Toddler Red Cheeks (Not Slapped Cheek)

[lamby12]

Hi just looking for any suggestions, my 2yo daughter gets bright red cheeks increasingly regularly. And I mean bright red, looks extreme when it flares up and is HOT to the touch.

In the last month she's been sent home from nursery twice because they said she must have slapped cheek. This was beginning and then mid December. Both times the cheeks went down within an hour of getting home, and she's 100% totally fine in herself, no temperature or other symptoms.

I've been trying to keep an eye on when it happens as it seems to be most days at the moment - a few times after lunch but never the same food so not allergy. Often happens when she's just woke up from a nap, but made sure the rooms not hot. Sometimes it's after being outside in cold, so been putting Vaseline on her lips and cheeks before going out which helped slightly. But then it will just randomly flare up and looks insane.

I can see why nursery panic and send her home - I would panic if I hadn't now seen it a hundred times and know it doesn't seem to bother her and there doesn't seem to be anything wrong with her.

Sometimes it's just red and hot like flushed, but really hot, other times it's more rashy looking. Once gone down her skin and cheeks are perfectly clear, apart from sometimes being a bit dry.

I can't find any answers other than online saying slapped cheek, but it seems to be going on a long time for a virus, and she has no other symptoms.

I would say it's gone from being an occasional thing (maybe weekly) that we used to put down to teething, to at least one episode daily throughout December. She's not teething now.

Any suggestions or experience?

My son had similar to this and looking back at photos he often had red swollen looking cheeks, sometimes bumpy. We worked out he had a couple of food intolerances so cutting them out made a big difference (I know you’ve said it happens after various foods so is less likely but still possible). As a teenager he is still prone to getting red cheeks very easily though, much more than his siblings. The hot or cold weather causes it but they’re definitely just red and not swollen or rashy like they used to be.

I know this is a bit of an old ish thread but did you find anything with this?
@BorisandHarriet did you find with the food intolerances that your DC would feel a lot hotter too?

DS gets this and I was wondering if it could be food related. He’s having a lot more dairy now than he was. I think I might keep a food diary and see if I can see a correlation as it does always seem to be after lunch before he naps or when he wakes up after his snack...

@lamby12 Appreciate this is old but did you get an answer? My DD had Slapped Cheek a year ago so I know how it looks. It was bad for a couple weeks. However in the last 48 hours, she keeps randomly getting either one or both cheeks bright red & hot. Seems worse at night, then gone in the morning only to reappear at around 3pm. She was sick 2 nights ago (separate issue) so we have kept her food minimal & bland so can’t see it being a food related issue but any time I Google all I get is Slapped Cheek…

Did anyone get any answers? Having the same issue here.. DD had slapped cheek 2 years ago so assuming it can't be that again.

Hi did anyone get an answer to this ??? My son recently starting to get this twice he’s he’s it today .. once This afternoon and then tonight before bed both times he’s been tired, it isn’t slapped cheek he gets it either on both cheeks are 1 cheek and 1 ear are both ears.. he says it doesn’t hurt he is 3 this month so pretty sure he would tell me if it hurt .. doesn’t seem to bother him at all, I’m not sure if it’s been too warm for him and he’s flushed? Surly he can’t be teething iv counted them and he’s got 20 .. 😭 I suffer with health anxiety and it’s really upsetting me Google is just telling me it’s slapped cheek but it’s not. Please if anyone are a few people have had this?? Xx

Hi did anyone get any answers? I’m going out of my mind with my son’s ears and cheeks on and off every single day they turn bright red :(