What is Contact Dermatitis

What is Contact Dermatitis?

The word dermatitis itself simply means skin inflammation.

Rashes, bumps and scrapes happen, but when can you tell when it is severe and when the irritation will go away on its own? Contact Dermatitis is a rather common occurrence with children and can be treated easily at home in mild cases.

Signs of Contact Dermatitis:

Mild reactions include:

Redness
A rash of small red bumps
Itchy

Severe reactions include:

Swelling
Redness
Larger blisters

What causes Contact Dermatits?

Dermatitis is fairly common with children and can be contracted by a number of things including:

Foods
Soaps
Plants such as poison ivy, sumac, or oak
Fragrances
Certain metals
Jewelry

Typically if your child is experiencing Dermatitis, they would have come in contact with the culprit within the last few days as Dermatitis tends to show signs of irritation after 48 hours of contact. Usually contact dermatitis will disappear after a few weeks or when the contact ends.

Look at the placement of the irritation. If the irritation is happening underneath a watch or on your child’s neck, it may be something as simple as an allergy to a certain type of metal. If the placement seems completely random it could be because you switched detergents or possible a food allergy to something your child hasn’t ingested before. It’s a good idea to recall what your child was eating within the last few days if you suspect the irritation is a result of food and keep a food diary for your child in the future if rashes become common.