If you’ve ever picked up your child from day care and noticed a rash on his arm, leg or back it can be a bit alarming., Many parents are nervous that their child will catch a cold, flu or bronchitis, but contagious rashes can be a real challenge especially if there is difficulty getting a correct diagnosis. Kids can pick things up at school and of course when there is scratching it can aggravate the rash and change it’s appearance.

First, of all not all rashes are contagious. Some are due to allergies, stress or hereditary. There are rashes that are due to viruses, fungal infections, bacterial infections, contact dermatitis, insects or mites and other sources. Getting the right analysis is so important for your child’s treatment. Make sure that your contact information is updated with the day care or school, as they usually try to contact parents if there’s an outbreak and many times we change cell phone companies without giving an update to the school.

In terms of allergic rashes, if your child has hay fever there can be an allergy to many environmental factors from plants to chemicals in contruction at the school. Food allergies, reactions to metals and many other sources can result in red, bumpy skin. . Most parents don’t realize this, but if the child is on antibiotics or is breastfeeding, a yeast infection could develop. It is important to know the difference between what a yeast infection is and what a diaper rash is. Ask your doctor on your next visit to show you the difference. Diaper cream may help soothe the rash, but it won’t heal the infection.

Some contagious rashes can pass around day care centers and schools such as measles, chicken pox and other eruptions. Most day cares and schools will require compliance with an immunization schedule that the pediatrician needs to fill out. Innoculation can help to make symptoms more mild.

Be sure you check with your child about a note being sent home from the teacher. Some teachers will use e-mail to alert parents, but not everyone checks their e-mail religiously. Lice and scabies are common rashes that can get passed around schools and day cares. Scabies are tiny bugs that get under the skin and cause the child to itch and develop a rash. Permethrin cream, when applied to the skin, should be left on overnight to kill the scabies. The cream is five percent, unlike lice treatments which are one percent. Don’t use the over the counter permethrin lice products for scabies as they are not effective. Also there can be a period of two to six weeks before the scabies rash appears so it may not show up immediatly.

Finding the root of common daycare rashes isn’t always an easy task. Some kids will get a rash due to medications from respiratory infections or even get a rash when they have a fever. Stay calm, ask questions, discuss the symptoms with your pediatrican and be sure to call the teacher and school to see what other kids in the class may have to protect your child. If your child is home from school, give them lots of hugs and enjoy your time together.