Little Bumbs All Over...

Updated on April 13, 2007
M.H. asks from Frankfort, IL
23 answers

My son has recently developed these little bumps all over his body. At first it just started out on his arm and a little on his leg. I took him to the dr. and he thinks it is Eczema. He gave me a cream for this, but now the bumps are spreading all over his body. The bumps on his arm and leg are very red and itchy, but the other bumps are all still under the skin and you can't see them unless you are really looking for them. Any ideas on what this could be? I don't know if this is allergies or what? I just went and switched his laundry soap and rewashed EVERYTHING he comes in contact with hoping this may do the trick. But if anyone has any suggestions please do tell. Thanks so much!

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So What Happened?

thank you all for your great advice and responses! I have noticed the redness of the bumps to be going away so I am thinking he is getting better. However, he does have lots of bumps under the skin (which you can't see but can feel). I am going to call his dr. this morning and see what the next step would be. I will probably take him to a dermatologist or maybe to someone who specializes in finding out what kids are allergic to. Thanks again!

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S.X.

answers from Chicago on

Youve got a lot of advice I would also give, but from my experience my son got something similar... on meds, lotions, dropped soap entirely... had eczema.
it was all because of food allergy to egg. big time allergy. gave up ALL egg and egg related and his skin is perfect. ; )

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A.M.

answers from Chicago on

My daughter has very sensitive skin. He may be allegic to his bath soup or laundry detergent. I use All Free for her clothes, and I found a fragrance free bath product from Aveeno that works well called Soothing Relief Creamy Wash. When she does have breakouts I give her an Aveeno Oatmeal bath, and that is quite soothing for her.

Good luck.
A.

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C.W.

answers from Chicago on

Just wanted to share...my sister in law just had this happen to her 11 month old. It turned out to be an allergic reaction to her dryer sheets (softener). She had bought a different brand than her usual. She's been given him cool baths and using cortizone on his skin. And of course she rewashed everything as you did. Good luck!

N.P.

answers from Chicago on

Sounds more like an allergy. I would contact your pediatrician asap and try and get in so he/she can see it. Can you remember what you fed your son recently? Good luck. Hope little guy feels better soon.

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V.

answers from Chicago on

I would take him to a dermatologist because there are more skin rashes that can delevop from contact with other children that require special creams. I know of one called Molluscum. Google it and compare the pictures they have of it to the ones your son has. Best of luck. Hope it goes away quick.

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C.Z.

answers from Chicago on

Has he had any sort of a fever? It could be what is known as Hand, Foot & Mouth disease. My son had it around that age and it is very common between the ages of 15 months and 2 years old. There is nothing you can do for it but let it run it's course. I am not a doctor, but have had the experience. You may want to look it up online and ask your Doctor again. Good Luck and I hope he is feeling better soon.

K.M.

answers from Chicago on

M.:
You would be amazed at the ingredients that are in so many of our products. As you have heard testimonials about detergents, dryer sheets, etc. Infant and toddler skin is the most sensitive skin there is and needs to be treated with the utmost care. Dyes, chemicals, fragrances, mineral oil are all irritants to skin - both young and old. "Fragrance free" or "Chemical Free" doesn't mean that it doesn't have something else in it that is irritating. Our skin is the largest organ we have and so many things penetrate it. Many products from "trusted" manufacturers have been found to be horribly bad for our skin.

Yes, there are many products out there that claim to be healthful. I would never give my child a steroid creme or other type of medication (especially if something else was available). I know there are other solutions for skin care, laundry needs, etc. and I would be happy to discuss what I have been using for some time that can be purchased at your convenience and delivered to your door. Anyone else reading this is welcome to find what I have found. My children used to get sick constantly, but if you change what you are exposed to, what you eat, and what is put on your skin, you will be absolutely amazed at the health benefits that will be yours for life and not have to suffer with any of these types of conditions. We never like to see anyone suffer, especially our children. He deserves better and you will see results. This is a typical skin allergic reaction. We all react differently, some more severe than others. Let me know how I can help you and your family.

Best of luck to you!!

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J.

answers from Chicago on

My son has eczema and it does come in patches, but the actual outbreak looks like little red bumps/blisters. But you can see images of all different examples if you go to Google Images and type in eczema. (good news: most kids do outgrow it.)

The eczema comes and goes, is worse in summer, and we treat it with a steroid cream from the pediatrician. We wash all of his stuff in a "free" laundry detergent now, which seems to help, and in the summer he also takes Zyrtec (sp?) for hay fever.

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D.R.

answers from Chicago on

Take him to a dermatologist. My son had a "rash" that developed and our ped. kept telling me it was "dry skin". After several creams that didn't help we finally took him to a derm and in his case it is a skin condition called keratosis pilaris. He is on a special lotion now to keep it in check. I'm certainly not saying your little one has the same thing, but if it seems to bother him (and you!) then get it checked out.

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N.D.

answers from Chicago on

Is it possible that it's bug bites? Check the mattresses and the corners of your house.

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L.G.

answers from Chicago on

Hi M.,

My son is 13 months old and this has happened to him 3 times! He is currently covered in red bumps, some in patches. It started on him arms, then moved to his legs, and now it's on his belly too. The doctor just thinks he must have sensitive skin and when it gets irritated by something, he gets a rash and it spreads around. I don't know. It seems to be a little itchy, but he is not entirely bothered by it so I just put lotion on it and try to keep the skin soft. In the past it has taken a couple of weeks before it clears up.

