Little Pimple like Bumps on 11 Month Olds Torso Has His Father Worried to Death

Updated on October 10, 2006
M.L. asks from Rock Hill, SC
21 answers

For the past 6 or so months, my son has had little bumps come up on his torso and arms. When they 1st appear, it looks like just raised skin with red around it (like you thumped him or something). After a few minutes, the redness goes away, but the little bump is still there. The bumps stay for a few hours, then they're gone. They almost look like a little bug bite. They don't have a whitehead or blackhead, aren't fluid filled, are very very small, and have no pattern as to where they pop up. They don't appear everyday, yet sometimes he'll have a few outbreaks a day. He sweats alot, and it seems like they pop up after he's been sweating or after a bath. Last night his father came home in a panic, because he had a cluster of these bumps pop up on his arm (my fiance's arm). He tends to blow things out of proportion and now thinks they have some contagious disease. When they 1st started to show, we attempted to ask the dr. but he currently had no bumps so the dr. dismissed it. We are now waiting for appt. with dermatologist, but afraid he'll be bump free when we go. My fiance and I have never had any skin problems, but my father breaks out in welts (sp?) all the time. Does anyone know what this could be? Is there anything I can tell my fiance other than "Honey, it's not a deadly disease, quit freakin out". I don't think that these bumps are a big deal, but is there anything I can do about them? Please help before my fiance has a coronary.... =)

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S.W.

answers from Norfolk on

My daughter gets clusters of bumps like this - especially in her diaper area but also on her legs and arms and torso. The doc gave me all types of creams to try but honestly, the thing that seems to take away the itching and lessens the bumps is hydrocortisone cream. My friends kids have excema and she swears by this stuff - uses it as lotion almost and it controls the problem better than anything else she has tried.

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K.W.

answers from Roanoke on

It sounds like heat rash to me. Just let him run around in his diaper to let the skin cool of and breathe.

Good luck and let us know wha happens.

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R.V.

answers from Norfolk on

Ok my son is almost 5 months old. He has the same thing. He gets little bumps on his legs arms torso etc. The ped. told me he has baby eczema. She told me not to give him a bath everyday. Do it every 3 days and to put Selsun Blue on his skin and leave it for 3 minutes. And to use Aveeno wash only. The fragrances could be irritating him. um... I got this stuff to put on him at night before he went to bed called Gentle Naturals Baby Eczema Cream. Its an oitment. put it on and put long sleeves on him to bed so it can soak in. And in the morning I put Aveeno lotion with no smell on and it has helped 110%. I know it seems like alot but try it. Oh about your fiance. I got the bumps on me too. I think its from the baby scratching or rubbing them then me picking him up. Thats what the doc told me atleast so try that and tell me what happened or let me know what the dermatologist said, Oh and switch to a dye free detergent. All has one called All Free or All Clear. I use it just on his clothes

1 mom found this helpful
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A.W.

answers from Huntsville on

My daughter had that too. It happened mostly after she had been in the sun but all I did was put some calimine lotion on it and they started to go away. Once they were gone I didn't worry about it anymore but if your fiance is getting them to you might just have to see a doctor. The next time one of them break out, take a picture of it so if he is not breaking out at the doctors office you can have a picture to show the doctor what it looks like. That works a lot better than trying to explain it. I"m curious to know what it is too in case it happens again. If the doctor gives you an idea maybe you could post it cause I'm sure a lot of people are curious too. Good Luck

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E.H.

answers from Wilmington on

My son does the same thing after baths sometimes. I took him to the dr and he said he has eczema. My son also has allergies, and the two can go together. The dr told me to use a calming cream(like Eucerin) on his body and to do oatmeal baths a couple times a week. I would still go to the dr to make sure but it sounds like what my son has. Good luck and I hope this works.
E.

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H.E.

answers from Columbia on

My son (now almost 4) has had the same problem in the past (as recently as a year ago. With trial & error, I figured out 2 things that caused it with him--laundry detergent & heat. Up until a couple of months ago, I had to do his laundry separately using Dreft. One of his shirts was once inadvertently washed in a load with fabric softener, and every part of his body that was in contact with the shirt was covered in tiny red bumps. It was scary looking, but a bath, cool down & fresh clothes solved the problem.
Also, I use Dove soap for sensitive skin to wash him because he even had problems breaking out after baby washes.

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M.M.

answers from Wilmington on

Hi,

Have you tried a good moisturizing lotion like Eucerin or Aveeno? My children have all had something like that and all it was was dry skin "bumps". My oldest, she is fifteen, hers turn into heat rash in the summer alot of the time. Try just keeping him moisturized until you get to the dermatologist. If it is dry skin bumps, you might be able to cancel the appointment. Yeah, and Gentle Naturals Baby Eczema cream does work great, and All Free and Clear is cheaper than Dreft!

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B.H.

answers from Huntsville on

M.,
My daughter just turned three and has had the same thing since birth. I have asked every pediatrician we have had in the three different cities we have lived in and everyone has told me it is eczema. I have been told to use everything from eucerine to cortizone. I have also been told to bathe her everyday and not to bathe her but every few days. The only thing I noticed make a difference was when she turned two and we put her on Singulair for her asthma. It hasn't completley gone away, but is much better than it was. She no longer looks like a teenager in puberty. All three pediatricians we have had told me it is allergy related.
Hope that helps.

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S.E.

answers from Norfolk on

try to get picture of it when it happens so you can show the DR.the spot. that way if he is spot free at the time of the vist you'll still have something to show him. Get some good close ups!!

