5 most common kid skin rashes and sensitivities (and how to soothe them)

Heat rash, prickly heat, sweat rash—all these terms refer to a skin upset that develops when your kid gets hot and her skin isn’t properly ventilated. “Sweat gets trapped underneath the skin and causes it to be red and bumpy,” explains Tara Chobotuk, a paediatrician in Halifax.

Babies often get heat rash in the winter, when caregivers bundle them up in too many layers. Parents should take heat rash as a warning, she says. “Babies can have difficulty regulating body temperature, and they can get dehydrated quickly. Make sure they’re comfortable and not overheated.”

Heat rash can show up on a kid’s back after too much time in a hot car seat or in skin folds from wearing tight or synthetic clothing.