Health Tip: Help Prevent a Poison Ivy Rash

(HealthDay News) -- Touching or even getting close to a poison ivy plant can result in an itchy, uncomfortable rash anywhere from head to toe.

The Nemours Foundation offers these suggestions to help protect children from a poison ivy rash:

Teach kids to recognize poison ivy plants, and to stay away from them.
Don't allow children to play in areas where you know poison ivy lives.
Accounting for the hottest summer days, dress children in long-sleeved shirts and long pants before they go into areas where the poisonous plants might grow.
If your dog has played in the woods or leafy areas outdoors, bathe it to help ensure there's no urushiol -- the chemical that causes the poison ivy rash -- on its coat.

-- Diana Kohnle