He's been wearing a mask? A different/new one? Poor little guy. At least it's not uncomfortable.

Just showed this to our son who's a doc. He agreed a mask could be the problem since it's localized there, but check with the pediatrician to rule out something else. Likely nothing serious and easy to treat.

I agree with Raven, Need more info. Could be Fifth's.

Did he eat pineapple or something with pineapple and then go out in the sun? Oddly enough, that can cause a rash that doesn't itch.

I would consult his pediatrician ASAP.

That looks like prickly heat or a heat rash. It’s in the same spot as his mask would be, so it must be too hot for him or irritating him. It’s too bad that Mdln isn’t on right now, she’s a medical professional and would probably recognize it.

Good that he doesn't seem to be irritated by it, so don't give him a clue that rashes are "supposed to itch"! Even if the rash goes away overnight, I'd email that picture to his doctor, to see what they say. Best wishes for the little guy!

My family has an allergy to Tide. I switched to Great Value laundry detergent a about 15 years ago. My oldest developed a rash on his rear end in the shape of his underwear. I had washed his underwear in the GV detergent which apparently was made by Tide. I would be curious if this a rash caused by a mask also and if making sure it washed in the family's regular detergent would help.

As suggested upthread - could it be Fifths disease? https://www.cdc.gov/parvovirusb19/fifth-disease.html

Judy - how's your grandson doing today?

If he'd just been wearing a mask, I would be suspicious of that but if he had not been nor used some sort of new soap or lotion on his face just recently, I would have a doctor see him. Rashes can be signs of serious conditions. Maybe his mom wiped his face with a cleaning cloth that he's allergic too?

Little guy needs to see the doctor unless it goes away with benedryl. My grandson has had a lot of skin rashes and such. He had one that covered his entire cheek and the doctor was suspecting flesh eating bacteria. After much treatment, it finally went away but it was a fight. It never did completely diagnosed.

He needs to see the doc it if does not go away.

It sure does look like where a mask would be.

Let us know how he is. You have alerted a lot of moms and grannies who now have a vested interest in your little guy.

I've been seeing pictures posted like this. It is probably from the mask. Granddaughter's first day of school was last Monday by Wednesday she was already at the doctor's office dx with thrush. SIL coworker after her first week back to work was dx with bacterial pneumonia due to the mask. Masks are perfect breeding ground for all kind of nasty stuff. They are a warm and moist environment.

^^that info about mask wearing causing thrush and pneumonia is probably not true.

there are numerous articles about false claims regarding mask wearing..here’s just two.

https://apnews.com/afs:Content:9072351115

https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-factcheck-masks-fungal-lung-infection/fact-check-masks-worn-during-covid-19-response-do-not-cause-fungal-lung-infections-idUSKBN24B25H

It is not from an article. Sorry, I don't believe everything I read or hear. Only fools do. I know these people. Come on use some common sense. Masks are a warm and moist environment, a perfect breeding ground for all kind of organisms.

Where in the original post is anything said about the child wearing a mask? And if it were from a mask, wouldn't there be a rash across his nose? Or are posters just assuming that? Thrush was around long before the wearing of masks. To make assumptions like that (mask wearing) is not helpful to anyone.

I don't believe everything I read, especially comments on internet forums. I believe the scientific data which still supports the wearing of masks.

"Where in the original post is anything said about the child wearing a mask?"

The reason I asked the question in my first post.

Judy, any update?

Masks will not and cannot be the cause of bacterial pneumonia or thrush. Medical personnel who wear masks on a daily basis, sometimes for many hours at a time, are not plagued with those diseases. Children undergoing chemo therapy who wear masks to protect themselves also are not. Bacterial pneumonia has to be acquired from the environment - the most common type is just "out there" in the community - and in fact a mask would be protective, but can't protect against dirty hands.

Poor little guy. How is he doing today? Hope the rash resolved itself. He has gorgeous eyelashes, by the way.

The person who posted that disinformation about masks also posted that they apparently rely on their own 'common sense', rather than medical info...

Far from the first time, carolb, and probably not the last. Too many people these days seem to live in a fog of ignorance and confusion. None of this stuff is that hard to grasp.

