Rash on Back Leg Behind Knee

Hi My son (5) has it, and the doc said that it's from dryness and scratching. If we remember to put lotion on him after bath, the rash disappears after a couple of days.

Sounds like excema. It usually appears behind the knees, ankles, elbows, etc. My son used to get patches behind the knees when he was a baby. All you can really do is keep applying lotions and creams--sometimes it takes trying a few before you find one that works. Aveeno Baby seemed to work best for my little guy and he eventually grew out of it. There is lots of info out there about excema, the causes, treatments, etc. Good luck!

It sounds like eczema to me, as behind the knee is a very common location for eczema to show up. Try putting Aquaphor on the backs of his knees right after every bath while he is still damp.

K.
http://www.discoverytoyslink.com/karenchao
http://www.citymommy.com

It could be a heat rash or exzema.

It's hard to tell without seeing it. My daughter had a rash behind one knee and over the course of a month it spread over her entire body. It was mainly small red bumps and wasn't particularly itchy for her. About 2 weeks after the rash appeared she became quite ill, with a long running fever and cold. We took her to the doctor's twice, who thought it could be a contact dermatitis, by the time we got an appointment with the dermatologist the rash had almost cleared up. Their best guess was a viral rash. No treatment needed. I used cortizone cream and gave her a lot of oil baths (not baby oil, but a cosmetic vegetable derivitive) to keep her skin moist. It hasn't come back since. I would see your doctor and stay away from perfumed cosmetics and soaps.

How old is he? If he's a chubby baby, could it be a sweaty heat-related rash in between the skin folds? You might try some OTC cortisone cream, aloe vera gel, calamine lotion or a medicated powder. Another idea is to wash with tea tree oil shampoo or soap.

try an all-natural calendula cream. CA baby makes one. beyond that you may want to consult with his pediatrician.

If our pediatrician isn't comfortable making a diagnosis of eczema (and refers us to Dermatology), I'd be careful taking the advice of other people who haven't seen it.

Anything could be causing a rash - it could be eczema, it could be heat rash, it could be an allergy, it could be contact dermatitis, it could be an immunological reaction to something else.

When it comes to my kids, I'm a little over protective medically because my own health took a major turn for the worse a few weeks after the birth of our daughter. In my case, the rash was one of the only symptoms of what would be diagnosed as cancer.

Our Dermatologist actually doesn't recommend using hydrocortisone for eczema - instead she recommends an OTC lotion called Vanicream or Aquaphor. Either way, she made the diagnosis before the recommendation, and I'd strongly advocate understanding the source before treating.

My son had impetigo (I think that's how you spell it) on his knee when he was little, and it is an infection and it spreads. So scratching it, and then scratching somewhere else can spread it. You might want to have a dr. look at it just in case. I think they just gave him an antibiotic & it went away quickly. But it could be any number of things. Any rash, though, if it persists, is good to get checked.

Sounds like it could be eczema, especially being that is appearing on the back of his legs. Can I ask what products you are using? Eczema is usually aggrivated by synthetic perfumes and harsh chemicals. I have an article on my web-site about eczema and rashes that might be helpful to you. My site is www.naturesbaby.com

Warmly,

A.
Founder/Mother of Two
www.naturesbaby.com

It really could be anything, but you may want to try an anti-fungal to narrow that out. It could be yeast, or ringworm, or something. Fungal infections are often red and raised, bumpy rashes. If you apply and OTC anti-fungal twice a day and there are no changes after 2-3 days, that it is probably not a fungus.

I vote for excema too. Yours sounds exactly like what my son had and still gets pretty often even now, at 3 1/2. We bathe him daily before bed and that seems to help. We've always done unscented soaps, detergents, etc. so I don't know what the cause is if it is external.
See your pediiatrician and then go easy with that steroid cream that they'll Rx you.

Ditto to what Cassandra said~

I've seen many other exczema answers. That was my thought too. Though I stopped using the steroid cream provided by the drs. 1-it's a steroid 2-it thins the skin, so to speak and my daughter now has this huge white patch on her leg. It's gotten smaller over time, but still.

What we did was go to perfume free/dye free laundry detergent, dove unscented soap and euciern(I know I spelled that wrong) cream 2-3 times a day on the affected area. We also had to make sure she bathed EVERY day, because skiping a bath would break her out worse for some reason.

Hi N. - if it's a dry bumpy itchy rash it could be eczema - that is a common place for it. I have a spot on the inside of my calf where I get it all the time. I get it from my jeans rubbing. My son also had it on his backside where his waistband hits. It could also be contact dermatitis. They are treated in much the same way - before using cortisone on a regular basis, try an OTC healing cream. Cortisone can thin the skin. I found the cream helped heal the itch and the dryness better.

Here are 2 creams that I found that really work. I use a generous amount on the area before getting into bed at night. Usually clears up in a few days when it's bad.

"Premium Triple Cream severe dry skin eczema care" Made by Triple Paste the diaper ointment people. I find it in the baby aisle. Gooey like diaper cream and doesnt rub in really well but works great.

Gold Bond healing cream - rubs in clear,thick, a little greasy.

EXCEMA for sure. I use cortisone cream from dermatologist--needs prescription, very effective.

I also say eczema. Good luck!

It sounds like your child ha eczema. You may need to consult a doctor regarding this. Sometimes it can be painful if not treated properly. I had eczema and it was not chronic, but I have seen some children and it is all over the entire body and I have lived in the same apartment building as these children for years. The eczema never changed it was all over her entire body for years. Luckily my mom treated my eczema properly and that limited the break outs.

Hi N.,
When my daughter was 4 in preschool she got a rash behind her knee as well. I soon discovered she would sit cross legged during circle time and shove her hands there in order to keep her hands still during circle. Her dirty fingers would rub with the sweat and create the rash. Simple solution after months of heartache.
Good Luck,
Wendy