OK- I've googled this to death and cannot find any information on this...
Tonight I picked my son up from daycare (where he has been for the past 3 weeks on and off) to find alarming red splotches on his face, neck and arms. The woman at the center said it started after the storm sirens went off, because he'd been normal all day otherwise.
The splotches were not raised, he didn't seem bothered at all by them and by the time a few hours had past, they were mostly faded. Before he went to bed just now- they were basically gone.
He doesn't have a fever, and I hesitate to call this a rash or hives because they didn't itch. He doesn't have sensitive skin, and we aren't trying any new foods. I'm formula feeding, so its not something I ate.
The only thing I can think of is he was stressed because of the storm (he was napping when they took him to a safe place in the center, so it woke him up). They faded a lot the first hour, and by bedtime they were pretty much gone.
Anyone here have a situation like this? Is it normal? It was so weird!
Thanks everyone for your advice!! I picked him up today, and he looked just fine. I have the pictures to show the ped anyway (gotta love cell phone cameras) just to get her opinion, and I'll continue to keep an eye on him.
Hi H.,
This happens to my daughther (4 mos old) when she gets really upset or cries really hard. They always go away after a an hour or so. The pediatrician said not to worry- She is very fair skinned- It is similar to hives, but no itching.
Good luck!
K.
Hi H...
Something similar happened to my daughter a couple of months ago. It happened after she ate some spring roll from a Thai restaurant. She has red blotches on her face around her mouth and jaw, on her shoulders and on the sides and back of her hips. It was not raised and she was not itchy. As a matter of fact, she didn't seem to even notice. My husband took her to the clinic and was told it was hives. They had recommended otc infant benadryl, which seemed to help, and it cleared up all the way in a couple of days. Is there a nurse advisor line that you could call at your son's pediatric office? I think it is possible to react to stress with hives, but I hope you find out what's going on with your little guy!
The same thing happened to my son at the same age. For him,it turned out to be the laundry detergent they were using at his new daycare. He otherwise didn't have sensitive skin, but for some reason he reacted to it. It took awhile to figure out what it was, but he was always fine in the morning, had spots by the end of the day (after he napped in his crib with a sheet at daycare), and they always faded by bedtime. I just started washing his bedding at home, and he was fine. It sounds similar to your situation, but your son could also be stressed out by the storm or the new daycare. The best advice I can suggest is to see if it happens again.
My kids had the same thing. It was fifth disease - nothing to worry about. Google it and see if it fits. It's just a virus that has to run its course. A lot of the websites say other symptoms accompany it like cold-like stuff, fatigue etc. but my kids got it with rash and nothing else. The rash can come and go for a few months. It's not itchy, bumpy or raised.
H.,
I think you are right on thinking about stress...my husband gets the same thing. His are on his neck. He went through most of his life not knowing what they where that is until I came along and noticed that each time they happened he was majorly stressed about something. So being woken from a sound sleep to the sound of sirens in a still "new" place definitely could have been a stress factor for your little guy. Keep an eye on it and just mark on your calendar when it happens then bring it up at your next pediatrician appointment.
HTH.
It could also be an allergic reaction to the change in the atmosphere. I would just call your pediatrician to see what they say. It's probably no big deal, but better to keep everyone in the loop. The more advice the better.
