Rash around a child's mouth. Causes 2-3, 5-6 years, how to treat, what Komarovsky advises

Last updated: July 24, 2020

Allergic rashes in children are a very common and common occurrence. Most often, this disease manifests itself in the form of a rash, but the causes can be different. You will learn in this article how allergic rashes in children are treated and what they are like.

• For what reason does an allergic rash appear on a child's skin?
• What does a child's skin allergy look like?
• How to diagnose allergies?
• First aid and treatment
• What is done to prevent allergic rashes in children?
• Types of allergic reactions with photos
• Conclusion

Causes of rashes around the mouth in children

A rash around the mouth in a child of different ages occurs for several reasons:

• excessive salivation;
• violation of hygiene;
• infectious diseases;
• dermatitis;
• helminthic infestation;
• influence of external factors.

A rash around a child’s mouth can be caused by many factors that are important to identify for proper treatment.
Many of these causes are associated with vitamin deficiency and the use of hormonal drugs to treat certain diseases. The impetus for the spread of the rash can be a disruption of the digestive tract. This is both an imperfection of the enzymatic system and functional disorders.

Children of different ages go through several growth spurts. These are the stages of maturation of internal and endocrine organs. Therefore, a rash may appear for some period of time and go away on its own.

Environmental factors

Rash and irritation around a child's mouth often occurs if the skin is exposed to:

• wind;
• ultraviolet radiation;
• humid hot climate.

A baby's skin is very delicate, so it needs to be protected from open sunlight. The result of insolation is the appearance of red spots and rashes. If a child has increased salivation and is outdoors, then when there are gusts of wind, the skin may become chapped, reddened, and covered with dermatological elements.

The increase in symptoms occurs gradually: from the first hours, dry skin appears, then it turns red, and blisters with watery contents appear. When the climate changes or vacations in hot countries, the elements appear due to the onset of excessive work of the sebaceous glands.

Acne classification

When classified by age group, there are mainly two types of acne:

• In newborns and young children. The belief that acne only affects teenagers and adults is wrong. Infants, children of preschool and early school age, although not often, also suffer from acne. Newborns face this problem because their mothers transfer hormones to them shortly before birth. Acne also occurs when the stress of childbirth causes the baby's body to release these hormones.
• Teenagers and adults. Acne affects 80% of people aged 11 to 30 years. Usually occur during pubertal changes in hormonal levels. Increased production of sex hormones during puberty makes the sebaceous glands more active.

Table - Classification of childhood acne by age

Neonatal acne develops during a period of hormonal changes. In all forms of acne, additional provoking exogenous factors play a significant role.

Neonatal acne in newborns

Newborns include children up to 28 days of life. Some mothers notice irritation on the baby's skin during this period, which makes them worry. This condition is typical for 20-30% of children and refers to physiological phenomena.

A rash around a child’s mouth is a consequence of hormonal changes in the body, which begins to live independently.

The second reason for the phenomenon is the proliferation of yeast-like fungi on the surface of the body, which need sebum for nutrition. Externally, it is not difficult to determine that this is acne of the perinatal period. The elements are pointed, with a white shaft in the center. The contents of the vesicle are viscous, which distinguishes clear discharge from herpes infection or dermatitis.

Unlike other causes of its appearance, newborn acne migrates over the face and neck and is not typical for other parts of the body, as with urticaria and miliaria. In addition, there are no signs of intoxication, which would indicate an infectious process.

Methods of treating diathesis

When dealing with diathesis in a young child, the main thing is to choose the right diet, excluding foods that may cause an allergic reaction.

For a child in his first year of life, it is very important to receive breast milk.

The proteins of human milk are easily broken down by the baby's enzymes and are completely devoid of allergic properties. However, a nursing mother must also follow a diet excluding fish, poultry, tomatoes, chocolate, smoked meats, spices and other allergenic foods.

When mixed feeding, the child should not be given some juices: orange, carrot, tomato. Introduce any new product carefully - from a small amount. It is important to prevent an allergic exacerbation, and at the same time, to give the baby’s body everything it needs for its development.

