The health of the child at any age causes a lot of fears in parents. Even a slight runny nose or cough becomes an occasion to visit a local pediatrician. What can we say about the situation when the child became covered with red spots. Blisters, vesicles, acne - any spots that suddenly appear on the baby's body indicate that he should be given urgent medical attention.
Infectious diseases
A child’s fragile body is constantly exposed to the attack of harmful microorganisms, including viruses, bacteria and fungi. As a rule, a newborn infant is passed on to the mother’s immunity to all kinds of infectious diseases. But there are situations when a child is born with a weakened immune system, which contributes to his susceptibility to infectious ailments. In later life, the baby comes in contact with a large number of people, which can also cause infection with diseases that are transmitted by airborne droplets or by domestic means.
The most common infections that are often called childhood infections include measles, rubella, roseola, scarlet fever, chicken pox (or chickenpox) and infectious mononucleosis. They share a common symptom - red rashes on the child’s body.
Measles rash
Measles is an infectious disease characterized by the greatest infectiousness among other known ailments of this type. The disease is transmitted by airborne droplets and has an incubation period of 1-2 weeks.
Measles is characterized by:
- increase in body temperature to 38 ° C or more;
- weakness, lethargy;
- cough;
- runny nose;
- conjunctivitis (an inflammatory process on the mucous membrane of the eye);
- rash on the inside of the cheeks;
- rashes all over the body.
With measles, the spots on the body are dry, red in color, have an irregular shape. After a few days, the diseases change color to brown and merge with each other. A feature of the disease is that it begins not with a rash, but with hyperthermia, cough and runny nose. Parents notice that the child became covered with red spots throughout the body, only on the 4th-5th day of illness. All symptoms disappear, and the skin is completely cleansed after 2 weeks.
Treatment for measles is symptomatic, as there is no special drug aimed at combating directly with its pathogen. It is important to follow the drinking regime to avoid dehydration. To remove eye inflammation, eye drops, herbal decoctions are used. At high temperatures can not do without antipyretics.
Rubella Diagnosis
Rubella is an acute viral infection transmitted by airborne and domestic routes. The incubation period can last up to 25 days.
Symptoms
- low-grade body temperature (within 37.5 ° C);
- minor runny nose;
- lethargy;
- swollen and tender lymph nodes;
- headache;
- red spot rash, not prone to the formation of significant areas of redness.
After the child is covered with small red spots, the skin will completely clear after 3-4 days.
There is currently no specific drug against rubella, as is the case with measles, so the symptoms of the disease are eliminated. Antipyretic, antiallergic, immunostimulating and general antiviral drugs are used.
The only prevention of measles and rubella is vaccination.
Chickenpox
Chicken pox (chickenpox) is a disease caused by the herpes virus, which penetrates the upper respiratory tract as a result of communication with a sick person. The incubation period is 2-3 weeks.
Signs of the disease:
- rashes in the form of vesicles throughout the body, occur in stages on different parts of the skin;
- high body temperature;
- may be accompanied by a headache.
With chickenpox, others note that the child itches and becomes covered with red spots.
For the treatment of chickenpox, drugs such as Acyclovir, Alpizarin are widely used. Prevention consists in vaccination and timely isolation of a sick child.
Exanthema for scarlet fever
If the baby is covered with red spots throughout his body, another reason for this may be scarlet fever. This is a bacterial infection transmitted by household and airborne droplets and received its name for a characteristic symptom - a bright red rash.
How to recognize scarlet fever:
- rashes of red color, forming large areas of redness throughout the body;
- angina;
- nausea;
- swollen lymph nodes in the neck;
- high body temperature;
- the absence of a rash in the nasolabial triangle, its pallor;
- peeling of the skin as the rash disappears.
Since scarlet fever is a bacterial infection, antibiotics (Amoxicillin, Erythromycin, and others) are prescribed for its treatment. It is also necessary to comply with bed rest, the use of immunomodulating drugs, vitamins, means to restore the intestinal microflora, antipyretic drugs.
To reduce the likelihood of incidence of scarlet fever, it is recommended to observe personal hygiene and avoid large crowds, especially during epidemics.
