The iPad is a potential source of nickel allergy reactions, say pediatricians who suggest parents choose a metal-free cover for the electronics. 
 
 Allergic contact dermatitis is becoming more common in children, especially nickel, dermatologists say. In Monday’s issue of the journal Pediatrics, doctors in the U.S. describe the case of an 11-year-old boy with dermatitis that didn’t respond to standard ointment. 
 
 He tested positive in a skin patch test for nickel allergy. At an avoidance counselling session, doctors became aware that the family had bought a first-generation iPad in 2010 and that the patient was using it more frequently. 
 
 After covering his iPad and avoiding nickel, including through diet, the dermatitis improved significantly for five months, Dr. Sharon Jacob of Loma Linda University in California and Dr. Shehla Admani of the dermatology department at the University of California, San Diego, said. 
 
 Allergic reactions to Apple laptops and iPhones have been reported, but the iPad hasn’t come up as a potential source of nickel sensitization in children before, the researchers said. 
 
 They suggested patients could reduce contact between skin and devices either by using a case or cover that is nickel-free or simply applying duct tape to create a barrier. 
 
 Doctors should also consider "metallic-appearing electronics and personal effects" as potential sources of nickel exposure, Jacob and Admani said. 
 
 In 2008, dermatologists warned, people who use their cellphones for long periods may develop a rash on their ears or cheeks. 
 
 It is not clear whether all iPad models and other Apple devices contain nickel. Apple spokesman Chris Gaither said the company had no comment. 

 The seed for this crawl was a list of every host in the Wayback Machine 
 
 This crawl was run at a level 1 (URLs including their embeds, plus the URLs of all outbound links including their embeds) 
 
 The WARC files associated with this crawl are not currently available to the general public. 

 CHICAGO (AP) — Unexplained rash? Check your iPad. It turns out the popular tablet computer may contain nickel, one of the most common allergy-inducing metals. 
 
 This undated photo provided by American Academy of Pediatrics shows a rash on an unidentified 11-year old boy from a nickel allergy. Case reports in medical journals detail nickel allergies from personal... (Associated Press) 
 
 Recent reports in medical journals detail nickel allergies from a variety of personal electronic devices, including laptops and cellphones. But it was an Apple iPad that caused an itchy body rash in an 11-year-old boy recently treated at a San Diego hospital, according to a report in Monday's Pediatrics. 
 
 Nickel rashes aren't life-threatening but they can be very uncomfortable, and they may require treatment with steroids and antibiotics if the skin eruptions become infected, said Dr. Sharon Jacob, a dermatologist at Rady Children's Hospital, where the boy was treated. Jacob, who co-wrote the report, said the young patient had to miss school because of the rash. 
 
 The boy had a common skin condition that causes scaly patches, but he developed a different rash all over his body that didn't respond to usual treatment. Skin testing showed he had a nickel allergy, and doctors traced it to an iPad his family had bought in 2010. 
 
 Doctors tested the device and detected a chemical compound found in nickel in the iPad's outside coating. 
 
 "He used the iPad daily," she said. 
 
 He got better after putting it in a protective case, she said 
 
 Whether all iPad models and other Apple devices contain nickel is uncertain; Apple spokesman Chris Gaither said the company had no comment. 
 
 Nickel rashes also have been traced to other common products including some jewelry, eyeglass frames and zippers. 
 
 Jacob said evidence suggests nickel allergies are become more common, or increasingly recognized. She cited national data showing that about 25 percent of children who get skin tests for allergies have nickel allergies, versus about 17 percent a decade ago. 
 
 She said doctors need to consider electronic devices as potential sources when patients seek treatment for skin rashes. 
 
 ___ 
 
 Online: 
 
 Pediatrics: http://www.pediatrics.org 
 
 ___ 
 
 AP Medical Writer Lindsey Tanner can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/LindseyTanner
– Nickel frequently causes allergic reactions, and the metal is found in all kinds of gadgets. Case in point: an iPad. An 11-year-old boy suffered a rash so bad he had to stay home from school and was eventually treated at a hospital in San Diego, and it turns out the culprit was a first-generation iPad purchased in 2010, which he used "daily," says Dr. Sharon Jacob, a dermatologist at the hospital that treated him. The rash spread across his body and didn't respond to standard treatments, the AP reports by way of Pediatrics. Putting the iPad in a case and wiping nickel from his diet solved the problem, Jacob says. Apple hasn't commented on the situation, and it's not clear whether all iPads contain nickel, the AP notes. In the boy's case, doctors tested the device and identified a chemical compound found in nickel in the iPad's outside coating. But many items do contain the metal, including some jewelry and zippers. Nickel allergies are on the rise, says Jacob, who points to data showing 25% of kids who are skin-tested for allergies show a nickel allergy, up from 17% a decade ago. Pediatricians suggest parents put iPads in metal-free cases, CBC notes.