Juvenile Skin Rashes

Your skin protects you from germs, regulates your body temperature and acts as a barrier for your inner organs. Irritants, allergens and certain medical conditions can inflame the skin, resulting in swelling, itching and an area of redness called a skin rash. Childhood skin rashes come in many different shapes and sizes. Although most rashes are harmless, some juvenile rashes require medical attention, so it is important to know how to identify them.

Vaccine Reactions

• Vaccines can cause various adverse reactions in juveniles, including fever, muscle soreness and skin rashes. The tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis vaccine can cause a mild red-raised rash or a blister-like rash called hives, which occurs as a result of a serious allergic reaction to the vaccine. The chickenpox vaccine can cause a mild skin rash for up to 30 days after administration. Most vaccine reactions are temporary, but parents should seek emergency medical treatment for signs of serious vaccine-related reactions that accompany skin rashes, such as high fever, behavioral changes and difficulty breathing.

Chickenpox

• Chickenpox is a common adolescent disease characterized by a skin rash of fluid-filled blisters all over the body, beginning on the face, scalp and trunk. Chickenpox is caused by the varicella zoster virus, which can be prevented through vaccination against the disease. Chickenpox is highly contagious and can spread to other people through direct contact with the rash and air-borne respiratory secretions. The chickenpox vaccine can prevent or shorten the virus' severity, especially if given before contracting the virus. Chickenpox typically clears up within two weeks, but contact your child's pediatrician if the rash spreads to the eyes, which can be dangerous.

Juvenile Autoimmune Diseases

• Juvenile autoimmune diseases can cause inflammation of the joints and skin rashes. Autoimmune means that the body mistakenly attacks itself. Systemic juvenile rheumatoid arthritis is characterized by arthritis in the hands, wrists and ankles, high fevers and a pale rash on the adolescent's chest and thighs. Juvenile lupus erythematosus is an autoimmune disease characterized by joint pain and a butterfly-shaped rash across the bridge of the nose and cheeks.

  Both autoimmune diseases are treated with immune-suppressing medications that dampen the body's overactive immune response. See a pediatric rheumatologist who specializes in autoimmune disorders if you suspect your adolescent's rash is caused by an autoimmune disorder.

Eczema

• The term eczema encompasses a group of skin conditions beginning with irritated, itchy skin and progressing to small fluid-filled bumps. Infantile or juvenile eczema can occur from infancy to adolescence and is often triggered by environmental irritants, such as pollen, dust, mold and certain foods. The rash appears red and inflamed with periods of oozing and crusting over the reddened areas. In infantile eczema, the rash begins on the face, forehead and scalp but can progress to the rest of the body. Eczema is not contagious and is treated with steroidal creams that lessen skin inflammation. Contact a dermatologist for a definite diagnosis of juvenile eczema.