Rashes with roseola
Roseola is not an independent disease, but a reaction of the body to infection with the herpes simplex virus type 6. Children are most susceptible to this disease from the age of 6 months to 2 years. You can get infected by airborne droplets or by domestic means. Upon contact with skin covered with rashes, herpes of the 6th type is not transmitted.
Symptoms of roseola:
- increase in body temperature to 38-39 ° C;
- slight runny nose and nasal congestion;
- cold hands and feet against a background of general hyperthermia;
- pallor of the skin;
- febrile seizures are possible;
- dark pink rash, which is a spot with a diameter of up to 5 mm, slightly convex above the surface of the skin, with a pale fringing.
Antiviral drugs for the treatment of roseola are not used. The main means to alleviate the condition of the baby are antipyretic drugs, drinking regimen, regular ventilation and wet cleaning.
To prevent the disease, it is important to strengthen the baby’s immunity, to support breastfeeding as long as possible, to ensure the baby’s healthy sleep and proper nutrition, appropriate for age.
Infectious mononucleosis
Mononucleosis is a disease caused by the herpes simplex virus type 4, or Epstein-Barr. A child can become infected with mononucleosis in a contact-household way, mainly through saliva. A rash is observed in 25% of patients - upon examination, it is noted that the child's face is covered with red spots. Then the rash spreads to the entire body.
Symptoms
- signs of pharyngitis and tonsillitis;
- swollen lymph nodes;
- rash in the form of compacted pink or dark red spots;
- an increase in internal organs (spleen, less often - liver).
Treatment for the virus is symptomatic. Analgesics are used to relieve pain, heavy drinking to remove toxic substances from the body, antiseptic drugs for the treatment of pharyngitis and tonsillitis. Antibiotics, antiherpetic and antiviral agents are used to treat severe forms of the disease and its complications.
Prevention consists in increasing the immunity of the child, limiting contact with patients, disinfecting in the room where the sick person is. A vaccine for infectious mononucleosis has not yet been created.
Allergy, diathesis, urticaria
Diathesis - a child's predisposition to allergies. There are many causes of diathesis and allergic reactions in infants and older children: bad habits of the mother during pregnancy, toxicosis, the presence of allergens in the daily life of the mother and baby after birth (household dust, pet hair). In addition, the child’s immunity is not yet fully formed, which often causes an incorrect immune response to substances that are completely safe for an adult. This includes some food products (eggs, chocolate, citrus fruits), and hygiene products (soap, shampoo, cream, and so on).
Symptoms of diathesis:
- redness of the cheeks;
- a rash of a different nature, which may be present both on the whole body and on its individual areas, for example, it may be noted that the child's hands are covered with red spots;
- periodic occurrence in the places of redness of crusts;
- diaper rash that does not go away with personal hygiene;
- while ignoring the first signs, metabolic disturbance develops, a decrease in the activity of the child with a subsequent developmental delay is possible.
For the treatment of childhood allergic reactions, sorbents are prescribed for the speedy removal of the substances that caused the allergy from the body, and antihistamines to eliminate unpleasant symptoms.
If the child is sharply covered with red spots, it is worth suggesting one of the varieties of childhood allergies - urticaria. This is a sudden allergic reaction, which is manifested by characteristic blistering rashes on the skin of an infant. Sometimes this symptom is accompanied by fever, nausea and vomiting.
To prevent any allergy, it is recommended to avoid adding highly allergenic food products to the child’s diet, for hygiene procedures use only hypoallergenic products intended for children. If the baby is breastfed, special attention should be paid to the diet of the mother.
Erythema nodosum
There is another ailment of an allergic nature, for which skin rashes are a characteristic symptom. This erythema nodosum is an inflammatory process in the vessels of a person, which was preceded by various infectious diseases.
A characteristic manifestation of the disease is that the child is covered with red spots, or rather, dense subcutaneous nodules, which on the surface of the skin look like red spots with a diameter of not more than 5 cm.
Treatment of erythema consists of two stages - getting rid of the infection that caused the disease, and stopping the symptoms of inflammation itself.
