Many mothers ask, “What complaint do you have?” answers the question “The child has allergies”. However, not all itchy skin conditions are allergic. Having an allergic disease in the mother, father or both, yellow or red hair color, blue-green eye color, white skin creates a predisposition to allergic conditions. The diagnosis of an allergic skin disease is made by the location of the lesions and their repetitive nature. The most important childhood allergic skin diseases is “atopic dermatitis”. Atopic dermatitis begins in infancy, especially after the first two months of life, as redness and watery rashes on the cheeks and recurs at least three times a year until the age of one. In childhood, skin rashes settle on the outer part of the arms and front of the legs. In the early growth period, it becomes drier, itchy and causes cracks in the skin on the inside of the arms and the back of the legs. However, recurrent eczema on the hands and feet, sores and cracks around the eyes and mouth are also signs of atopic dermatitis. In addition, skin rashes can develop with substances that come into contact with the outside. This type of skin rash is mostly caused by irritation. For example; such as cleaning wipes, liquid hand soaps, synthetic and nylon clothing, labels on the inside of the laundry, paints and play dough. Skin eczema caused by these materials can also be allergic. For diagnosis, allergy tests called “skin patch tests” are performed. Since these tests will cause unnecessary sensitivity to allergens, they should be performed in cases that spread rapidly, do not respond to treatment, and recur despite the precautions taken. It should not be done before the age of 6 years. Allergies that occur with food are detected by “skin prick tests”. It should not be done before 3 years of age as it may cause unnecessary allergic sensitivity. Therefore, the observation of the mother is very important. Skin rashes accompanying symptoms such as shortness of breath, difficulty in breathing, swelling of the tongue and lips are likely to be allergic and a physician should be consulted.
If skin rashes are accompanied by fever, mothers should be careful about this, as it may be due to viral or bacterial infection. Other important causes of itching in childhood are parasitic infections due to lice, fleas and scabies. The appearance of itching and rash in a very short time and the presence of a family history suggest the diagnosis.
