Former paramedic Nikki Jurcutz is on a mission to empower parents by sharing a life-saving trick to detect serious illnesses in children.
Through her organisation, Tiny Hearts Education, which promotes parenting hacks and paediatric health advice, she’s been advocating for awareness of the glass testa straightforward method to assess the severity of a child’s rash.
Incredibly popular among concerned parents, the latest post from the Tiny Hearts Instagram page featuring this test has skyrocketed to viral status.
The video illustrates Jurcutz’ technique placing a transparent glass onto the rash on a baby’s leg. When doing so, if the skin appears to pale or ‘blanch’, it suggests the rash is less worrying.
However, if pressing the glass doesn’t change the rash’s colour, indicating non-blanching skin, immediate medical attention may be necessary.
Alongside the instructional clip, Jurcutz highlighted the crucial nature of the test: “If the rash doesn’t blanch (turn paler) under the pressure of the glass, it could be a sign that it is something more serious that needs immediate attention. Knowing this simple trick could be life-saving.”
A non-blanching rash coupled with a fever could be a sign of serious conditions such as meningitis or sepsis, which require prompt diagnosis and treatment to prevent severe long-term consequences.
She implored parents to remember this tip for their “parenting toolkit”, particularly if their child’s rash is accompanied by fever symptoms.
