Am I being too relaxed about my baby's rash?

[Aranea]

12mo dd2 has a rash all over her body which came up on Saturday. It has now spread down her legs onto her feet, and this afternoon came up on her face but that has now gone down again. Her temperature went up to 38.4 last night but responded to calpol, and went up to 38 this afternoon. Again responded well to calpol. She's also a little bit snotty.

She seems pretty well in herself, except when her temperature goes up. I've been very chilled about it, on the assumption that if I take her to the doctor they will just say it's a virus and I should go away.

I'm having a sudden attack of nerves in case I've been too laid back about it. Is there anything worrying it could be? The rash is little raised red spots which you can feel with your fingers. And they do lose colour when you press them.

You're right. That's a viral rash. DS has one too at the minute. As long as it's blanchable and she is all right in herself (ie not floppy, unresponsive, cold hands and feet, sunken eyes, light aversion etc.) I'd just keep up the Calpol and see how you get on.

So apart from the rash and a mild temp which responds to Calpol is she herself? eating/drinking/nappies?

Call the surgery in the morning, state she has a temp and the rash and it is geeting worse not better and you need her to be checked out TODAY! to the receptionist.

Yup, she is eating and drinking ok, nappies normal.

Thanks wmmc, that's just what I thought until I suddenly got all irrational a few minutes ago!

Actually viral rashes tend to occur at the end of a viral illness, normally when the fever is abating. So chances are things will be better by the morning. Having said DS has just vommed everywhere.

He got rubella last year and had a cracking rash for a week. He looked like a strawberry completely pink with spots.

Oh really? She's been snotty for several days, but only produced the spots yesterday, so that would make sense.

Anxiously looking out for vomit now!

Tis best to turn the light on if you hear a strange noise from your child's bedroom and there is the slightest chance it might have been them hurling. Stepping in warm sick with bare feet will rarely enhance your mood

different issues in my house... we're co-sleeping...

hmm did she have a sore throat? only thing I would caution with a rash like that is Scarlet Fever (not that I'm wanting to alarm you or anything)

(sorry have just read she's 12 months so you wouldn't know if she had a sore throat or not lol!)

when ds had it he had a v high fever though

eeek, foxinsocks!
I've just googled, and the description of the rash doesn't sound like dd2's. She's just got little red spots on normal looking skin, but the description of it being like sunburn sounds a bit different. phew.

ah that's good

you see, I was being v laissez faire and then the rash didn't go away (started off like dots but just hung around) and I took him to the docs and they were like 'OMG he's been really unwell, didn't you realise'

anyway, glad it doesn't sound like the rash!

My top tip for co-sleepers. Make sure you've got a huge supply of old towels (charity shops are a really good source). If dc is at all off colour, spread a few on the bed and the pillow for him/her to sleep on. If the worst happens, quickly bundle them up (the towels, not the dc and tie them up in a bin bag ready to throw away. Then simply replace with new (old) towels and go back to bed. Repeat as necessary.

WMMC nice

What wise words, seeker. I will do that tomorrow... (please dd2, don't vomit tonight)

foxinsocks, I'm nervous again now. I think I will take her to the doctor if she's still got a rash tomorrow. That'll be the third day of having a rash, so it wouldn't count as neurotic mother behaviour, would it?

oh sorry, didn't mean to wind you up

think if it has been around for 3 days, you'd probably know if it was SF.

It feels rough, is bright red and pretty much covers the body (also ds was about 4 I think when he had it, dd got it at the same age so not sure if a 1 year old would still have immunity from you iyswim)

(also they both had bright red tongues!)

Aranea - how is she today? DS is busy hitting me on the head with a toy train so I think he's better

Ah, no bright red tongue here. I did check her mouth because I wondered about hand, foot & mouth.

She's pretty much the same wmmc, thanks for asking. I am waiting for the triage nurse to phone me back to decide whether she needs to see the GP. I suspect not really, as she is pottering about quite happily.

Glad to hear your DS is better! I think...

• ah. just had call from nurse, who says to bring her in. I just know we'll be told it's a viral rash and there's nothing to be done. Poor old dd1, not a very thrilling way to spend the first day of her half term holiday!

Just been.... it's a viral rash....

As you suspected, hope it clears up soon and she isn't bothered by it.

Oatmeal (in a mesh/tights bag) in the bath can be soothing to itchy skin

Thanks for that. I don't know if it's itchy or not, but I might try it anyway. She seems a bit grumpy!

DD3 had this a few days ago. It turned out to be a viral rash and it went when she had a dose of Piriton. hope your dd feels better soon.

Thanks for the piriton suggestion. I have just bought some as she seems to be uncomfortable and had real trouble getting to sleep tonight. Fingers crossed it will knock it on the head as she has no other symptoms at all.

Doc told me to give her it three times a day (obv with 4 hour or more gaps) if that's any help. she didn't need it four hourly on the dot or anything.

really? How old is your dd3? The bottle says twice a day so think I would be too scared to do anything different.

Ah, sorry, my DD is 2.5, and the medicine she had is called Allereif (or something), just the doc said Piriton when he prescribed it so i assumed it was the same! For a 12mo i assume dosage would be less anyway. And following packet instructions is always the saner option than assuming some cold addled mumsnetter knows best, lol.

I hope your DD is better by now anyway.