Specialist consultation

The Family Doctor pediatric allergist-immunologist will help you deal with your child’s skin problems, determine the cause of allergies, and also build a rational diet that is suitable specifically for your child.

Make an appointment Do not self-medicate. Contact our specialists who will correctly diagnose and prescribe treatment.

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Irritation from drooling in infants

Starting at approximately 4 months, the baby begins a period of hypersalivation. Parents notice that the child has a lot of saliva, which hangs like ropes from his mouth. This is due to the start of the salivary glands, although it often coincides with the period of teething.

Physiologists believe that this is a protective mechanism that allows you to get rid of microorganisms that get into your mouth with your hands. Due to the constant damp environment, redness and irritation appear on the chin. Mechanical removal of viscous secretion does not produce results.

Hypersalivation can be caused by pathological conditions:

• oral candidiasis;
• helminthic infestation;
• otitis;
• diseases of the central nervous system;
• intoxication as a result of exposure to heavy metal salts.

If a large amount of saliva appears, pathology must be excluded. You need to blot the skin with a disposable or reusable clean scarf.

Atopic dermatitis or infantile eczema

Atopic dermatitis is a reaction to hazardous foods. Redness can occur on the body in the chest area, arms and neck. If the allergen is not excluded, the elements open up, begin to get wet, and the skin becomes very itchy.

Five foods that cause atopic dermatitis

Genes responsible for predisposition to the development of the disease have been identified. But it can be realized only with an initially low state of immunity. Often, manifestations of pathology begin under the influence of a stress factor. If there are inflammatory skin diseases, traumatic injuries, then this is the entrance gate for infection and allergens.

The cause of the development of dermatitis can be food, respiratory antigens, or the body’s reaction to long-term use of antibiotics.

Tips for proper treatment of atopic dermatitis:

What do allergic rashes look like?

There are a large number of types of allergy rashes in children, it all depends on the irritant that caused it. In many cases, exanthemas appear on the child’s body (this is the name given to various manifestations of allergic rashes):

• pustules (filled with pus);
• plaques;
• spots;
• vesicles (filled with liquid);
• blisters (large vesicles larger than 0.5 cm).

With food allergies in children, the rash can be found primarily on the cheeks and near the mouth. With a contact allergy, a rash or irritation will appear in the area where the allergen touched. If the child’s body reacts negatively to medications, inflammation will appear in the area of ​​the lymph nodes.

Worms

If a child or parents do not follow hygiene rules and allow contact with street animals, then there is a high probability of worms appearing. This phenomenon is typical not only for children from the category of dysfunctional families, due to their activity and great desire to learn about the world around them. This period usually occurs after 1 year.

You can suspect that the rash is associated specifically with worms by the long-lasting rash, which does not decrease even under the influence of medicinal drugs. After therapy, the phenomena disappear on their own, without additional help. As worms multiply, they cause intoxication. It manifests itself as local allergic reactions.

Children are most often characterized by the appearance of 3 types of helminths:

• pinworms;
• roundworm;
• whipworms.

All these parasites belong to the category of nematodes. With helminthiasis, the rash most often has the appearance of acne.

Allergy

Inflammation of the skin around the mouth often appears as a result of allergies. You can suspect this cause if the child has moved from infancy to the junior preschool group, teeth have already erupted, and the rashes are periodic. This means that the body reacts to certain foods , the rest of the time the immune system functions quietly.

Allergens are divided into several categories, depending on the route of entry. Often with this form of the disorder other symptoms appear: lacrimation, runny nose, swelling of the mucous membranes. The use of anti-cold medications has no effect.

How to diagnose allergies?

An allergic rash in children is often confused with an infectious one. If the treatment is incorrect, then the consequences of such a therapeutic course will not be the best. Before choosing an effective remedy, you need to learn to distinguish one disease from another. Only a doctor can make an accurate diagnosis, since a visual examination is not always enough to determine the cause of the disease; tests are required.

Perioral dermatitis

Perioral dermatitis occurs mainly in young people, under 20 years of age. People who use hormonal-based cosmetics are at risk. In children, the disorder appears in no more than 5% of all cases, followed by peeling and the appearance of small dotted elements with a white dot in the center. Localization of manifestations is the chin, nasolabial triangle.

