2 year old DS has a really weird rash. Contact dermatitis?

[georgimama]

First of, it is definitely not meningitis. Or chickenpox - he's had that.

On Sunday we went to friend's house. He and her 2 year old were playing in the garden, digging about in (empty) veg patch. Within a couple of hours he developed a weird rash and his arm which has now spread across his trunk and round his back. Nothing on face fortunately yet.

It doesn't appear to be painful or itchy, because he isn't scratchy and isn't upset when I put acqueous cream on it. But what is it? It was red and a bit bumpy, kind of like the rash you get after wading through nettles at first, but now it's like patches of eczema. He did have a bit of dry flaky skin when a tiny baby.

Help? Any ideas very gratefully received. I don't want to bother the doctor if I don't need to for the simple reason that he isn't unwell, or bothered by it. I just want to fix it!

bumpty bump

could it be scarlet fever?

we have this and doctor said he had seen quite a few cases recently?

havent a clue where eldest caught it from?

Sounds like hives rather then scarlet fever, there's normally a very high temp, headache, sore throat with scarlet fever, he would be unwell.

I'd expect hives to be itchy though. How odd. Pop to the GP though, it's easier to diagnose things when they can see them.

Thanks both. I really don't think it is scarlet fever, he isn't ill at all (and his temperature shoots up very easily). I did wonder about hives.

I phoned the GP to see if I can get an appointment for tomorrow, but I have to phone in the morning apparently so he can be "triaged" (insert rant about NHS here).

Just looked up hives on netdoctor. Apparently strawberries are a common trigger. He had strawberries for pudding that day, about two hours before I noticed the rash.

DH now says strawberries used to make him come out blotchy. I think we have our culprit.

my eldest doesnt have high temp or sore throat - isnt really ill - but covered in rash - but doc confirmed it is SF and is on antib's

tbh would be easier if more ill, as she is so bored and wants to go back to school/see people but she /we cant

But isn't scarlet fever what Beth died of in Little Women? I thought it was really, really serious.

Does your daughter's rash look like this?

Ds doesn't look anything like that - if he did I would be bricking it - that looks like a measles/sceptacemia type rash to me, whereas his is more like something irritated the skin.

DS looks more like this, but not as bad

DS looks more like this, but not as bad

yes we look like 1st pic

thinking about it, she did have a high temp at weekend, but since being on calpol and antibs, the last few days temp is normal

dc3 has high temp, so she might be coming down with same thing

georgimama - ouch - looks like bad excema - dont think hives looks like that, but i could be wrong

i would take to see doctor/nurse just to check it out

DS looks more like this, but not as bad

Sorry, don't know what happened there! According to google images, that's hives (although that's dependent on the person who took the photos being right about that of course).

Will get some piriteze syrup and try doc tomorrow.

thats hives?

WOW - you learn a new thing each day

i assumed it was more of a rash

Hives are pinky/red blotches.

Scarlet fever is also called strep throat. It's not dangerous in itself, it's like really bad tonsilitis but left untreated it can cause rhumatic fever which can damage the heart (IIRC that is). It starts off with a high fever and a headache, then a sore throat. Patients also get a strawberry coloured tongue, followed by a rash. If untreated the tongue starts to peel. ds has has this, the pink tongue only lasted a hour or so, the rash had started to go by the time I took him to the GP a few hours after I noticed it. It was on his legs and under his arm pits. He still had the manky throat.

Hives are an allergic reaction, normally itchy.

Sorry to barge in, but DS2 (1) has a rash at the moment. I assumed it was wshing-powder related, as he seems fine and it's not on his nappy-covered regions.

It's all pink on his back/chest, with tiny pink-red dots on his arms and shoulders. It's raised, like rough skin.

I really, really thought it was just washing powder, but should I take him in anyway? He had straawberry jam on Sat - could this have caused an allergy?

Thanks!

Pink-red dots? Are they flat or raised?

There are alot of people allergic to strawberries, all the more for me I say

The rash would be on his legs if it were the washing powder unless you don't put trousers on him?

Raised - it feels like rough skin.

Have just stripped him and it's almost imperceptible on his tummy. You wouldn't think anything was there.

Hmm. Any fever?

I would also give him some antihistamine and see what happens.

Sounds like what my DS has got Beautiful. Contact dermatitis or hives I would say - assuming he has no temperature.

I gave him Piriton. No fever, although who bloody knows when he refuses ANY kind of thermometer!!

Hope yours gets better soon, georgimama!