Ask the Pediatrician: Poison ivy, poison oak and poison sumac rash

By Sarah Asch, MS, MD, FAAP, FAAD and Matthew Mahoney, DO, American Academy of Pediatrics

When skin touches poison ivy, poison oak or poison sumac plants, the oils from the plant can cause a rash. This rash can be very uncomfortable, itchy and unsightly. The medical name for this rash is contact dermatitis. Since the rash caused by all of these plants is the same, we will call it all “poison ivy,” but the same rules apply no matter which plant is involved.

About half of children who come in contact with these plants have an allergic reaction to the oils in the plant. It can take anywhere from a few hours to a few days for the rash to start. The skin that has touched the plant develops itchy, red and swollen streaks or patches.

Later, blisters can form. Sometimes the blisters break open