Antibiotics are used to treat infections, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are used to relieve inflammation, and physiotherapy is often prescribed.
The main preventive measure is a timely visit to a doctor for the treatment of infectious diseases, which can subsequently provoke erythema nodosum.
Manifestation of sweating
If the child is covered with red spots and the body itches, you can suspect a condition called prickly heat in him. This is a red rash on the baby's body, most characteristic of newborns and children of the first year of life. Sweating occurs because the skin of the baby is much thinner and more vulnerable than the skin of an adult, in addition, the thermoregulation is not well developed in babies. Because of this, with the slightest irritation, irregular hygienic procedures, small pimples can appear on the skin of the child, sometimes blisters, which disappear after elimination of the irritant (sweat, tight clothing, unnatural tissues).
If with sweating the child is covered with red spots, what should I do?
- Observe good hygiene practices.
- Dress the baby according to the weather.
- Ventilate the room in which the child is located.
- Avoid tight swaddling.
- Wear newborn clothes only from natural fabrics.
- Use diapers made from breathable materials to help prevent diaper rash.
Lichen and its variety - eczema
When a child itches and becomes covered with red spots, it is logical to assume that it has lichen, a disease of a fungal or viral nature. They can be infected from animals (ringworm), as a result of damage to the skin or diseases of internal organs (eczema), after infection with a fungus (pityriasis), as a result of disturbances in the functioning of the immune system (lichen planus), due to infection by viruses (pink lichen) .
Depending on the type of ailment, it is characterized by various types of rashes:
- pink lichen is distinguished by the appearance of small round pink or red spots;
- pityriasis versicolor is characterized by darker red or even red-brown rashes;
- with ringworm, in addition to red spots, peeling and itching of the skin are manifested;
- eczema is characterized by the appearance of red spots, crusts, peeling, cracks, vesicles;
- with lichen planus, shiny nodules of a reddish-violet irregular shape are formed.
Despite the fact that lichen is treated mainly at home, you can not do without medical help - only a doctor can confirm the diagnosis and determine the type of ailment. Depending on the type of disease, antihistamines, corticosteroids and antifungals are used to treat it. It is also recommended to abandon bad habits and adhere to a special diet.
To prevent the disease, it is important to strengthen the immune system and limit the contact of the baby with street animals.
Psoriatic rash
Psoriasis is a chronic disease that is non-infectious in nature, the causes of which are currently studied to a small extent. The disease is not contagious, according to one version, not psoriasis itself is transmitted by inheritance, but a predisposition to it.
Symptoms of the disease:
- spotted rashes on the skin;
- itching of the skin;
- peeling.
Most often, young people under the age of 20 suffer from this ailment. But it also occurs in children. Therefore, if a child is covered with red spots, one cannot ignore the likelihood of this particular skin lesion.
Unfortunately, now medicine cannot cure psoriasis completely. To alleviate the condition and achieve a state of remission, blood purification, cryotherapy are used, a visit to the solarium is recommended.
To prevent relapse, it is important to strengthen the immune system, to avoid stressful situations.
Other causes of red spots on the baby’s body
In addition to the above diseases, the causes of red spots on the body of babies can be other reasons:
- Insect bites. The nature and size of the spots depends on which insect has bitten the child and on the individual reaction of his body, including the presence of allergic reactions.
- Disorder of the nervous system - sometimes you can notice that the child, when crying, becomes covered with red spots. With such symptoms, stressful situations in the life of the child should be eliminated, a friendly atmosphere should be created at home, try to find out the cause of the baby’s nervous tension.
- Spots in newborns. In newborns, mainly weak and premature babies, in the first days after birth, red spots may appear on the skin, which pass on their own and are considered as a variant of the norm.
- A reaction to cold, or the so-called cold allergy, is a reddening of a supercooled area of the skin that goes away on its own after a few hours, sometimes the symptom persists for up to several days.
- Diseases of the cardiovascular system and blood. These causes of rashes are extremely serious and require urgent specialist advice.
If a question arises why a child has become covered with red spots, an urgent consultation with a pediatrician is necessary, since the safest condition without timely assistance can be fraught with serious complications and consequences.