My baby has a ring like rash on his neck, not ringworm, cortaid not working, what else could it be?

Hi abcsam, and welcome!

I've been waiting all day to see if someone more knowledgeable than me could help you out here, but now I will give it a shot. Eventually, I'm sure that someone else will step in as well.

My kids are both in adulthood now, so it's been a while since I had to tackle such problems. Cortaid is a good place to start, but you must be patient to see results. My children both suffered from eczema as tots, which commonly shows up in the crooks of elbows or knees, but can also appear in other areas. Our primary line of defense was a zinc-based cream with a high percentage of zinc. I can't remember if it was OTC or prescription-strength.

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Not heat rash? Or a mild allergy to detergents, softeners, baby powders, soaps or shampoos? Use unscented, allergy-free products and rinse well after bathing baby or washing clothing and bedding. Try to keep the area clean and dry before applying the Cortaid. That particular product is generally very effective for a wide range of rashes.

One of my kids got a rather scaly rash on the top of his head as a young teenager. After the doctor exhausted all possibilities and remedies, a small biopsy revealed that it was a rare type of wart that spreads in a bumpy, flat layer, kind of similar to ringworm. It was treated with ointment derived from secretions from some sort of poisonous frog, which was slow-working but highly effective. I doubt that your baby has that sort of thing, though.

Ringworm definitely comes to mind, especially if you have infected pets, but it spreads quite rapidly from pet to people, and is often difficult (and messy) to clear up. Copper-based powders and creams are frequently used, although I hear from family members that green tea extracts are also extremely helpful. So if your doctor has ruled that out, be thankful.

Hang in there a bit longer. If, after a week or two, you are not seeing any results (or if the rash is getting worse, then sooner than that) go back to see your baby's doctor and have the rash reassessed and retreated with something that will hopefully be more effective. Good luck to you and baby!