I often went because I knew I'd need a doctor's note to send them to daycare...

My 4 year old DS got one last weekend, it looked better the next day so we didn't worry until 2 or 3 days later when we noticed it had spread slightly and was still bothering him. The doctor said it was probably just irritation from a plant or bug that was spreading because of the itching, and we should use a stronger than OTC hydrocortisone cream. Anyway, when it spreads and doesn't clear up on its own is when I worry.

When my son recently had a rash, my doctor let me text a picture of it to her. She was able to use the picture, along with my description, to prescribe a treatment.

Call the on-call pediatrician or nurse or your insurance nurse number and describe the rash. Some are nothing to worry about, others could indicate something worthy of a visit to the doctor or even urgent care. We can't really tell you on the internet...

How do you determine when to go to the doctor if your child has an area with a rash you have never seen appear? DD is 5 and I don't want to overreact...would you just wait or get it checked out fast?