Skin Allergies In Children

This article was originally written by Dr. Liew Hui Min as a guest post in pregnancy.com.

Not sure what triggers your child’s skin condition? You may be looking for food triggers but get disappointed that your child still experiences rash after avoiding the “culprit” food. Read on to understand these common skin allergies.

#1 Eczema

Eczema is a recurrent itchy skin condition, predominantly on the face and skin folds. Skin barrier is broken, hence external factors like heat, sweat, saliva, dust, fragrant soaps or skin infection will aggravate the skin. This is more common if your child also has asthma, food allergies, or allergic rhinitis, or with strong family history. Removing any trigger is the right step to improve your child’s skin condition. Moisturizer hydrates and protects your child’s skin. If the rash is not settling, please seek medical attention.

#2 Contact Dermatitis

Contact dermatitis is the itchy skin rash when your child is sensitive to certain topical allergens. Common allergens are fragrance, preservatives in creams, hand sanitizer and wet wipes, and metals such as nickle. If you know the exact trigger, avoiding it will help. If unsure, ask your dermatologist to do a patch test to find out the real culprits.

#3 Urticaria (AKA “hives”)

Urticaria is a sudden onset of itchy bumps on the skin, which lasts from minutes to hours. It can also recur the next few days or even weeks. Common triggers are infection, medication such as ibuprofen, and food such as eggs, cow’s milk and peanuts. However, very often, the cause is unknown. Fortunately, this urticaria settles spontaneously. Tests are usually not required. Skin prick test or blood test to the common food and environmental triggers including pets, can be done if your child is above 6 months old. Anti-histamine medication is safe to suppress the urticaria rash.