The area where the rash is, is where a mask would go. suggesting a contact dermatitis from a mask, on appearance of the rash seems logical. There is just one key issue that suggests the idea of contact dermatitis may be wrong.

The OP states "He says it doesn’t itch". Contact dermatitis, an allergic reaction to contact with the skin is usually quite itchy. it's possible that it is a contact dermatitis from a mask, but rare that it wouldn't be itchy.

I'm sure that there are many, many cases of a contact dermatitis occurring from home made cloth masks, especially ones purchased from stores and over the internet, Various materials and laundering detergents that may or may not have been used before selling them can cause various reactions in many, many people, I personally know of several people who had reactions to wearing cloth masks that where purchased on line from craft sellers and in stores. Washing them with other laundry in the wash machine solved the problem

That's why it is highly advisable to wash any cloth material made masks with the laundry detergent or dishwashing detergent that is commonly used in the home before wearing them for the first time.

As for medical staff wearing them all day, they are using specially made PPE for hospital/dr office staff and are not the same kind as those of us are buying made of cloth. Those medical PPE are made from materia that would not usually cause any allergic reaction with people.

Best thing the OP can do is have her grandson taken to the doctor for proper diagnosis and not come to a public website looking for diagnosis of a medical issue related to her grandson.

Candida (thrush) is normally common in the oral cavity. It is common for the fungus to overgrow in infants, people with a compromised immune system, on antibiotics. It is not common for Candida to overgrow in a healthy person. A mask is a perfect moist, warm environment for Candida to overgrow. Or any present or acquired organism to breed in a healthy person. Yes, nurses and doctors wear masks on and off during their work day in a CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT. They don't wear them constantly during the day.

Thrush is painful, isn't it? Isn't it basically a yeast infection?

Stating the obvious here, but I would definitely have it checked by a Dr., if possible. or a telemedicine virtual visit.

I stated above I had contact dermatitis and it didn't itch at all. Dermatitis just means inflammation of the skin - i.e. a rash - and can be from any number of causes. Contact dermatitis means something came in contact with the skin to cause the rash, rather than something that was ingested or inhaled.

Hubby got thrush while on his chemo. It wasn't painful, his tongue was coated. Rinsing his mouth and swallowing medicated mouthwash cleared it up.

Right now, doctors and nurses (my daughter is an RN) don't wear masks "off and on." They wear them continuously for their 12 hour (sometimes longer) shifts. How is a hospital ER a controlled environment? They have no idea from one minute to the next who, with what condition is coming through the door. I don't wear cloth masks, I wear the same disposable blue ones that my daughter wears in the hospital - I figure if it's good enough for them, it's good enough for me. Sure, not as pretty or cute as a cloth mask, but that's not what I'm going for. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but spreading unfounded medical assumptions doesn't do anyone any good.

And still not a single word of information about the child and the rash. Leads to much guessing and speculation with no basis of information.

Why isn't there anything new provided?

Looked it up - thrush isn't always painful, but it can be...

From https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/oral-thrush/symptoms-causes/syc-20353533

"Symptoms

Children and adults

Initially, you may not even notice symptoms of oral thrush. Signs and symptoms may include:

• Creamy white lesions on your tongue, inner cheeks, and sometimes on the roof of your mouth, gums and tonsils
• Slightly raised lesions with a cottage cheese-like appearance
• Redness, burning or soreness that may be severe enough to cause difficulty eating or swallowing
• Slight bleeding if the lesions are rubbed or scraped
• Cracking and redness at the corners of your mouth
• A cottony feeling in your mouth
• Loss of taste
• Redness, irritation and pain under dentures (denture stomatitis)"

Clearly, a facial rash like that is unlikely to be thrush.

Looking forward to a followup from Judy...

Judy, what's the update?

Didn’t any of your kids ever get prickly heat? It’s common, it’s like dermititus, it isn’t unreasonable for him to get if the little guy isn’t used to wearing a mask, especially if it’s really warm where they are. It clears up within a couple of days and is not something to freak out about.

nekotish, Yea, I don't know anything about the ED environment. I only worked in one for 15 years. There is a difference between wearing a surgical mask and a cloth mask.