Good Luck!
L.

N.M.

answers from Chicago on

if little bumps and not patches, is prob allergies/hives. Eczema is patchy and red, we use aquaphor for our daughter's patches, they get better overnight but never really go away until warm weather sets in. I have hives from cat allergies, those are tiny red bumps that look like bug bites (for years i thought i was fighting an army of bugs, even had dermatologist try to "figure them out" and actually take a biopsy (he had to be the dumbest dermatologist on the planet to not know upon sight they were hives), am sure they have claritin for little ones, or some form of allergy meds. Consult your pediatrician, he/she will be able to clarify further, but since we are a family with both problems am hoping my answer helps.

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D.

answers from Chicago on

M., It is an allergy of his skin, just like people who have sinus allergies. My daughter was diagonsed with Eczema at the age of 1, she is now 10 and the rash has slowly gone away. Everytime she would get overheated or sweaty her rash would flair up. The metal from her jeans would also aggravate her rash. The rash when flared up would be raised and scaby looking. My daughter has benefited from Elidel, but when the rash was itchy and not that extreme I usally gave her a bath in Aveeno w/ oatmeal. Aveeno products are great, try to stay away from greazy lotions. Just try to keep his skin from drying out and you'll be fine. Like I said my daughter is slowly growing out of her eczema.

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P.A.

answers from Chicago on

My son had a similiar sounding problem but the bumps were only on his legs. We stopped using Johnson's baby bath and switched to plain Dove bar soap which really seemed to help. We also switched lotions to Eucerin Calming Cream (which is in the adult skincare section) and that has also helped. It could be eczema or just sensitive skin. Try those things and see if they help. Once the weather warms up and he is wearing cooler, summer clothes, you'll probably see a big difference. Good luck!

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J.J.

answers from Chicago on

Hi M.,

A few mths ago my 2 yr old daughter Was starting to get what looked like a rash. She had red splotches and when you touched her she felt almost scaley. I thought that maybe it was eczema because I have it, but her doctor thought it was just dry skin. Anyways we gave her oatmeat baths - it's supposed to help with the itching. Depending on the store, you should be able to find the oatmeal bath by the lotions and creams. The brand is Aveeno. Also if you put lotion on him after his baths, try an unscented one. And when you wash his clothes, try a detergent the is dye and perfume free. I' ve done all this with my daughter and it is so much better than before. Hope this helps.

Jean

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S.M.

answers from Chicago on

I have to agree with the other posts about it not being excema - both my son and daughter have that. my son gets it worse - we use aveeno lotion for babies - it's light and unscented. also, when the patches are really bad, we apply a light layer of ellidel (spelling? - steriod cream) only one time and it is usually gone the next day. this cream is from the doc. He does get light red bumps once in a while also after i take them swimming - our gym's pool uses too much chlorine - i always wash them in this kids (loreal) shampoo for swimmers right after - in the shower at the gym and that helps to avoid the rash. so, i would think something with bumps is either an allergy or from a virus. i would keep in contact with your pediatrician about this if it's ongoing.

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D.S.

answers from Chicago on

My 3-year old son and I are just now finally getting over the same exact thing. Our pediatrician still hasn't figured out what we had, but prescribed an antihistamine (Benadryl) for my son and a steroid cream for me, which are very common prescriptions for issues of the skin. Our doctor could only think that we had a form of eczema, as there are so many different types and reactions in people vary. All I can tell you is that we had this for two months, and I still have just a few 'under the skin' bumps on a couple fingers. For the most part it has passed. From my own research, I have found that this is common in children who have family history of asthma and/or allergies. We have both in our families.

Wish I could help more, but again, the antihistamine worked for my son, and it did pass. Just know you're not alone!

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N.D.

answers from Chicago on

Could be milia, or heat rash. See your pediatrician ASAP, this could be sign of worsening allergies. Don't wait!

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J.D.

answers from Chicago on

You might want to check with your doctor to see if it is something called MOLESCUM. It is a very annoying rash that forms as little bumps.

good luck.

JD

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A.S.

answers from Chicago on

M.,
I believe you should consult a pediatric allergist.
You might look at your son's diet, too, since he is so sensitive. It is wise to use natural laundry soaps. Beware, though, that the major commercial brands still contain petrochemicals and fragrances. They can be called fragrance free and still contain masking fragrances. If you haven't done so already, purchase something like Seventh Generation or BioKleen. We cannot use anything else.
Amy
ps A great book to read is "Is This Your Child?" by Doris Rapp, MD.

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M.R.

answers from Chicago on

I would go to a dermatologist. From all my experiences with my own children (15 & 17 yr old), when it comes to a skin problem it is best to go to a dermatologist. It could be eczema. I have eczema and that is how it started with me. I use Cetaphil soap and lotion. The soap can also be put on after his bath and not rinsed off so it is working all day. It does not leave a greasy feeling and has really helped me. I even use it on my scalp. I would check with your dr. or a dermatologist before using anything though.
Good Luck

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J.P.

answers from Chicago on

I would go to a dermatologist. They specialize in this and would probably be able to give you a proper diagnosis and treatment options.

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S.R.

answers from Chicago on

Try an all natural, organic soap bath soap to wash him with. There are many out there. California baby is one of them

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