As the elements spread, they merge with each other and infection occurs. The rash does not cause significant discomfort or itching. If treatment is not started at an early stage, the skin becomes rough and may change color to brown. Subsequently, the restoration of the normal pale pink color of the cover does not occur.

This type of irritation occurs for several reasons:

• decreased immunity;
• the use of hormonal agents to combat dermatitis;
• allergy;
• hormonal changes;
• skin damage from bacteria;
• vitamin deficiency;
• diseases of the gastrointestinal tract;
• use of fluoride-containing paste;
• disruption of the nervous system;
• prolonged exposure to the sun.

The border between diseased and healthy skin is defined as a thin white film.

Possible complications

The danger is that this condition gradually worsens if no measures are taken over time:

1. First, against the background of sensitization, the body develops dermatitis.

2. Then the respiratory system is damaged in the form of atopic rhinitis.

3. If the antigen is not excluded, then bronchial asthma manifests itself.

The most dangerous complication is anaphylactic shock. It develops rapidly – ​​1-3 minutes after contact with the antigen. It is characterized by bronchospasm, laryngeal edema and collapse, which can be fatal if not treated promptly.

Herpes

Decreased immunity can be caused by viral and bacterial infections. Often a sign of unstable functioning of the protective system is a herpetic rash. These are small elements with watery contents. The appearance of herpetic elements in an infant is a very unfavorable sign.

As a rule, infection occurs through direct contact with close relatives during an exacerbation period.

Since immunity is just being formed, innate immunity and protective factors contained in breast milk protect for up to 6 months, herpetic eruptions may indicate congenital pathologies with an immunosuppressive effect.

An exacerbation of the infection is typical after the age of 3 years , when the child begins to visit kindergartens, come into contact with various bacteria and viruses, and enters the social sphere.

Treatment of food allergies

Currently, the only remedy against the negative effects of the provoking factor is the exclusion of the dangerous substance from the diet. This recommendation seems simple, but far from reality. A proper diet requires constant monitoring to avoid exposure to present and hidden antigens that appear in processed foods. It is recommended to study the composition when dishes are prepared outside the home to avoid accidental contact with antigens. Unfortunately, not everyone succeeds in eliminating contact.

In recent decades, special treatment methods have begun to be developed aimed at changing the immune response and acquiring oral tolerance. These methods are known as oral desensitization or allergy vaccines, which may show promise for specific reactions to milk, peanuts, and eggs. To get individual treatment recommendations, contact your pediatrician or allergist.

Other causes of rash around a child's mouth

If there are no signs of allergies, dermatitis or enterovirus infection, then the appearance of irritation may be associated with individual characteristics of digestion. In this case, the child has unstable stools, a tendency to constipation, and particles of undigested food in the stool. This may occur due to inappropriate nutrition for the child's age.

The most common cause of the disorder is infection. The aggressive factor is staphylococcus, an element of normal microflora. With hypothermia and decreased immunity, it begins to multiply on the skin, causing a pustular rash on the face and other parts of the body.

Fungal flora also reacts to decreased immunity. If the mother had thrush during pregnancy, which was not completely cured at the time of birth, then candida remains on the surface of the body and can appear at any time. A sign of a fungal infection is the presence of white or yellowish patches that peel off when rubbed.

If there is a strong wind outside and the face is not protected, then foci of peeling appear on the chin and in the perioral area. This is caused by chapping of the surface of the skin.

Violation of personal hygiene rules is an additional factor in changes in the condition of the protective cover. If you touch your mouth with unwashed hands, bacteria begin to multiply on the mucous membrane.

Other reasons may be:

• allergy to the latex from which the pacifier is made;
• consequence of vaccination;
• insect bite

The main sign indicating the category of rash is the nature of the rash and the presence of auxiliary symptoms.

How to distinguish heat rash in a child from allergies and other diseases

When a rash appears on the skin, the most difficult thing for parents is to distinguish prickly heat from other diseases: allergies, chicken pox, measles, etc.

