Rash on 6 week old baby

[watermelonsugar99]

Hi, does anyone know what this rash could be?

He is 6 weeks on Tuesday and has had the a rash on his face from about 1 week old, I got told it was milk spots and they'll go away soon. Today I noticed the rash had flared up and got worse on his face and when I've checked his body it's now all down his back and chest. He doesn't have a worrying temperature but he is hot to touch on head neck and back, he's been very unsettled today, constantly crying and not sleeping! I do have a doctors appointment for him tomorrow anyways so I will mention it but I just wanted to see if anyone had any ideas?

I would say definitely not milk spots, my sons were nothing like that. Can I just check that you have done the glass test to check they blanch? I don't mean to panic you as they look raised and bumpy anyway but just safe to check...

@PhylisPrice yeah I've done the glass check and I've pressed on them, they disappear when doing both these things

Hmmmm. I'd go to A&E, or at least give NHS helpline a ring to check. It's probably not serious but he is so young, they can go downhill very quickly. Better safe to check.

Does he have a temperature? If he gets over 38C it’s immediately straight to A&E for a baby of that age.

Otherwise that looks to me like a standard viral rash, but it’s probably worth a chat to 111

Id ring 111 or go to walk in centre/OOF just to be safe with a baby so young especially when he hasn't been himself hope all is ok

Looks like a post viral rash to me, but in a 6 week old I would be off to out of hours to be on the safe side

My ds had this for him it was a milk intolerance. If your worried call NHS 24.

@NoRoomInBed I thought it was a milk intolerance as he has a lot of the symptoms but every time I mention it I just get an eye roll and get told it won't be that!

Thank you everyone for replying, I'll definitely give 111 a ring! I don't have an a digital thermometer to get his temp but I do have a baby bath thermometer so I've took it out and used that & it's reading 39 degrees. Not entirely sure if I should go off that or not though as it's for the bath temperature not babies!! I'll mention it to 111 though to be on the safe side.. He's finally asleep on me now but if I try put him down or move him he's back to sobbing again :(

I would take a 6 week old with a 39 degree temp to A and E straight away OP.

That rash isn't milk spots, I'd be escalating ASAP. I hope you get it sorted quickly.

It could be erythema toxicum. Sounds bad but it's not contagious and will go away in a few weeks. Can flare up and look bad and then calm back down.

I would make an emergency appt with your gp tomorrow and put a thermometer on your shopping list!

Does baby feel hot on chest or back? A bath thermometer may not really work on skin. If you feel there is a temp most certainly call 111. Never feel like you are being over cautious when it comes to babies.

A&E now. Over 38 in a baby under 6 months is a medical emergency. Don’t wait around

That would be a very high temperature for a baby that age. That's A&E not 111 territory. I know you used a duff thermometer, but that would tend to read low rather than high. You don't take chances with sepsis in a baby that young.

Please get yourself to A&E pronto. A high temperature (and rash) on a tiny baby is no joke.

@lemorella he already has a gp appointment for first thing in the morning to do with him not taking his milk properly but I'm going to bring this up. I just don't know whether to wait or not, the rash has gone down but seems to flare up every time he has a bottle? These photos were off about dinner time after he had a feed, I've been watching the rash since and it seems to be whenever he feeds it flares up then goes back down within an hour or so.. he does feel a little hot to touch but not completely boiling hot, that's only came on within the last half hour to an hour.

I don't want to risk dragging him out due to being in an area that's about to be put on local lockdown as Covid cases have shot through the roof but also don't want to not take him in case he needs to be seen ASAP! I don't know what to do!

Thermometer has been ordered :)

I don’t want to scare you @watermelonsugar99 but I’m going to repeat the same advice I have already given you twice (along with several others).

If a baby under 3 months has a temp over 38 (or over 39 under 6 months) this is a MEDICAL EMERGENCY and you must go straight to A&E. if you used an unreliable thermometer you’re more likely to get an under reading than an over reading.

Tomorrow morning might be too late if your baby is fighting an infection. And you don’t need to worry about covid - I went to children’s ED a few weeks ago and screening and triage was quick with patients being separated into Covid and non covid swiftly. I didn’t see another patient the whole time.

And take an overnight bag

@watermelonsugar99

If you are unsure then call 111. At the very least you can describe the symptoms to the doctor and they can make a decision on the phone about seeing baby tonight or not.

I ended up in a walk in clinic on Christmas Day at 2am as I was so worried about my baby's cough once. I've also made urgent appointments for 2x rashes I didn't like the look of (both were completely different looking)

Can your partner nip out to Asda now to buy a baby thermometer to give you a more accurate idea?

Again, never feel bad about seeking medical advice in young babies. My midwife drilled it in to me!

Ds has very similar....turns out he's intolerant to eggs. He flares up massively when I eat them. Hes 12 weeks now but this pic was at 4 weeks.

Never ever risk rashes and a temp........ defo get yourself to a and e pronto. Good luck.

@Flamingolingo and I've listened to your advice, thank you very much for telling me. I was just trying to tell everyone as much info as possible, I missed out on the first post that the rash flares up every time he has his milk, hence why I mentioned it on pp. My concern is an intolerance, it has been for a few weeks now but I posted this to see what other people thought/if they'd had the same thing in their child. He doesn't feel as hot to touch anymore and as I said previously the rash has gone down since those photos (they were took around dinner today) he's about to have a feed now so I'll keep an eye on the rash

So you're not taking him to A and E?

Ridiculous

I’m not really bothered about the rash. I’m bothered about the temperature. And I speak from experience. I have taken a 3 week old baby to A&E in the middle of the night with a temperature. Like you I thought it could wait until morning until it became very obvious that it couldn’t. He was very poorly and we were there a week. We are lucky he was ok in the end.

As it happens, sometimes A&E are the best for allergies too, some GPs are less helpful than others.

@Flamingolingo posted too early because he kicked my phone- I'm waiting to be took to A&E now by a relative, I've already rang up for advice and they said that even though his temperature is starting to regulate itself to pop in and they'll check him over just in case