Childhood rashes and skin conditions: photos

Your baby's spots will go away in a matter of weeks if you leave them alone. They don’t require any treatment.

Avoid:

• touching or squeezing them.
• using acne medication that’s aimed at older children and adults (CFK 2022).

Get the lowdown on baby acne.

A bee sting can be very painful. The area around a sting can quickly become swollen and itchy, which can be unpleasant for your baby. Although the site of the sting may look angry, a dramatic allergic reaction is rare.

To reduce the amount of venom that goes into the skin, try to remove the stinger quickly. Flick it out with your nail or the edge of a credit card. Do not squeeze the sting, as this could push more venom in.

Treat the swelling by placing a cool washcloth, or an ice bag wrapped in a tea towel, over the stung spot.

You could also give your baby some infant acetaminophen or ibuprofen.

Always talk to your healthcare provider before giving acetaminophen to a baby under three months and before giving ibuprofen to a baby under six months. Check the dosage and ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice if you're unsure how much to give.

If your baby is in a lot of pain, take them to see your healthcare provider (MHA 2022b).

Read more about insect bites and stings and how to treat them.

If your baby's eyelid looks like there's a bump under it, they may have a chalazion (kuh-lay-zee-un). This is a painless bump or cyst that can appear under the upper or lower eyelid. The cyst is caused by an inflamed tear duct or eyelash gland.

A chalazion is likely to annoy your baby rather than causing pain. It should go away on its own after a month or so. In the meantime, keep your baby's eye clean by bathing it with a warm compress twice a day for five to 10 minutes. If your baby still has it after a month, see your healthcare provider (SickKids 2018).

Find out more about this and other eye problems.

• fever
• aches and pains
• loss of appetite

You can help your baby through chickenpox by:

• giving them plenty of fluids so they don't get dehydrated
• bathing your baby in cool or tepid water
• soothing your baby's itchy skin with a moisturiser or cooling gel (CFK 2021)

In Canada, about six in every 100,000 babies are born with the viral infection that can cause cold sores. It can also be transferred by someone with a cold sore kissing your baby (CPS 2020).

The first time your baby gets a cold sore, they'll start off with swollen gums and a sore mouth, so they may drool. A few days later, you'll see a cluster of small blisters on or near their lips. They’ll turn into a painful sore, perhaps along with a fever and swollen lymph glands in their neck.

In a few days, the sore will crust over and start to fade. The flare-up will last between five and 10 days. Your baby may not feel like eating or drinking, so you'll need to check that they're not getting dehydrated. The next time your baby has an outbreak, the first symptom will be the blisters.

To ease your baby's pain, apply ice to the sore, or give them a dose of infant acetaminophen or ibuprofen. Always talk to your healthcare provider before giving acetaminophen to a baby under three months and before giving ibuprofen to a baby under six months. They may prescribe an anti-viral medicine if the symptoms are bad (MHA 2022d).

Read our cold sores article for more details.

• a sticky eye
• redness and soreness
• a yellow crust around the eyelid, or a yellow discharge

Cradle cap can look like a bad case of dandruff. It's common in newborns and can show up as a red area on your baby's scalp, covered with greasy, yellow, scaly patches. On brown and black skin, cradle cap may look lighter or darker than the skin around it. Over time, the scales can become flaky. They rub off easily, just like dandruff, but often with bits of your baby's hair attached.

Cradle cap can cover the whole of your baby's scalp. It can also appear on your baby's face and neck, around their nappy area, armpits, and on the backs of their knees.

Find out how to treat your baby's cradle cap.

Your baby's cradle cap should clear up on its own within a few weeks or months. It is likely to bother you more than it bothers your baby! In the meantime, you can try washing your baby's hair often, with baby shampoo, then loosening the flakes using a soft brush (CFK 2022).

Diaper rash causes a red puffy rash around your baby's genitals and bottom, and in the folds of their thighs. The rash can sometimes look pimply. It can be dry or moist. Your baby may often get diaper rash during their first year. Wet diapers are the main culprit.

The best way to help avoid it is to keep your baby clean and dry by changing their diaper often.

Read our diaper rash article to learn more.

