For the last week or so my nine month old has been waking up crying and itching her bright red ears, the doctor saw her and checked, no ear infections. There is also a little red rash on her face next to her ear, anyone have any ideas what this could be??
If it's not an ear infection, which it still may be but wasn't detectable at the dr. at that point, it is probably teething. My daughter would always get bright red cheeks when she was teething.
Dear Kristy,
Just a thought....
Is your baby getting too warm when she sleeps?
Our initial instinct is to keep them bundled up and warm, but my baby son was a "hot sleeper". He'd get really sweaty and his little cheeks and ears would get really red and he'd get a rash on his back. Being sweaty can make them feel itchy too, I'd guess. He slept much better in just a little nightshirt, his diaper and socks.
He's 14 now and still only sleeps in his underwear with one blanket, even in the dead of winter, because he gets too hot.
I hope it's something like that, easily remedied, for your baby too.
Best wishes!
I read a lot that mentioned allergy. That was my first instinct. however if it was an allergy every part of her body that came into contact with the sheets would have a rash. Plus, with the continued exposure the rash would be getting worse with the days. Changing the detergent can't hurt, try All. Reese is very allergic to lavender, so anything with floral scent is out, but the All is cheap and she has never broken into a rash from it :)
Laundry detergent, shampoo or other debris/pollen in her hair being rubbed on the pillowcase? Have you introduced any new foods lately? Some people get itchy ears as an allergic reaction to food and she could easily cause the rash on her cheek while rubbing her ear. Any new foods in your diet if you're still nursing?
My first thought was an allergy as well. We have always had a bad reaction to Arm & Hammer detergent in my house and I'm typically not over-sensitive. It can be confusing since you may not have a reaction everywhere you come in contact with the allergen. Mine was behind my knees of all places! I hope you try another detergent and it works! Wouldn't it be nice to have it be something as simple as that? Good luck to you!
I have two thoughts. The first is whether she is drooling in her sleep and it's pooling a bit near whichever ear is lower (depending on how her head is turned) at the time. Teething could cause this to happen. The skin would then get dry and irritated. My son used to suck his lower lip into his mouth and he got a wicked rash on his chin. I treated it by first applying neosporin (which might not be appropriate for a child your daughter's age, so check w/ her ped) and then Aquaphor (not sure I'm spelling this right), which is a very heavy moisturizer (almost like Vaseline in consistency). The nurses in the NICU turned me onto this stuff. They wash their hands so frequently that they need very heavy moisturizer for them. That eliminated his rash in a few days and made a difference in about 24-36 hours. My other thought is an allergy or contact dermatitis. Make sure you're laundering her sheets and clothes with a "free and clear" detergent, meaning that it has no fragrance or dyes. Also, my husband is allergic to certain nuts and his ears turn bright red and get hot when he is exposed to them. If this rash only shows up in the morning, this may not be an issue. My only thought was that, if you are breastfeeding, are you having a food later in the day that you don't have at other times? If she is eating solids, is it possible she is having a reaction to something she is eating at dinner? My guess is that drool or detergent are more likely culprits, but you never know. Good luck!
It could be a lot of things. I would take her to a dermatologist since the doctor didn't know what it was. It could be allergies, psoriasis, eczema, rosecea, etc..... The list goes on. Having dealt with various rashes myself and with my youngest daughter, unless it was something fairly obvious (like poison oak or hives from detergent) I have learned not to drive myself crazy trying to figure it out only to have a doctor know immediately what it was (usually NOT what I thought it was) and deal with it easily. Good luck!
might be dust mites. See an allergist.
Have you changed your laundry detergent lately? Maybe the areas she is sleeping on in her crib are in contact with something in her sheets. I recommend washing her sheets with unscented laundry detergent and see if that helps. Also use unscented soap to wash her head.
Finally, is she teething and rubbing saliva on her ears and getting them chapped? Does she drool into a big pool and then sleep in it?
Hope this helps you pin down what the irratation is.
K.
Could it be excema or dermititis? When my son was first diagnosed his ear was red, swolen and looked like it hurt.
Milk allergy, heat rash, eczema,?
