Eczema has been dubbed the itch that rashes. Skin starts itching, kids scratch, a rash appears. The exact symptoms vary but can include:

• Dry, scaly, itchy skin
• A red rash in fair-skinned children
• A brown, purple or gray rash on darker skin 
• Small, rough raised spots (may turn crusty and leak fluid if scratched)

In babies and toddlers skin allergies of this kind tend to affect the scalp and face. Look out for sore red cheeks. Eczema can stop little kids sleeping and make them cranky and unhappy. It can be hard for parents to know how to soothe them.

As children get older, eczema hotspots tend to move to the elbow creases and behind the knees, on wrists, hands and ankles, their neck and around the mouth.

• Nickel, for instance in snaps and buttons but also your teen’s earrings or their mobile phone
• Poison ivy and poison oak. Flying ragweed pollen can cause a rash as well as a runny nose
• Latex, which can be in balloons, rubber toys and pacifiers  
• Chemical dyes, fragrances and preservatives, for instance in some sunscreens or topical medicines

This is the hard part because skin rashes may come and go, often unhelpfully just before a visit to the doctor (it’s a good idea to keep a diary and take pictures too). Your doctor will ask about your child’s symptoms and their general health to help rule out common infections like hand, foot and mouth disease or molluscum contagiosum. Also, whether there’s a family history of allergies. And they may suggest allergy testing.

A skin prick test is typically first choice for helping to identify allergies to things like pollen, dust mites and pet dander. But a flare-up of symptoms might affect the results. In which case your child may need an allergy blood test. Diagnosing contact dermatitis usually involves patch testing.

It’s important to look after your child’s skin and bring the itchiness down. Scratching is likely to make their symptoms worse. Here are some things to try:

1. Know your child’s skin allergy triggers and help them to avoid them.
2. Keep children’s skin cool with compresses. Don’t do it for longer than 20 minutes. You can use a bag of frozen peas but wrap it in a tea towel first to avoid ice burn.
3. Run cool or only luke-warm baths. Add oatmeal to relieve itching. And pat kids dry, don’t rub
4. Get young children to use as little soap as possible, or none, until they’re old enough to really need it. Then choose a mild one. And always go for unscented toiletries.
5. Gently smooth (again, don’t rub) emollient into your child’s skin straight after their bath or shower. It can lock in moisture and improve skin barrier health. Lotions and creams can be irritants so ask your doctor to suggest one.
6. Maybe think about choosing soft cotton or bamboo children’s clothes and make sure they’re quite loose to avoid friction on their skin and overheating. Carefully cut out scratchy labels too.
7. Trim your child’s fingernails regularly to stop them damaging their skin as much. Kids may scratch in bed at night without even being aware of it.