Your baby can get a yeast diaper rash if they have thrush, as it can pass through the digestive system to their bottom. A yeast diaper rash can also happen if your baby is taking antibiotics, as they kill the good bacteria that would keep the yeast in check.

The rash will begin as tiny red spots that multiply and join up into a solid blotch, which may include pus-filled bumps.

Your baby may need a special cream to get rid of the rash, which your healthcare provider can prescribe (CFK 2022). Read more about the treatments for diaper rash.

Pus coming out of your baby's ear is a sure sign of an ear infection. Your baby may also have a fever and seem unwell.

Your baby's ear infection may have been caused by a cold, which caused their middle ear to swell. This was the ideal place for bacteria to thrive.

Ear infections are common. Most clear up on their own, but it's a good idea to take your baby to the doctor if:

• they're under three months
• they seem to be in a lot of pain
• they have a high temperature
• their symptoms do not get better after 48 hours
• there is discharge from the ear
• both ears are infected

They may need an antibiotic to clear up the infection (CFK 2022b).

Find out more about ear infections in babies.

Speak to your doctor if you think your baby has eczema. Treatments include:

• Emollients to moisturize your baby's skin
• A special type of cream can reduce swelling during flare-ups (CFK 2022)

Find out more.

If your baby has erythema toxicum, it will appear as spots and raised skin bumps with small yellow or white pustules in the middle. Newborns often get this rash about two to three days after birth, but it can appear at birth or within the first two weeks. 

Erythema toxicum can appear anywhere on your baby's body, apart from on the palms of their hands or on the soles of their feet. It should go away on its own within eight to 10 days (CFK 2022).

If your baby has slapped cheek disease, they will have a blotchy red rash on their cheeks, and mottled skin. A lace-like rash may also appear on their body and limbs. Your baby may have a slight fever and feel achy and unwell. Or, they might have no other symptoms at all.

Take your baby to your doctor if you think they have slapped cheek disease. It is caused by a virus, so it will go away on its own in a few days, but it’s best to get them checked over.

You can help your baby feel better by making sure they get plenty of rest, and by giving them extra fluids and infant acetaminophen or ibuprofen to bring down the fever. Always talk to your healthcare provider before giving acetaminophen to a baby under three months and before giving ibuprofen to a baby under six months (CFK 2022).

Click here for more advice about slapped cheek (fifth disease).

• small blister-like sores
• a sore throat
• fever

The good news is that hand, foot and mouth disease does not tend to need treatment. There are things you can do to help your baby feel better, though:

• If it hurts for your baby to eat or drink, offer smaller but more frequent feeds.
• If your baby has started solid foods, give them soft, easy-to-eat meals.
• Baby teething gel may relieve your baby's mouth blisters.
• Infant acetaminophen or infant ibuprofen may help to relieve their pain and reduce their fever (GOC 2023). Check with a doctor before giving it to them though.

Learn more about hand, foot and mouth disease and when to take your baby to a doctor.

If your baby has hives, their rash may occur like this:

• Small raised patches, known as wheals, about 1cm to 2cm wide, that show up suddenly.
• These wheals can be red or white. They are itchy and ringed by redness.
• Wheals may join up with others, making the rash look like it’s spreading.

Your baby's hives will go away on their own in a few hours or days. You can help to ease any symptoms with some calamine lotion or antihistamine cream (MHA 2022f).

Read our hives article.

Impetigo often first appears as blisters around your baby's nose and mouth, but it can spread to other parts of their body. The blisters may be tiny and burst quite quickly, or they could be larger and take a few days to pop.

Once the blisters have burst and dried, a scabby honey coloured crust will form. The crusts will heal up. They will not leave scars.

Impetigo is not painful, but it can be itchy. Your baby may also have a temperature and swollen lymph glands in their face or neck.

See your doctor if you think your baby has impetigo. It is very infectious. Your baby will need antibiotics to clear it up (CFK 2018).

Read our impetigo article to learn more.

A toenail becomes ingrown when it starts to grow into the skin of the toe around it. This is most likely to affect your baby's big toe, but it can happen to any toe. There are things you can do to help.

