Child rash: what it looks like and when it matters
Most childhood rashes are viral and clear on their own within a week or two. What matters is the pattern: spots on hands, feet, and mouth suggest hand, foot and mouth disease; a sandpaper rash with a sore throat suggests scarlet fever; a rash that does not fade when you press a glass against it is an emergency.
How long it lasts
Viral rashes typically fade in three to ten days. Fifth disease can come and go for weeks. Ringworm needs two to four weeks of antifungal cream.
School and daycare
Most viral rashes are fine at school once the child is fever-free. Impetigo, ringworm on exposed skin, chickenpox, and scarlet fever need treatment or a waiting period first, usually 24 hours of antibiotics or antifungal cream.
What usually causes rash in kids
Small blisters on palms, soles, and inside the mouth, often after a day or two of fever.
Bright red "slapped cheek" look, then a lacy rash on arms and trunk. Contagious before the rash appears, not after.
Fine, sandpapery red rash with a sore throat and a strawberry tongue. Needs antibiotics.
Itchy spots that blister and crust in waves across the body.
Honey-crusted sores, usually around the nose and mouth. Bacterial and contagious until treated.
A round patch with a raised, scaly ring and clearer skin in the middle. A fungus, not a worm.
When to call a doctor
- Purple or red spots that do not fade when you press a clear glass against the skin
- Rash with a stiff neck, severe headache, or a very ill-looking child
- Rash with swelling of the lips, tongue, or face, or any trouble breathing
- Blistering or peeling skin over large areas
- Fever lasting more than five days with a rash
- A spreading, hot, painful red area, which can mean a skin infection
What helps at home
- Lukewarm baths and a fragrance-free moisturizer while the skin is still damp.
- Oatmeal baths or a cool compress for itching.
- Keep nails short to limit scratching and secondary infection.
- Loose cotton clothing; skip new soaps, lotions, and detergents until it clears.
- Photograph the rash daily so you can show a doctor how it changed.
Frequently asked questions
- What rash is going around at schools right now?
- Hand, foot and mouth disease and fifth disease are the two rashes that most often move through classrooms, and both spike at different times of year. Ickly shows what parents at your child's school and city are logging this week.
- When is a child's rash an emergency?
- If spots stay visible when you press a clear glass against them, or if the rash comes with a stiff neck, trouble breathing, or a child who is hard to rouse, go to the emergency room now.
- Can my child go to school with a rash?
- Usually yes, if there is no fever and the rash is not draining, blistering, or crusted. Impetigo and ringworm need 24 hours of treatment first; chickenpox needs every spot crusted over.
- How do I tell hand, foot and mouth from chickenpox?
- Hand, foot and mouth puts blisters on the palms, soles, and inside the mouth, and is not usually itchy. Chickenpox spreads all over the trunk and face in itchy waves, with spots at different stages at the same time.
- Why did my child get a rash after a fever?
- That pattern, three days of fever then a rash as the fever breaks, is classic roseola in toddlers and is harmless. If the child looks unwell as the rash appears, rather than better, call your pediatrician.
Is it going around right now?
Parents log sick days at their own schools and daycares on Ickly, so you can see whether rash is part of something moving through your child's classroom this week.
See what's going around near youOther symptom guides
General information for parents, not medical advice. Always contact your pediatrician or emergency services if you are worried about your child.