Help: My Son Has Red Cheeks

Updated on January 30, 2008
G.H. asks from Logan, UT
25 answers

For the past three weeks my 8 month old son's cheeks have been really red. And then just recently on side started to bruise. At first I thought it could be food alergies, but we have not fed him anything new. We started feeding him solids at 4 months introducing only one new item at a time, and he did not rash then. We have just recently started to serve him bread. I took that away thinking it might be the cause for the rashes but it did not go away. I am now thinking he might be getting in his molars, becuase he keeps stuffing his hand to the back of his mouth. Right now he only has his two bottem front teeth and one top front tooth. Is is possible for him to be getting his molars at this point in time.

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So What Happened?

Thanks everyone for all your responses. I really appreciate it. I talked to a friend of mine who is a nurse and she also said the red cheeks were probably just from the cold.I live in Logan and it is so cold here. So I decided not to take him in to the docoter. After watching my kid play for a little while, I noticed that he hits himself with the toys sometimes, usually in the spot were he got the bruise. So I am assuming that is where the bruise came from. It has gone away and he has not got one since. I will ask the docoter about it on his next routine checkup. Thanks again for all your wonderful responses.

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J.P.

answers from Milwaukee on

Hi,

My son has had red cheeks since he was born and they have never gone away. He is now 10 months and has his two bottom teeth and two top teeth. I truely don't think he could be getting his molars so soon. Some kids don't get those till they are 18months or so. But you never know....He is most likely teething. I would give him those teething rings (that are cold) and something to suck on, maybe a cold wet washcloth. My son always liked that. If he isn't acting different besides whinny, as kids who are teething normally do, I wouldn't worry. Like I said my son is fine and his rosey red cheeks have never gone away.

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C.L.

answers from Minneapolis on

My son got red cheeks, around this age too, at first I just thought it was food aleriges to a new food that was recently introduced, but it gradually got worse. I took him in and found out he had severe eczema. It was so bad that it was often pussie looking. We tried several prescriptions, but the Dr said that he would just one day out grow it and he did. He has beautiful skin now.

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A.H.

answers from Provo on

I would go to the doctors right away, that doesn't sound normal. The bruising is most concerning. Go asap.

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G.O.

answers from Des Moines on

My 9 month old son has red cheeks too. I think its just sensitive skin. I've found that Buttpaste works the best on it. The doc has also suggested Vaseline to keep the moisture out, especially if he uses a pacifier so water doesn't pool up in that area. Good luck!

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L.B.

answers from Provo on

It is possible he has "slap cheek" or fifths disease. Your doc could tell you for sure. It isnot serious, can have a fever with it and lasts 2-4 weeks. We just had it. It is a childhood illness. good news: if he has it now, he probably will not ever get it again.

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C.F.

answers from Appleton on

I can't say that it is completely impossible that he is getting his molars now but I do not think that he is. If it was me, I'd make an appoint. with his doctor just to be on the safe side. The bruising sounds funny to me.

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M.M.

answers from Grand Rapids on

Sounds like it could be fifth disease. I don't know that much about it, and I don't think it's really serious, but one of the signs is a slapped cheek redness. I'd check with your doctor.

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J.W.

answers from Boise on

you maybe go to a mild soap my daughter had that same things can you take him out side in the summer time he have red spot on his boby you all so my take you son to the Dr wash his clothers away from yours that my help

I hope this work
J.

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C.

answers from Lincoln on

Hey there!

How are you doing? I don't think it is anything he is eating. It could be just dry and chapped skin from the cold weather. Try putting some lotion on the areas and make sure it is lotion that is for chapped and dry skin. The ones with the fragrances in it may irrate the skin and burn. When my kids are out in the cold and come inside sometimes their little cheeks are red. I just put lotion on and it seems to do the trick. I hope you figure out what is going on with him. Best wishes!

C.

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B.B.

answers from Provo on

My children all had red cheeks until about 4 years old, especially in the cold. Try putting aquafor or vaseline on the cheeks for a few days. I have never heard of bruising, though, so you should probably take him to the doctor. My niece and grandmother both had bruising because of Leukemia (very worst-case-scenario, try not to worry).

