Is it normal for babies to have blotchy skin

Measles usually starts with the same symptoms as a cold, plus a high temperature, sore eyes that are sensitive to light and grey spots inside the cheeks. After a few days, a spotty rash appears on the head or neck and spreads to the rest of the body. The spots can appear red or brown, but they may be less noticeable on brown and black skin.

Heat and sweat can cause raised spots or patches known as prickly heat or heat rash. The rash can look red, but it may be less noticeable on brown or black skin. Skin that's itchy, dry and cracked may be atopic eczema. It's common behind the knees, elbows and neck, but it can appear anywhere. The affected area may change colour. On white skin, the area may look pink or red.

On brown and black skin, it may look grey or purple, or darker than surrounding skin. Hives causes a raised, itchy rash. It can look red, but this may be less noticeable on brown and black skin. The rash can be a sign of an allergic reaction to things like a sting, medicine or food. Speak to a GP if your child keeps getting this type of rash.

They may be allergic to something. An itchy, dry, ring-shaped patch of skin may be ringworm. The patch may look red, pink, silver, or darker than surrounding skin. Speak to a GP if it appears on your child's scalp, as it may need to be treated with prescription medicine.

Chickenpox starts with small, itchy spots. The spots may look red, pink, the same colour or darker than surrounding skin, depending on your child's skin tone. At the start, the spots may be harder to see on brown and black skin. Is your just-born baby's complexion more pimply than an 8th grader's? She has plenty of pint-sized company. About 40 percent of newborns develop pimples and whiteheads, beginning at about two to three weeks of age. The best thing you can do about a baby breakout: Leave it alone.

Resist the urge to scrub or squeeze or you'll only irritate your sweetie's sensitive skin. What to Expect follows strict reporting guidelines and uses only credible sources, such as peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions and highly respected health organizations. Learn how we keep our content accurate and up-to-date by reading our medical review and editorial policy.

The educational health content on What To Expect is reviewed by our medical review board and team of experts to be up-to-date and in line with the latest evidence-based medical information and accepted health guidelines, including the medically reviewed What to Expect books by Heidi Murkoff. This educational content is not medical or diagnostic advice. It is very common in children aged 2 to 6, for whom it is not usually serious, but it can be dangerous for newborn babies.

It is common in children who have scabies. If your child has impetigo, you should see your doctor, who might prescribe an antibiotic cream, ointment or tablet. This should clear the infection within 7 to 10 days. You should keep your child home from childcare or school and away from young babies until the sores have dried up, usually a few days after treatment starts.

Hives is a raised, red, itchy rash that can appear on any part of the body at any time, but is common on the chest, stomach and back, as well as the throat and limbs. Hives usually disappears within a few days without any treatment. Your pharmacist can advise you about over-the-counter medications to treat hives.

If the rash doesn't go away, you should see your doctor. Pityriasis rosea is a mild skin rash that sometimes appears after a sore throat, cold or fever. It usually affects only children over It begins with a single pink or tan patch on the chest or back. Oval red patches then appear on the chest or back and limbs over the next weeks. They might be itchy, and your child might feel tired and unwell. The exact cause of pityriasis rosea is unclear, and experts believe it is probably not contagious.

The rash usually clears up within a couple of months without treatment. If you are pregnant, pityriasis rosea can in rare cases lead to complications. See your doctor if you are pregnant and come into contact with a child who has pityriasis rosea. Molluscum contagiosum is a viral skin infection that is spread by skin-to-skin contact or by sharing swimming pool water or towels.

Molluscum contagiosum spots look like pimples and grow into round pearly white lumps, usually 2 to 5 millimetres in size. They can be itchy. Usually they heal without treatment within 6 months, but it might take longer.

Slapped cheek disease is a viral infection that mainly affects pre-school and school-age children. Occasionally, it causes fever. Slapped cheek disease is usually mild and clears up in a few days without treatment. The child is contagious before the rash appears, but not once it has appeared.

The virus can affect a pregnant woman, potentially causing a type of anaemia in her unborn baby. It can also cause miscarriage. If you suspect you or your child has slapped cheek disease, you should avoid contact with women who are, or might be, pregnant. Hand, foot and mouth disease is a mild but highly contagious viral illness that causes a rash on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet.

It is not the same as the foot-and-mouth disease that affects farm animals. The disease is common in childcare and kindergartens. Your child might feel unwell and have a fever and blisters on the hands and feet and in the mouth, and also in the nappy area, that last 7 to 10 days. Children with hand, foot and mouth disease should stay away from childcare or school until all the blisters have dried up. Hand, foot and mouth disease usually resolves on its own without major problems but in rare cases it can be more serious especially in people whose immune system is not functioning normally or pregnant women.

These rare problems include infections of the brain and heart muscle and miscarriage in pregnant women. Roseola infantum is a contagious viral infection that can cause cold-like symptoms and a high fever.

Kids with roseola infantum have raised pink spots that start on the chest, stomach and back and spread to the limbs. The child is contagious before the rash appears, but not after. The rash usually lasts 3 to 5 days. The high fever may last for a few days. Roseola infantum can also cause some children to have a febrile convulsion. If your child has a convulsion fit , call triple zero immediately and ask for an ambulance.

Febrile convulsions are scary to see but are generally not harmful. Many babies develop a skin rash in their first days or weeks as their sensitive skin adapts to a new environment. Most rashes are harmless and go away on their own. They can advise about the cause and whether treatment is necessary. Whatever their age, you should take your child to the doctor if they have a rash and persistent high temperature, cold or cough symptoms or swollen neck glands. If you think your child might be contagious, they should stay at home.

Keep them away from school, childcare and other children. You should also keep them away from women who are pregnant, or who might be pregnant, since some childhood infections can cause serious problems in unborn babies. You can use paracetamol or ibuprofen in babies aged over 3 months to reduce fever — read the packet instructions carefully to ensure your child receives the right amount for their age and weight.

Your pharmacist can advise you on treating the symptoms of common rashes. For example, you can use over-the-counter creams to prevent itchiness.