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J.L.

answers from Charlotte on

My little girl gets bumps like that on occaision and her doctor said that it was a kind of an allergic reaction to fleas. Do you have any animals around the house ? Also it could be eczema.

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J.S.

answers from Richmond on

Hi M.,
My 13-month-old gets little red spots with bumps periodically, too. By the time I notice them and watch them they disappear again. Do you have a pet? If so, it could be related to that- especially if your fiance experienced it, too. If not, have you tried changing your son's bath soap? Maybe he just has really sensitive skin and reacts to things like sweat, detergent, and soap.

Good luck!
J.

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A.W.

answers from Baton Rouge on

its probably just heat rash, when he gets all hot and sweaty take his clothes off and let him run around in his diaper, the air should help his skin. also if you're worried about him not having the bumps when you go to the doctor, take a picture of them the next time so he'll have something to look at, he probaby won't be able to give you a definate with just a pict but he'll be able to tel you something

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L.W.

answers from Raleigh on

This exact same thing happens to my daughter after she's been outside in the humidity. I really did think they were bug bites but she doesn't scratch at them.. so idk. I really do hope someone can tell you what this is, as I'm curious to know also. And if you find out from your dermatologist please let me know what it is lol.

On another note, it's been about 2 months since her last "break out".
Good luck =)

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J.R.

answers from Norfolk on

There are a number of things it could be. Flea's, prickly heat allergies.It could even be scabies (a body lice).My son had this problem for months before it was diagnosed by a skin scraping (it doesn't hurt!) Keep your dermatologist appt.
In the mean time, give your fiance a tube of hydrocortisone and have a glass of wine to relax!

Let us know what the outcome is.
Good luck

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C.S.

answers from Norfolk on

Hey M.,

It sounds like all you might have going on is a case of heat rash, which would explain the reason why he gets it around areas where he sweats or after getting out of the bath tub and if it is a heat rash, there's nothing that you can do about that but let them go away on their own, and may be keep that area free of clothes so the skin has room to breathe. My son gets them from time to time on the back of his neck and his belly and they don't harm anything expect for may be scaring a parent who doesn't have any medical knowledge. And without seeing them myself I can't say for sure but it really does sound like that. Good luck! Oh, yea, tell you fiance' that he's not dying. ~C.~

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D.S.

answers from Columbia on

My 3 yr old daughter has had the same problem since she was born. When she was an infant her face would break out in rashes, and the doctor told me not to use any creams or powders on her face and to just keep it clean and it would go away. Well that was not the case and i disregarded his orders and used eucerin. It cleared right up. I have come to find that she just has sensitive skin and tends to break out when she's hot. It only seems to appear now under her arms and where the tags of her clothes are. Try using eucerin or try any cream with cortizone in it and that should work.

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S.H.

answers from Mobile on

I have heat rash and my sons have it too. I use mexsana powder on myself and the baby. It cools and keeps the skin dry. When he breaks out try a cool bath then powder. A dermatologist is a good idea in case it could be an allergy.

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E.B.

answers from Greensboro on

Don't worry!!! My husband is a little on the over reactive side too, and our 1 yr old has the same thing, has since he's been born, but I am sensitive skinned so I knew what it was he was having. Some baby's just have more sensitive skin than others. Our son can get the little red bumps and red patches because of a number of things, clothes, heat, something he ate and then pee'd, but the worst one was my husbands go-t and mustache so he shaved. Just make sure you bath him everyday even if its just a dip in the water, to much soap can dry a baby's skin out, a good lotion that protects the skin (we use a lotion for horse hooves, sounds strange but it can clear up a dry patch in seconds and it leaves a protective layer on the skin and some even have a mild antibitoic ointment in them to heal) but becareful a red bumpy rash in the diaper area that lasts for more than a few days can indicate a yeast infection, but if you use the lotion I recommended it can heal that up as well. Good luck and tell your husband chill, you got it covered. LOL, like thats ever true with children, but it will make him feel better.

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S.

answers from Spartanburg on

I would say it sounds like chicken skin, but that normally does not come and go. Heat rash can be similar and would go away when the body has cooled itself. I doubt it is anything contagious and deadly, but would see the doctor just to ease everyone's mind. You might want to consider taking some digital pictures of the bumps when they appear and then if there are none on the day you go to the doctor you will have the pictures to show him what you are talking about.

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J.O.

answers from Charlotte on

M. -

There are two things that I know of that can cause this. The first is something my family calls "prickly heat" which generally shows up on members in the family with sesative skin. Usally after exposure to sun, grass or sweating. After bathtime, I would asume the "prickly heat" comes from sensative skin exposed to warm bath water and soap. What type of soap are you using? We generally use eaither Dove or Johnson's baby products.

I am concerned because you said your fiance had a samll out breakout on his arm. In my experience prickly heat is not contagious. I have seen stories on the news about rashes that are caused by mold in the home. If you go to wcnc.com and search for mold or hunter's oaks (the name of a neighborhood but I am not 100% of the name). there will be a few stories about families exposed to mold and the rashes their kids had as a result. I do not want to scare you, just let you know what I have seen.

Hopefully what you are seeing is a result of prickly heat and nothing else!

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L.M.

answers from Wilmington on

The only suggestion I have would be maybe he has very sensative skin. Have you changed laundry detergent, Baby wash or shampoo? My husband is very sensative and will break out in red bumps on his arms and back. They come and go like that if it's bad. I would give it a try and see what happens. Switch to a Dye free and Fragrance free detergent( Cheer has this I think) and Baby stuff for sensative skin. Hope this helps
L.

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