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Original poster

Sunburnt face or something else?

19 replies

migola · 11/04/2011 07:54

Feel terrible, DD (20m)'s face is all red & blotchy and I think it may be sunburn. We did put suncream on her and a hat (but she kept taking it off) so I'm surprised she's so red. Could it be something else? It's sort of blotchy, a bit warm to touch, with a bit of a rash. Just don't know whether to put a bit of soothing cream on it, leave it, or take her to the doctors...?

Could it be slapped cheek? Or a reaction to the sun cream? (no reaction on her hands or arms though)

bad mother Sad

OP posts:
LIZS · 11/04/2011 07:56

Slapped cheek, scarlet fever .... maybe she rubbed at ehr face after suncream was applied. Is she otherwse unwell ?

MmeSurvivedLent · 11/04/2011 07:58

Was she long in the sun? If she had suncream on and it is just her face, then it is probably not sunburn. Rash suggests it is a reaction rather than sunburn, imo.

Or she reacted to the suncream on her face, as it is more sensitive than her arms.

And you are not a bad mother. She had cream on, and a hat.

Original poster
migola · 11/04/2011 07:58

will look up symptoms of scarlett fever - think it's doing the rounds isn't it..

she is otherwise well apart from sneezing and runny nose

OP posts:
Original poster
migola · 11/04/2011 08:00

mmeSL we were at a party & she was in and out of the garden all afternoon

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Original poster
migola · 11/04/2011 08:16

don't think it's scarlet fever bec apparently it hardly affects the face..

just got her dressed and noticed she now has small pin prick rash on rest of her body (it blanches). Am wondering whether it's measles? She hasn't had her MMR yet as I've had to cancel a few times due to illnesses..

Would she be full of beans with measles though?

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MmeSurvivedLent · 11/04/2011 09:04

No idea about measles - we have an outbreak in our area (Switzerland) at the moment but our two are older, and have had MMR.

Phone your doc and ask if it is going about.

IngridBergman · 11/04/2011 09:09

Measles normally starts with a few days of being really unwell and then the rash appears, so it's very unlikely to be that.

I would bet on a reaction to the sun cream.

Pterosaur · 11/04/2011 09:23

I'd go by our surgery receptionist's advice - always get a rash on a baby checked out - but reaction to the cream or heat rash are possible if she's otherwise well.

MmeSurvivedLent · 11/04/2011 09:33

But phone the surgery first, even if it is unlikely to be measles. Don't just turn up with a possible measles infected child.

Did she eat anything that she hasn't eaten before? DD gets a rash sometimes when she eats hazelnuts.

MaryBS · 11/04/2011 09:34

When my 2 had slapped cheek, I'd originally thought that was sunburn...

Original poster
migola · 11/04/2011 10:08

she hasn't been unwell at all (fingers crossed it stays that way)
doctor is going to call me back this morning (although without seeing rash I don't see how they can tell Hmm
don't think she ate anything new - food colouring in birthday cake maybe?
just checked temp, 37.4 so a bit higher than it should be

OP posts:
Pterosaur · 11/04/2011 10:19

My DD1's face was very blotchy with her first bad suncream reaction, by the way. Combined with the fat lip caused by falling on a table edge in our holiday caravan, our holiday snaps from that year are quite memorable.

Original poster
migola · 11/04/2011 10:31

doctor said doesn't think it's anything dodgy because she's well in herself but said I should take her down to get it checked out because my SIL is coming to stay & she's pregnant

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Original poster
migola · 11/04/2011 12:13

turns out it's slapped cheek syndrome

OP posts:
MmeSurvivedLent · 11/04/2011 12:17

Oh, well done lizs.

How is she, Migola? My DC have never had slapped cheek syndrome, so no advice.

HouseOfBamboo · 11/04/2011 12:25

How do they diagnose slapped cheek syndrome?

Just interested as my DD gets a rash in the sun and so do I. She has it today after being out yesterday. It's not sunburn and not related to suncream, I think it's this:

Polymorphous Light Eruption

She gets it on her cheeks, and I tend to get it on my upper arms and lower legs. It goes away after a few days and tends to get better as the summer goes on.

lulalullabye · 11/04/2011 12:26

dd2 has just recovered from scarlet fever. She had rash on face first and then body. Very swollen tonsils and a fever. A typical sign of scarlet fever is whiteness around the mouth. She also had a sandpaper feeling rash.
It is important to diagnose correctly as problems can occur if not given anti biotics and it is scarlet fever.
I just thought dd had tonsillitis and a viral rash. She is much better but on penicillin for 10 days.

Original poster
migola · 11/04/2011 12:36

she's absolutely fine thanks MmeLent. Am now worrying though because a girl I know at a local toddler group told me she was 3 months pregnant last week. Should I try and get in touch with her do you think? I have her email address. Don't want to panic her unduly though especially as I know she's on her holiday atm - she didn't even touch DD and it's quite a large church hall...

lula I'm hoping doctor would have know if it was scarlet fever..?

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sneezecakesmum · 11/04/2011 19:17

Scarlet fever includes a ferocious sore throat, and high fever as the first signs. I know I've had it! Slapped cheek sounds about right to me, can be very mild in some children.

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