Rash that looks like insect bites

[NewDKmum]

Hiya. Hoping for some advice regarding my 20-month-old dd. She has now for 2 weeks had a rash that looks like lots of insect bites - face and hands only. It comes within a few minutes and stays for about 1 hour then disappears and later comes back somewhere else in the face.

One GP thinks it is an allergy but antihistamines don't seem to work. Another GP thinks it's a virus, but said it should last max 10 days - she does have a bad cough, but no fever and doesn't seem unwell. I don't know what - if anything - to do. Has anyone experienced something similar? Many thanks

I was going to say allergy too...can you maybe keep a diary of everthing she has to eat so you can pinpoint when it appears?

If its an allergy, antihistamines don't necessarily help. ds2 had loads allergys as a baby (huge blotches everywhere constantly, facial swelling etc), antihis never worked for him. dd1 has similar to your daughter and i've never yet got to the bottom of it, she's now 8!!

is it urticaria?
nettle rash?

more importantly,
do they upset her

Many thanks everyone - that is very helpful!

Frazzledbutcalm, I thought antihistamines would always work on an allergy, but won't rule that out now - and it does look like an allergy to me.

TwinklylightAttendant, I'll try that out to see if it's food related, many thanks.

LucyElasticband, it doesn't bother her at all, doesn't even seem to itch. It's really just me - I don't like not knowing what it is. I didn't know about urticaria, but have googled it and will read more to see if that might be it.

It seems to be at its worst when we are in the park or at the playground so I am thinking maybe something in the dead leaves she likes to kick up or maybe the cold weather?

urticaria is just a name given to a rash that can't be explained. Food wise, reaction can happen imm or can be hours, even days after eating/drinking something. From what you say it could even just be her skin reacting to the cold. we agonised for almost a year over ds allergies and never ever got to the bottom of them, not even the one which put him in hospital when his head lips etc swelled to more than twice normal size.

sounds like urticaria (hives).

Suffered from it myself (10 to 16 years old)like what frazzledbutcalm described.
Sometimes, would swell up and need a shot of antihistamine to avoid what they call quink oedema which is swelling in the neck/windpipe and chocking hazard.

It could be just anything. But there are lists of top allergens and maybe you need to talk to your GP to have him tested.
If I can remenber correctly most common are reactions to strawberries, chocolate,raw tomato. But please don't take my word for it.

Antihistamines work really well, even just topical creams. In the meantime keep antihistamine syrup handy and give as soon a there is any swelling.

does it improve with cream,
perhaps it is the cold?

Many thanks!

slim22, great advice, I'll keep the syrup that the gp prescribed and try to get hold of some topical cream. Glad to hear you have grown out of it. I'll see how it develops and if it doesn't improve ask the gp to test her for allergies.

frazzledbutcalm, that sounds awful with the swelling! As with most toddlers I presume, dd1 tends to have the same kind of food, but she did have prawns for the first time a few days before the first breakout and has had it regularly since - I just thought it would have been a more immediate reaction. She also had antibiotics for the cough at the same time - so maybe that's it, but then she hasn't had that for 10 days now and the rash is still there...

LucyElasticband, I'll try to slather on some thick cream before going out shortly and see if that makes a difference.

Thanks!

I do remember now that hot/cold shock may do that too.
Had it once when dipping in the sea after sitting in the sun!

But tbh prawns sound more likely.

good luck.

gp told me that once you've reacted to something your body can react for years afterwards even if you never have that thing again! minefield!!

It really is impossible to find the cause, isn't it?

Anyways, I worked myself into a state about it today after having googled - always a bad thing to do! So I phoned a paediatrician and described the rash and he said it sounded like urticaria and that is was likely to be caused by a virus as dd has had a cough also. He advised to wait and see for another 2 weeks as it would probably resolve on its own.

Meantime, thanks for all your very helpful advice!

My kids always get a rash with a virus, never thought of that.