby to A&E straight away if your little one has a rash and shows any of these other symptoms, which could be signs of meningitis, a rare but serious condition that needs urgent treatment:

• Stiff neck

• Sensitivity to light

• Seeming dazed or confused

• Shaking uncontrollably

• Uncontrollable fever

• Unusually cold hands and feet

• A rash that doesn’t fade when a glass is pressed against it.

Rashes are common and often harmless in babies and young children. Still, seeing a rash on your baby’s skin can be worrisome, especially if it’s accompanied by other symptoms. Figuring out what may have caused the rash isn’t always so simple. That’s why it’s a good idea to check in with your health visitor or see your baby’s doctor, who can diagnose the rash and suggest the most effective treatment. Soon enough, the redness, itching or irritation will fade away and you’ll soon be showering that soft, smooth skin with adoring kisses again, or – if you’re both in a playful mood –making your little one giggle by blowing raspberries on his or her tummy!

_{How we wrote this article The information in this article is based on the expert advice found in trusted medical and government sources, such as the National Health Service (NHS). You can find a full list of sources used for this article below. The content on this page should not replace professional medical advice. Always consult medical professionals for full diagnosis and treatment.}