First, you should examine the location of the rash. In the first case, the rashes are located in hard-to-reach places: in the area under the diaper, in the folds of the skin, in the hairline. In this case, the rash almost never appears on open areas of the skin that are well ventilated. But if the rash appears on the face, open parts of the arms and legs, most likely it is an allergy.

A simple home test will also help make a differential diagnosis. You just need to undress the baby and leave him without clothes or a diaper for several hours. If the rash appears as a result of prickly heat, during this time it will decrease and become paler. If it is an allergy, no changes will occur to it.

Additional symptoms will help distinguish the disease from measles, chickenpox and other viral pathologies. With infectious diseases, the temperature always rises, intoxication appears, and the rash quickly spreads throughout the body. In turn, the main symptom of prickly heat is just a rash.

What does the color and type of rash indicate?

All types of rash are different. Therefore, the external manifestations of the elements can tell the doctor a lot. A pinpoint rash often indicates an infectious process and intoxication. If it is filled with fluid, it is caused by the herpes virus.

When the rash is detected only in one place, the cause is most often local in nature . If elements appear on the back, arms, neck, then the matter is in internal processes.

Based on the appearance of the manifestations, one can suspect the cause of the phenomenon:

When redness and peeling are observed, this is a sign of the allergic nature of the disorder. If the affected area is large, the specialist suspects toxic erythema. The purulent contents of the vesicle indicate infection, a bacterial complication.

Regardless of the type of rash, they occur on initially intact skin. The intensity and location of the process determine the type of elements. Each characterizes a disruption in the functioning of the entire organism.

Symptoms

The main and most obvious symptom of the pathology is a rash. Most often, rashes appear on the head, chest, back, groin, armpits, and buttocks. The rash appears as scattered blisters with clear, white or yellow contents, or as small grains with an inflammatory outline.

During the day, the rash may intensify or decrease, and the severity of its manifestation depends on changes in temperature and care for the baby’s skin. In some cases, the child does not show concern, but sometimes may experience itching, pain and demonstrate discomfort with whims, unstable sleep, and lack of appetite.

In mild forms of the disease, other symptoms may not occur. But in more advanced cases, which are accompanied by complications and infection, clinical manifestations may be supplemented by:

• elevated temperature up to 38 degrees;
• the appearance of light plaque, ulcers, ulcers;
• the formation of weeping cracks with an unpleasant odor;
• general deterioration of condition.

When assessing symptoms, it is important to prevent the development of advanced forms of prickly heat and consult a doctor promptly, without waiting for complications to develop. Source: Skin care for a newborn. Solntseva O.A. Medical Council, 2014. p. 35-39.

Diagnostic methods

A rash around a child’s mouth is classified as belonging to a specific type using the same type of research according to the algorithm:

• general blood analysis;
• immunological study for antibodies to the suspected infection;
• general urine analysis;
• prick allergy test;
• stool analysis for worm eggs.

Since a number of conditions are caused by contact with an allergen, conducting a test reduces the time to search for the type of pathogen. An important type of diagnosis is to examine the nature and color of the rash. He tells you what microorganisms it is caused by.

How to avoid allergies in children?

Preventive measures will prevent the child from developing an allergic rash. Doctors give the following recommendations:

• Make sure that the baby does not come into contact with the allergen (remove allergenic foods from his diet; if necessary, change baby powder, soap or dishwashing liquid.
• Maintain order in his room, regularly do wet cleaning.
• If there are pets in the house, keep them clean.
• Strengthen the baby’s immunity (walk more often, play sports).
• Do not violate your doctor’s recommendations for taking medications.

Treatment with drugs depends on the cause of the rash

A rash around a child’s mouth is treated taking into account the cause that caused it. There is no universal remedy that would help in all cases.

Some measures help prevent the development of the disorder:

• compliance with hygiene rules;
• early contact with a doctor;
• for dry skin, you need to use nourishing creams;
• before going outside during the cold period, you need to apply a protective cream;
• use only children's clothing and body care products;
• reduce the time a child spends outdoors in the open sun in summer.

Therapy for the disorder must be comprehensive. These are local and systemic remedies. At all stages of treatment, it is necessary to monitor whether the patient’s condition improves. Once the type of pathogen is determined, etiological treatment is prescribed. It involves antibacterial or antiviral treatment that is active against this pathogen.

