Hi Mamas ~ Hubby & I noticed a strange thing with our daughter's fingertips - some appear to have been burned ! Her thumbs, first finger, and middle finger on BOTH hands have, what appear to be, previous burn injuries and are now "peeling".
I remember when I was a kid, I played in our swimming pool for HOURS, doing handstands in the shallow end. My fingertips would go beyond "wrinkled" and look like someone took a LAYER off the top! That's what this looks like too, but, since our girl is only 2 yrs old, she's not doing that activity!
We are stumped! She DOES play in the dirt a lot, and we can't keep her out of it, since our yard is under construction at the moment and we don't have grass yet. She throws an absolute FIT if she can't play in the yard. Could that be it? My sister in law says both her kids (and hubby) get this "condition" when they are stressed....so...genetic?
Our daughter is not in any pain, even when we touch her fingers..and she has her next "well baby" sceduled for next month. Do I just keep an eye on it & ride it out until her appt.? (I don't like her Dr. much, and don't want to have to go in if not ABSOLUTELY needed).
I'd wait until she sees the doctor at her next appointment. this doesn't sound serious. If it were between her fingers in the web part I'd suggest a yeast infection. Or if it were on the ends of her toes, I'd suggest scald. When I wore plastic shoes in the summer and my feet got too warm, the skin peeled off and that is what the doctor called it. Scald. It's not a problem; just looks funny.
It could be hand, foot and mouth disease. Check her throat to see if she has a sore throat too. And as far as that pedi doc, you should have a doc that you trust and like seeing. That relationship is very important since you will be seeing him/her for years to come. Find a new doc for her and take some photos of the fingers so that it will help him diagnosis the problem. If it were me I would call a new doc and get her seen to make sure it isn't something that needs treatment of some kind.
K., if you don't like the doctor then change it! There is no reason to stay with someone you are not comfortable with. I have 5 children and saw the same doctor for the first 3 and when he retired we changed 3 times until we found someone that I was comfortable with. But get the child to a doctor soon as none of us can be responsible for something we can not see and would all feel badly if it turned out to be serious and she didn't get help. Nana Glenda
If you're going to wait... take high resolution photos to bring in with you.
My cousin had something that sounds like this when she was very little, probably around 4/5, it started small and spread all over her hands. It look as if though she had been burned also. Dr's called in social services to be sure she wasnt being burned. She had to do medicated creams and gloves for quite some time. In the mean time I would cleanse with Phisoderm, you can get it at Target or any drug store.
I'd keep an eye on it and not make a special trip unless it hurts her, but I wonder if it is a fungus (like Athlete's foot or a wart) that has taken hold?
My first thought, especially when you say she has been playing in the dirt...could it be a fungus of some sort? Something akin to Athletes foot? Go and ask your pharmacist to take a look at it and see if that is what it looks like to him and then ask him if the antifungals are safe to use on the hands when it is very possible that the hands will end up in her mouth!
MY next thought is...why on earth are you using a pediatrician that you don't like?? Even if you have to stay within a certain group of doctors because of your insurance, there is surely another pediatrician that you could check out. I think the relationship between a doctor and the patient ( or in this case the patients parents) is one of the most important things to consider!!! You need to feel like you can ask the doctor anything and you want to know that the doctor is going to take time to sit down, listen to your questions and answer them in a way that you understand!!! You are HIRING that doctor to take care of your child..if you aren't happy with the services he/she is providing...fire him/her and look elsewhere!!! That is why doctors become so arrogant and unreachable...they have been enabled by patients that are too afraid to speak up and let their feelings be known!!!
Has she been playing in the mud? We was mudding the walls in a house once and a few days into it my hands started peeling. It wasn't painful as you say. But as the new skin started to grow back it became itchy. I'm not sure what the wall mud is made of or if mud outside could or would do the same thing. But I wouldn't worry about it since you would know if she was really burned. Real burns would hurt so bad!
my daughter had the same thing. she was diagnosed with dishydrotic excema (sp) and was given a weak steroid cream and Aquaphor. Cleared it right up! Google it or ask your MD about it.
Good Luck!
I get this every summer when it is so hot in texas. Its just from my skin being dry.
I do have to say though if you dont like her dr and are not comfortable taking her in whenever you need some reassurance why is this person still her dr? I think you need to start searching for a new pediatrician that you and your daughter LOVE, that you have no second thoughts about calling for any little thing you might have a question about.
I would just keep an eye on it. If it seems to get worse or cause her any pain, I would at least call her doctor about it. Maybe they could give you advice over the phone or you could ask if there is an email address you could send a picture of her fingers to them. Otherwise, I would just let it be, because it doesn't sound like it is very serious. There is no need to waste time and money taking her to the doctor if you don't feel the need. I would just try to keep it as clean as possible (hard to do with a toddler, I know) to make sure it doesn't get infected or anything.
Trust your mommy instincts; if it seems to be an issue, call. If not, she should be just fine. I hate taking my daughter to the doctor, too, but I definitely know how it is to worry about things. Good luck, and I hope everything is okay!
if the dirt she plays in is hot..it could very well have gotten burnt a little and raw and is now peeling
next month is a long time from now.
Keeping your eye on it... but for what? Not knowing what it is... you wouldn't know what to look for/what to keep an eye for/nor know if it is bad/good etc.
Go to another Doctor.
Or urgent care office.
I would.
I would get her seen, now... since the symptoms is present... now.
Guessing at it won't help.
good luck,
Susan
Make sure it's not hand, foot and mouth disease. There's been a little outbreak of it in the Bay Area. The lesions can look like burns or a layer of skin has been removed.