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J.H.

answers from Billings on

Have you taken him to the doctor? He may have Fifth's Disease, which is sometimes called "slapped cheek disease" because it makes the kids cheeks so red. As far as I know, it is fairly harmless. My kids haven't had it, though, and I am unsure of the other symptoms.

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B.W.

answers from Grand Rapids on

A little vasilne should do the trick. Apply a thin layer several times a day. Do not use any lotion, especcially the "baby" kind it will make it worse. You can try libridurm, or the store brand comparable to it.

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L.N.

answers from Benton Harbor on

I was shocked when I discovered that my baby was getting molars a few months ago! So, yes, they can get molars early!
~L.

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B.A.

answers from Salt Lake City on

I'd get him in to the pediatrician and check for strep throat and/or ear infection.

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H.A.

answers from Waterloo on

I don't know if this helps, but when my boys were babies their cheeks were always chapped at this tme of year from the cold. We just let it go away on it's own.

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T.Y.

answers from Boise on

Is he bruising easy everywhere? If so I would get him into the doctor and have his blood work done. I don't want to alarm you or make it seem like something is wrong but I did have a daycare child who had red cheeks and then started bruising very easy to the point he had bruises all over his body like he had been abused. His blood count was way low and needed to have a couple of transfusions but now he is a healthy toddler. This may not be the same thing but it never hurts to find out.

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K.D.

answers from Salt Lake City on

I've never heard of red cheecks and bruising with new teetch, but I guess anything is possible. But you might want to have a doctor check it out to make sure it's nothing serious.

As far as getting molars at this age, yes, it's possible because both my children has their first molars before their first birthdays. However, they had all the front teeth in before their molars came in.

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J.O.

answers from Boise on

All my kids who have been fairer in skin tone, do the same thing and it can even appear bruised, usually I just apply some lotion to the cheeks, they are still red but just not as bad, there are very few pictures of them before 2-2 1/2 that they don't have really red cheeks. I will also add that when they were teething the redness would look worse, then normal, so it is possible that it is from teething just not in the way you are thinking. I never had this though with the ones who had dark complexions.

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T.W.

answers from Lansing on

My first thought is dry skin due to cold weather, but if it doesn't go away after a while I would suspect Fifth's Disease. This is only a virus. Call your Dr.

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N.K.

answers from Duluth on

Hi G., it could be Eczema. My son gets it and it starts with red cheeks (really red, like clown makeup). He also had it on his knee and it turned purple like a bruise and had us really concerned. We took him to urgent care.

If it is Eczema (aka, chronic dry skin), there are a lot of natural ways to either eliminate it or reduce symptoms. The green mercantile has some really mild blue bar soap that we use and the Whole Foods has some eczema lotion.

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R.H.

answers from Lincoln on

My son had very red cheeks while he was teething. His cheeks never bruised but they did get VERY red. He also gets red cheeks whenever he gets a fever. Hopefully that it is not food alergies but I would have him checked or at least talk to your doctor about it.

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R.F.

answers from Milwaukee on

Hi,
Pink to even red cheeks are very normal with teething. Ask your Dr. but that is one of the tell tale signs that new teeth are coming in.

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S.S.

answers from Omaha on

Could it be dry skin?? I know with the weather the way it is, that could be a possibility too. As for molars- I don't really recall the time frame- but it seems a little early.

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M.M.

answers from Great Falls on

where do you live? his skin may be sensitive to cold...
Aloe Vera is absolutely safe thing, and if applied as a lotion, always helps to heal any irritations of the skin.

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A.Y.

answers from Boise on

My daughter turned 2 in October and for as long as I can remember she's always had red cheeks, getting even redder when she's tired or it's cold outside. My doctor has never seemed too concerned about it, so I don't worry too much. Usually once she sleeps the redness is mostly gone until she gets tired again. Probably not much help, but that's my experience with the redness.

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