Skin rashes, for both children and adults, are a common symptom of many types of medical conditions, including many allergies. The condition is characterized by a change in the texture and color of the skin, and often accompanied by localized itching or swelling. Skin rashes themselves are rarely dangerous, though a skin rash can point to an underlying medical condition.

Skin rashes can appear at any age, but numerous childhood diseases have bacterial or viral causes and have a rash of some type as an evident symptom. Most rashes are harmless and clear up on their own in several days. However, parents are encouraged to consult their child’s pediatrician about skin rashes because the presence of a rash could indicate a more serious problem in some cases.

While a skin rash can result from a variety of irritants or conditions, allergies are one of the more common causes of the condition in children. Allergic rashes can be caused by either skin contact with an allergen (allergic contact dermatitis) or as a reaction to an ingested or inhaled allergen.

Allergic contact dermatitis occurs when an allergen (e.g., pollen, latex, pet dander) comes into contact with a child’s skin and is absorbed into the body. The immune system reacts to the allergen at the point of contact, releasing histamines that cause localized symptoms of redness, swelling and itching. Because the skin allows relatively small amounts of the allergen into the body, this reaction is typically less severe, though strong allergic reactions that affect the entire body can still be triggered in this way.

Skin rashes in children can be localized or systemic. Localized symptoms are confined to a certain area of the body. A child coming into contact with poison ivy while playing outside is likely to result in a localized reaction. A systemic response often generates many different kinds of symptoms, including sneezing, nausea and swelling in addition to skin rashes. The rashes generated by a systemic reaction often occur on the face, though they can appear anywhere on the body.

Skin rashes can appear in many different forms on the surface of a child’s skin. Common characteristics of a rash include:

• Pinpoint red spots
• Small red areas
• Bruises
• Blisters
• Dry, tough skin growth
• Scaling or crusting
• Small elevated bumps
• Elevated flat area

Hives occur when the symptoms of an allergic reaction take the form of welts or itchy red blotches that appear suddenly. This type of rash is often characterized by a slight swelling of the child’s skin. This swelling occurs at the site of the blotches, or away from the blotches (which is known as angioedema). Hives can quickly migrate to anywhere on the skin and disappear as quickly as they appeared.