Try soaking your baby's foot in warm water three or four times a day. Keep it dry the rest of the time. Let them go barefoot often. If they are walking, make sure their shoes are wide enough for their feet. Do not try to cut the toenail, or pick at it, as this can make the problem worse.

If your baby's ingrown toenail seems to bother them you can give them a dose of infant acetaminophen or ibuprofen. Talk to your doctor before giving acetaminophen to a baby under three months and before giving ibuprofen to a baby under six months.

Take your baby to your healthcare provider if:

• there are signs of infection, such as swelling or pus, which don't get better within a few days
• your baby gets a fever, which can be a sign of infection
• your baby has diabetes

If the toenail is infected, your doctor can prescribe antibiotics to clear it up. In some cases, they may refer you to a specialist, who may suggest a minor procedure to remove part or all of the nail (MHA 2022g).

Get tips on how to care for your child's feet to help prevent ingrown toenails.

Jaundice is a very common condition in newborn babies. Their skin turns yellow, first on their face and chest, in the first few days after birth. If your baby has brown or black skin, you are more likely to notice a yellow tinge to the whites of their eyes, or on the palms of their hands or soles of their feet.

Most jaundice is not harmful and it will disappear on its own.

Read our jaundice article.

Jaundice happens when too much of a natural chemical called bilirubin builds up in your baby's body. Whether or not your baby needs treatment will depend on your baby's bilirubin levels (CFK 2022c).

Find out when your baby's jaundice might need treatment.

Sometimes, a tick bite can lead to Lyme disease. This is a serious bacterial infection that needs prompt treatment. If your baby is bitten by a tick, look out for a spreading rash or a ring around the site of the bite. If you spot this, take your baby to the doctor (CFK 2020). If you spot the tick before it bites, or you notice the bite quickly, it’s not very likely to transmit Lyme disease. In that case, look to see whether a rash appears. If it does, that’s when you should seek treatment.

Find out how to remove a tick from your baby.

If your baby has measles, their first symptoms can include:

• runny nose
• fever
• cough
• sore, red, swollen eyes
• small white spots in their mouth

Two to four days after these symptoms start, a red, blotchy rash will show up on your baby's head and neck. On darker skin, the rash can be harder to see. This will then spread to the rest of their body, with a bumpy texture. It may also be itchy for your baby.

As the rash appears, your baby's fever may rise. The rash lasts about five days, turning a brownish colour as it fades. If you think your baby has measles, call your doctor (CFK 2021b).

Discover more about what to do if you think your baby has measles.

Meningitis can develop within hours. The main feature is a rash that does not fade when you press a glass to it. The rash can be harder to see on dark skin. Check paler areas of your baby's body, such as the soles of the feet, the palms and the tummy. But the rash does not always appear, and when it does, the infection is advanced.

Earlier symptoms may include:

• fever
• flu-like symptoms
• extra irritability, fussiness and/or agitation
• vomiting or not eating
• a stiff neck or body

The good news is that meningitis is not common. But if you suspect your baby may have it, see a doctor straight away: do not wait (CFK 2020b). It can be fatal.

Learn more about how to tell if your baby has meningitis.

Learn more about how vaccines can prevent your child from getting some of the most serious childhood diseases.

Milia are tiny white spots that may appear on your baby's face, across their nose, cheeks, chin, forehead or around the eyes. Milia look raised, but if you touch them, they will feel smooth.

They appear a couple of weeks after birth because the oil glands on your baby's face are still developing. Your baby's milia spots will clear up on their own (CFK 2022).

The spots almost always clear up by themselves. It's still a good idea to visit your doctor, though, just so they can confirm what's causing the spots, and check for infection (CFK 2021c).

White spots or patches in your baby's mouth may be a sign of thrush. These patches will look a little like cottage cheese or milk curds. Your baby's mouth will be quite sore and they may not want to feed.

If you think your baby may have thrush, take them to your doctor. They may prescribe an oral antifungal treatment to treat it (CFK 2018b).

Find out more about thrush in babies.

If your baby has papular urtucaria, you will notice small raised patches of skin around the site of an old insect bite. These patches turn into firm bumps and are very itchy.

Take your baby to their healthcare provider if you think they have papular urticaria. Your baby may need an antihistamine or steroid cream. It can take up to six weeks for the bumps to disappear (Merk Manual 2022).