Go to your browser and type in "thrush mask" Dermatologist are seeing more patients with fugal infections of the mouth and face due to the mask.

HIVES: son had this as an allergic reaction when he was 5.

My son got prickly heat a lot when he was small - it was always in the folds of skin that stay moist with perspiration - like armpits and crotch area.

Hives are usually itchy.

I wonder if the OP left this thread because of the comment not about the rash but about her adorable grandson's eyes (which are beautiful). I would not have been happy to have that feedback.

"I would not have been happy to have that feedback."

Why, olychick? Maybe it's not been noticed?

Concerning what's most certainly something very, very different and completely unrelated to this nice little boy, I'll just say that there have been a number of instances when TV viewers have spotted something when seeing the image of someone on TV that suggested medical followup might be a good idea. And it turned out to be a good idea.

For anyone interested, again for something ENTIRELY unrelated to this boy other than being something seen by a stranger, do a search for Victoria Price WFLA.

I hope this cute little boy's rash can be assessed by a medical doctor. And his eyes looked at too by an eye doctor if that hasn't happened yet. Maybe it has.

Sorry it bothers you Oly but depending on the problem eyes that do not track together can present life long problems especially with depth perception. Some can be corrected while very young but not when older. By older by 9.

Judy, I hope your little fella is OK. My grandson had so many skin issues when he was younger. It sure does look like his skin is reacting to something.

You came to share, but you have retreated.

It can be a bit scary to suddenly realize that the online chat forum has turned an eye towards you with such intensity.

maifleur is right. As a child our daughter's eyes didn't track together, and it turned out that she had one nearsighted and one farsighted eye. Thanks to a family friend who is an ophthalmologist and spotted this, she got the right glasses...but now as an adult she still doesn't have great depth perception. It's fine for everyday activities, but don't ask her to play tennis!

FWIW, my grand daughter wound up having to wear an eyepatch when she was in elementary school because the muscles in one eye needed strengthening.

As kids growing up in CA we got prickly heat often during the hot weather, as did my daughter. It can happen anywhere on the body, not just folds. We’d get it on our backs and tummies all the time from the clothing we’d be wearing.

Since we have no idea what issues or care a child is receiving, I just happen to think it’s rude to assume they aren’t aware and to point it out. She specifically asked about the rash.

Good grief...again with the snidesters. (I agree olychick). Looks to me like the sweet little one

is just trying to see his own reflection in the camera/phone and moved up

really close. You try it...what happens to your eyes? Now...for the only

question the worried Grandma asked...it does look like it could be from

wearing the mask...young skin like that can be really tender. Hope by

now your worry has been "fixed". Hugs.

I have noticed on several sites that when grandparents or other family members post something the parents decided that they do not want their child's picture or a story about their child posted anywhere unless they do it. Some posters are not aware that some posts can now be deleted by the poster vs having to ask the admins to remove.

Too bad that the poster has not returned. The health of a child is more important than being polite if you do not understand that too bad.

Judy? Calling Judy ... Where are you? How's the sweet boy?

Seems Judy is MIA. I happened on another post of hers where she never followed up either.

Oh well. He probably got better. My little grandson had a most horrific outbreak on his face when he was just about that age. It got serious and it took a long time to heal.

A few years ago I got a rash on my face in the same area, which slowly spread down my neck and chest. It looked horrendous and I saw the doctor, but we never did figure out what it was. The dermatologist said 75% of rash cases aren't identified.

My family has a strict rule that NO photos of the grandchildren be posted anywhere on the internet, including the school's website. Certainly, we all comply.

It does leave out most of my photos for Annie's Mine/Yours posts that we all enjoy.

"My family has a strict rule"

Other than Facebook or photo sites for which access is by invitation only, I think common sense is an easy enough guide to restrict posting the photo of anyone of any age on anonymous social media websites. No need for a rule. Business-related sites, different story.

Has him been near a dog or a cat? DD has sensitive skin, she always has cortizone in her backpack. She has allergic reaction to liquid soap, a lot of laundry detergents, cats and most dogs (poodle or poodle mix are ok). It won't hurt to give cortizone a try.