In most cases, physiotherapy methods are included in therapy. They help improve local blood flow and have an anti-inflammatory effect. The possibility of using alternative medicine should be checked with a doctor.

Treatment

The main method that allows you to remove rashes and cure skin pathologies is hygienic care. It is important to change the diaper immediately after a bowel movement and every three hours, washing the baby with running water. Between shifts you need to give air baths and leave the baby without clothes for a few minutes. At the same time, it is necessary to abandon synthetic clothing and low-quality children's cosmetics.

Bathing is carried out in water with a decoction of medicinal herbs. You can add chamomile, yarrow, and string. After bathing the child, dry thoroughly and powder the skin with powder.

In some cases, the doctor also prescribes treatment of rashes with drying antiseptics (“Furacilin”, “Chlorphilipt”), and creams containing panthenol (“Bepanten”, “Dexpanthenol”). White, red and deep miliaria are treated with antifungal and antibacterial ointments. However, it is not recommended to use any medications without prior consultation with a doctor. Source: Modern dermatological and cosmetic products for caring for the skin of children. Kotlukov V.K., Kuzmenko L.G., Antipova N.V. Medical Council, 2013. p. 8-12.

Doctors recommend setting the air temperature in the nursery at 20-22 degrees and monitoring the humidity, which should not exceed 50-70%. A good solution would be to purchase an air humidifier that will help create the right microclimate. These simple steps can help you get rid of the conditions that increase your risk of developing heat rash.

Folk remedies for treating rashes around a child’s mouth

Traditional medicine has proven itself to be a simple, inexpensive and safe way to cope with various types of problems. It is not always acceptable for young children, due to the high likelihood of allergies to herbs. When a rash appears around the mouth, products with anti-inflammatory and antiseptic effects help.

For example, the following can cope with perioral dermatitis:

• a decoction of string, St. John's wort, chamomile or sage in the form of lotions on the affected areas every 4-5 hours.
• lubricating the elements with propolis boiled in a water bath;
• using a mixture of honey, flax and onion juice, taken in equal volumes, boiled for 10 minutes. and cooled to room temperature;
• using lotions with soda solution (1 tsp per 1 cup of warm water);
• lotions with pulp or juice of fresh pumpkin;
• application of oak bark decoction topically.

Before using any product for the first time, you need to do a sensitivity test. To do this, apply a decoction to an inconspicuous area of ​​skin and wait for 2 hours for the appearance of inflammation.

The following remedies can also help with atopic dermatitis:

• A mixture of rice starch, glycerin and milk, taken in equal proportions and mixed until smooth. Use as an ointment at night and store in the refrigerator.
• Raw, finely grated potatoes, used as a lotion.
• Mix 2 parts of crushed Kalanchoe leaves with 1 honey and stir. The paste is applied 2-3 times a day to the affected areas of the body. This method is effective, but is used with caution due to the high allergenic properties of honey.
• Celery root juice with salt and a few drops of vinegar is applied as a lotion to the skin 3-4 times a day. After 3 years, it is allowed to take 20 ml orally 2 times daily.
• Cucumber juice is applied every 2-3 hours, which helps moisturize the area and relieve inflammation.
• If 1 tsp. Boil chamomile in a water bath with the addition of 100 g of vegetable oil, then the resulting composition can be lubricated on the rash areas up to 3 times a day.

  
  Tar, celandine, mash, potatoes are folk remedies that are used in the fight against atopic dermatitis

If your child has chapped lips and the skin around them, you can try to relieve the pain by using vitamin masks. They are used for shallow damage to the epidermis.

The available means are:

• chamomile ointment prepared at home;
• a mixture of liquid honey, vitamin A and E;
• mask made from sour cream or cream with a high degree of fat;
• Vaseline oil mixed with sea buckthorn and apricot oil.

A rash around the mouth, in the area of ​​the nasolabial triangle in a child often occurs as a result of a combination of several factors. Monitoring the child helps to quickly determine the cause of the disorder, which helps avoid unpleasant consequences and complications.

Author: V.L. Dyleiko

Design: Anna Fleyman