If your baby comes into contact with poison ivy, oak or sumac trees, they may have a reaction that will cause a rash. The rash will appear on your baby's skin as swollen patches, which will turn into blisters a day or two later and feel very itchy. The blisters will then crust over after few days.

Poison ivy, oak and sumac rashes will get better on their own within roughly 14 to 20 days. If you're worried about your baby's rash, see your doctor (SickKids 2022).

The reaction is caused by an oil in the plant, so if your child comes into contact then wash the area with soap.

In spite of the name, ringworm is caused by a fungal infection, and has nothing to do with worms. If your baby has it, they'll have a rash that looks like one or more red rings, which can appear anywhere on the body. On brown and black skin, the rings will look darker than the rest of the skin. The rings will be crusty or scaly on the outside and smooth in the middle. They may also feel itchy. As the fungus grows, the rings get larger, ranging in size from a few millimetres to a few centimetres.

Ringworm can also affect your little one's scalp, though this is less common in young babies. Scalp ringworm can be dry and crusty, or moist and filled with pus. It is easy to confuse ringworm with dandruff or cradle cap.

Get a diagnosis from your doctor or pharmacist before you try to treat ringworm. Ringworm on the body is treated with an antifungal cream. This will get rid of ringworm after two to three weeks of treatment (CFK 2018c).

Discover how to prevent a ringworm infection.

The first symptoms of roseola include:

• sudden high fever
• irritability

Your baby may also seem under the weather and might not feel like eating much. Their fever may last for three days to four days. Once the fever subsides a pinkish-red spotty rash shows up on their face and body. The rash may be harder to see on brown and black skin. It tends to fade within a few days (CFK 2018d).

This is what you should do if you think your baby has roseola.

• fever
• stuffy or runny nose
• red inflamed eyes
• swollen glands

See your doctor if you think your child has rubella. Give them a call first though, and let them know why you're booking in. Rubella is very infectious and can be dangerous for pregnant women.

Once your doctor has confirmed that your little one has rubella, they'll give you tips on how to look after your child at home while their immune system fights the virus (GOC 2023b).

If your baby has scabies, wash all linens and clothes in hot water to kill the mites. See your doctor, who will prescribe a cream. Everyone in your home will need to be treated, since it spreads easily and another family member could have it without yet showing symptoms (CFK 2021d).

• sore throat and trouble swallowing
• white or yellow spots or coating on the throat and tonsils
• fever
• swollen glands
Up to two days after your little one starts feeling under the weather, they'll get the scarlet fever rash. This looks a bit like sunburn and feels a bit like sandpaper. The rash is harder to see on brown and black skin, but you'll still be able to feel the rough texture. It often starts on the chest or stomach before spreading to the rest of their body (HLBC 2021).

Read about what to do if you think your little one has scarlet fever.

A stye is a boil at the base of an eyelash.

The first sign your baby has a stye is when a red bump appears at the edge of their eyelid. The bump will get larger, then burst after a few days, probably when they're sleeping. Your baby's stye may be uncomfortable, but it should not cause them any major trouble. It will go away on its own in a week or so.

To help the stye to burst, put a warm compress over your baby's eye. Do this three times or four times a day until the stye starts to go down or seeps a little pus. Never try to pierce or squeeze the stye.

If the stye does not get better after two weeks, or if your baby keeps getting them, take them to your healthcare provider (MHA 2022i).

Find out more about styes and other eye problems.

An umbilical hernia happens when the intestine, fluid or fat pushes through a weak spot or a hole in your baby’s stomach muscles, causing a bulge in or near the belly button. Many children have one at birth.

Most umbilical hernias go away on their own as your child grows and their muscles become stronger. They do not often cause a problem. Your healthcare provider will only suggest surgery to repair the hernia if it does not go away, or if it is very large (HLBC 2021b).

Find out more about hernias and their treatment.

• Flat warts are smaller and smoother than common warts. They're most likely to appear on your baby's face.
• Plantar warts are likely to appear on the soles of your baby's feet.

• Does your baby's birthmark need treatment? Find out.
• Learn more about when to take your baby to the doctor.
• When is your child too sick for daycare?