Mum warns parents of Strep A symptom that looks like sunburn

Her daughter was left feeling 'ugly and paranoid' about the state of her body.

A little girl broke out in a ‘head-to-toe rash’, leaving her to look ‘sunburned’, after contracting Strep A.

Sadie Learmonth said her daughter Khloe was struck with the illness in September – and doctors were unable to diagnose her for weeks.

The 33-year-old, from Irvine, North Ayrshire, warned fellow parents to watch out for her daughter’s unusual symptoms as cases rise in Scotland.

Sadie first noticed a lump on the six-year-old’s neck before she later developed a sore throat and her skin turned bright red, itchy and flaky.

The mum took Khloe to the GP three times in three weeks, but she said doctors were unable to identify her symptoms as Strep A.

This left the youngster feeling ‘ugly and paranoid’ about the state of her body.

Sadie told the Daily Record: ‘Khloe was so upset and distressed about her skin.

‘She wouldn’t hug me, her dad or her one-year-old brother in case she passed the condition on.

‘She kept saying she was ugly and was paranoid about people staring at her rash.

‘I was crying my eyes out constantly because the doctors did not know what was wrong with her.’

At first, doctors thought Khloe had a simple cold, before attributing her symptoms to impetigo – a contagious skin infection that often starts with sores or blisters on the skin.

But after the youngster failed to improved with the antibiotics prescribed to help her, a third trip to the GP eventually led to a diagnosis of Scarlet Fever, which is caused by the Strep A infection.

Three months on, Khloe is on the mend, but is still battling with the stubborn red patches on her feet, which have yet to disappear.

Looking back, Sadie is grateful that the burnt appearance of Khloe’s skin provided a ‘physical’ symptom of the infection she could see and seek help for.

‘If that physical symptom wasn’t there, I wouldn’t have noticed there was anything wrong with her and I would ask other parents to please keep an eye out for these signs,’ she added.

Her grave warning comes as Public Health Scotland announced last week that two children aged under 10 in Scotland have died with Strep A infection since October 3.

Scottish health secretary Humza Yousaf said: ‘Every death is a tragedy, particularly those of young children, my thoughts with families and loved ones affected.

‘Thankfully most cases of Strep A present as mild illness and can be treated with antibiotics.’

Mr Yousaf said on Twitter he was working with the UK government to ensure there were adequate supplies to treat the illness.

Vicki Campbell, head of primary and urgent care services, said: ‘NHS Ayrshire & Arran cannot comment on individual cases due to patient confidentiality.

‘We would encourage anyone with any concerns about the care or treatment provided to contact us directly.

‘This allows us to investigate and provide feedback.’

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