Itchy Rash in 18 Month Old

My doctor told me that we could give our daughter a quarter to a half teaspoon of Benadryl when she was that age. My daughter didn't get any side effects from it, and it helped her with her allergies. (We gave the smallest dose first, and then upped it a little as she got older. She's two, and we still aren't giving her the whole teaspoon. The less dosage that works, the better. That's what I think!) Hope this helps!

Either call the nurses hot line to make sure of the medication and dosage. It could be that she meant a different one, like Infant instead of Children. (I don't know)

Or go to the Pharmacist. They should be able to tell you what dosage to use or if it's the right stuff to give her.

Poor thing.

My daughter has a rash also. It looks like dry itchy patches all over her. She also has it very bad around the mouth. The doctor told me if she is scratching it to give her 3 ml of Diphenylhydramine(benadryl). She is 13 months and weighs 18.5 lbs. I have had the same Dr. for 7 years now and I really like him.

Sorry I am way behind on my email, and I have not read any other responds so sorry if I say the same thing. If the little dry bumbs are how you are describing, it sounds like ecsuma (sp?) Both my girls have had it. I use the 1% hydrocordizone(sp?) cream.
About the benedryl. I have given it to my youngest but only gave 1/2 a tsp. With the meds, really look at the weight. Good luck to you.

i use hydrocortizon for the rash on my 20 month old. It helps with the itching and it helps with the healing. I have even used it as a diaper rash cream because she gets it so bad that regular diaper rash cream does nothing for her. My doctor recommended it. I also give her benedryl, I give her a 1/2 of teaspoon. Good Luck!

It's o.k. to give Benadryl to a toddler as long as a doctor recommends it. I gave it to my 2-year-old once without any problems. Something to watch for is that the side effects can be the opposite in young children--instead of making her sleepy it might make her excitable. I would be more concerned about finding out what caused the rash. It can be so many things--Fifth Disease, Roseola (sp?), allergies, eczema, viruses...... I would consider taking her back to the dr. for reevaluation of the rash. In the meantime, Aveeno oatmeal baths are helpful. Good luck.

I would take her to a dermatologist it sounds like eczema or some other skin problem.

Good Luck!!!
Jessi

I used Benadryl with my son at that age, who is now 6, without any problems. Also, I realized that both my son and daughter get this type of rash if we use bubble bath. So we have now eliminated them, to their dismay. Good luck!

Rashes actually develop from antibiotic use (among other reasons). Antibiotics destroy the good bacteria in a child's colon. Your daughter is in need of this bacteria being replaced, which will eliminate both the rash and the regular ear infections.

Acidophilus (found in yoghurt as well) is good bacteria available almost everywhere in chewable form for children. If you can't find it chewable, buy it in the powdered form and put 1/4 teaspoon in her bottle or milk ~ it is tasteless.

If you decide to give her yoghurt instead (which will also work but may take longer), make sure it is whole milk, plain and unsweetened. Don't worry about the flavor ~ kids like it, especially if you mix it with bananas or berries.

Google on Antiobiotics and Acidophilus to see what comes up there. You could easily get your daughter off of the cycle of ear infections by focusing on this issue for her.

My son is the same age and has a rash also. His is from exima (how ever you spell it) and they told me to give him 3/4 a tsp of benedryl and a anti itch cream. I bought Aveeno anti itch cream and it works great, but I only give him the benedryl if he's really itching bad. Your rash sounds like the samething little bumps no redness and dry skin. I hope that this helps you cause I went to the doc 3 times before they told me what his was.

Hi A.,

I know you wrote this a couple of days ago, but if you haven't already, I'd double check with the dr. just to be sure the dose is right. My daughter is almost 5 now, so this was a while ago, but I think my daugter was 2 1/2 when benedryl was given to her and it was only a 1/4 tsp as recommended by the nurse. And just to warn you too, not all children get sleepy with benedryl. My daughter was "wired" and had a really difficult time sleeping after one 1/4 tsp dose of benedryl. We never gave it to her again. Good luck!

Chris

It's possible she's having an allergic reaction (or hives) from the medications...
It's possible it's something else. If it's a lacey-looking rash, it could be Fifth's disease... it will come and go, but the fact that it's lasting so long makes me think it's something else.
Did you change anything in her diet when you noticed the first rash? It could be food allergies, or other allergies: detergent allergies if you changed laundry detergents; personal care allergies if you changed shampoo's, lotions, etc..
You could have her bathe in a bath mixed with activated charcoal powder (www.buyactivatedcharcoal.com). If it's topical it should help draw out whatever is causing the rash from her skin. If it's nutritional, having her take the activated charcoal internally should help draw it out from her system. Contact them for advice on dosage, or look at their website for more information.
Try hypoallergenic lotions/creams, preferrably from your local health food store to avoid toxins and chemicals found int most of todays personal care products. (Burt's Bees lotions are great!)

Hi A., I have used Benedryl on my boys and if the Dr./Nurse said it was ok and she is uncomfortable I would use it. The only side affect I saw in my boys is that it made them sleepy/drowsy. And when you are not feeling good anyway, getting some extra rest is not a bad thing. They did not have any other side effects and it helped us get through the itches!!! I did give them a little less than what was instructed on the box...using a syringe works good! Good luck!

double check with your local pharmacist for the recomended dose for age/weight.

I have given Benadryl to my son, now 2 yrs old, at his doctor's suggestion. I checked with my pharmacist after the doctor appointment, and she reccomended a smaller dose, 1/4 tsp, which is what I gave my son.

my son is 25 lbs now and the current dose for him is 1 tsp.If your baby is less than 25 lbs, definitely double check with a second opinion for dosing!

I would call your pediatrician and clarify that. Every time I had to administer any kind of medication to my child (when he was young that two) we went by weight - not age. Try using a little of calamine to ease the itchiness. Could it be detergents or something with scents that might have changed recently? If it continues and your pediatrician has no clue, go see a dermatologist. I did for my son and his derma was able to diagnose what he had....good luck!

I have a two year old who has had a funny rash on her legs for a few months now. Her doctor said it is just a dermatitis probably from our laundry soap or dryer sheets. We have swtiched all of that, still has a small rash so he suggested hydrocortisone cream. I would maybe ask your doctor about something like that. I don't think I would personally use the Benedryl, because I think they suggest you don't use any antihistamine in children under 4 or 5. Maybe a vanicream lotion would help soothe the itch a little, I'm not sure....hope this helps.

I just had my 16 month at the ER last night for a horrible hive rash that was all over his body (along with high fever, coughing and vomiting). They gave him a larger dose of benedryl, and told me I could give him 4 ml of children's benedryl if it came back. That was based on his weight (22 lbs). Turns out he just had a virus... but the hives were huge and horrible and totally freaked me out. Our nurse line had told me that I couldn't give him benedryl, but the Children's Hospital Doc told me that it was fine as long as they dosed it by weight.

I'd call your Dr. again and confirm the dosage before giving it to her.

J.

I would not give Benedryl to a toddler. Benedryl can cause serious reactions. I would talk with the Dr. again, since MOST ear infections go away WITHOUT antibiotics and most antibiotics frequently cause rashes. Try a lukewarm bath with baking soda disolved in the water for the itchiness in the meantime (something my mother did that works better than anything you can buy in the drugstore).