12 week old son has a rash on his face & tummy

[Anonymous1999]

Hi everyone,

Not sure if I’m posting in the right place but my 12 week old son has developed a little rash on his tummy, and I’ve noticed a little red rash on his cheeks too. I thought initially it might be heat rash but I didn’t know whether it’s anything more serious I should be worried about. I’m a new and young mum so don’t really know what I’m looking for, and with the current climate I’m not in too much of a rush to phone the doctors to be honest. Hope someone can help!

Have you done the glass test ? X

Hope someone can help :)

Is that where you put a glass on their tummy to see if it goes away? Sorry I’m clueless 😂

Yeah if the rash doesn't go away with pressure you definitely need to get baby checked out xx

Yeah that’s the one , it doesn’t look like meningitis though but it’s always good to do the test.
A rash that does not fade under pressure is a sign of meningitis but to me it does look like either a heat rash or slightly like slap cheek syndrome that can sometimes spread from the cheeks to the tummy but honestly it does look like a heat rash. Has he had a fever or does he seem unwell at all? Babies can have a slight cold and then get a rash from it as they’re so dinky and delicate!

Yes, press a glass onto it (be careful, use a good robust glass) and see if it blanches, i.e disappears when you press gently onto it. If it doesn't you need to seek urgent medical help.

Also, does he seem unwell? have you taken his temperature? Is he drinking/producing wet nappies?

That's a very non specific rash of the type that gets labelled "post viral" (nothing to do with the Corona virus, post any general unidentified virus) in babies.

I took my dc1 to the GP with that exact rash at pretty much the same age andI wasn't especially young - you don't have to have an excuse to be a little bit worried

If he's well "in himself" and having his usual alert times, feeding well etc it'll be nothing to worry about but obviously if he's drowsy, has a raised temperature, has any breathing issues or not feeding well or it isn't gone in 24 hours seek medical attention.

Do some tests with him, is he bothered by light ? Does he seem feverish , out of character ? No harm in calling 111 for advise if ever unsure . The wait will be long due to covid calls but it’ll be worth it. It’s hard with babies as they can seem well and be poorly , or just generally can’t tell us how they feel ! I’m a soon to be first time mum in August and it so all very new isn’t it ! x

PS there have been lots of posts going round reminding people to seek medical help if they are worries about their children. Paediatrics is not under pressure due to Covid and even if it was, certaon signs and symptoms still need to be checked

Yes, roll a glass over the tummy

. How is baby in themselves? Any temperature?

Has there been a change in detergent or soap?

Looks like it could just be hest rash but hard to tell.

If you are worried call 111 , it's always better to be safe than sorry. They honestly won't mind.

Thanks for your responses everyone! Yeah he’s been feeding fine, isn’t drowsy and doesn’t have a raised temp. I’ll keep an eye on it and definitely speak to someone if it doesn’t go away soon :)

How is he this morning Anonymous1999 ?

@anothernotherone, he’s fine thankyou so much for asking, I did the glass test and the rash faded so I’m hoping it’s nothing to worry about. I’ll still keep an eye on it though!

Glad to hear that.

Hi All. My child has the same rash. It is blanching and I have been to Paediatric assessment. A couple of days ago he was very sleepy, and was bringing up his milk. However over the last two days he is more his normal self, very happy. But still has the rash. Could it be teething?

Do you use any softeners on his clothes and blankets? I found the only thing to not affect my little ones skins was Fairy washing liquid from the big bottles, not the pods or concentrated as this would bring them up, not sure if I was over dosing the machine with them but just very odd that it was the same rand but still affected them, and no softener:) Its probably not this but its an easy one to rule out.