Lymph Nodes

My son is 15 months old and still has enlarged lymph nodes on the back of his head and behind one of his ears. He's had them since he was only a couple weeks old. The doctors (specialists) told us it was no big deal nad to let them know if they get bigger...

I noticed those when my son was really young too. They feel like someone implanted a green pea on the back of his head of each side. I asked the Dr and he said it is normal. Some babies lymph nodes are just larger than others. If they are equally sized and don't change I would not be concerned.

-L.

Hi, when my daughter was born she too had the swollen lymph nodes on each side. Her doctor said thats just the way hers are. She is 10 now and still has larger than normal nodes. I've had the doctor check them many times and still he agrees that some kids have them like this. The cradle cap diagnosis sounds kind of strange,i didn't think that was an infection? Hope that helps, good luck!~M.

My son who is now 3 1/2 has one on the side of his neck that he's had since infancy. It has gotten smaller and then has returned to it's starting size(larger) when he is sick. I actually just felt it today and it's smaller than ever. I also brought it up to my ped. when I first noticed it, she assessed it for the things I list below. She wasn't at all worried because they are normal in little ones, as a RN I also researched them myself. Just watch it, for growth, if it becomes fixed(doesn't move) or changes shape(not a circle anymore)or your child exhibits signs of fatigue, lethagy, frequent fevers.. any of those then let your doctor know. This is your babies immune system working. Give your neck a feel when you are sick you may feel a chain of then on the sides toward the back of your neck. Hope this helps I remember how worried I was.

D.

My advise would be to get a second opinion from a Naturopathic Doctor. He may be more helpful. Go on line and look for one in your area.

Yes I noticed 2 (hard) bumps on my daughters head too. The back of her head close to her neck. The doctor said not to worry about them so I haven't. Reading your post I am starting to second guess my self.

My son has the same thing on his neck, but i have never heard about cradle cap being a virus! thats is scary. Anyway my son has had his since birth and its never bothered him. Even the two times that he's been sick and he's almost 2 now. I hope that relieves some anxiety. I know how you feel! And just remember its ALWAYS ok to get a second opinion when it comes to your baby!

While I have never heard of such a thing being caused by cradle cap, my daughter, who never had cradle cap did have these 2 lumps on the back lower part of her head (within the hair line). I remember feeling it and having my husband feel it too. I had asked the doctor, it was so long ago I forget what he said, but I believed it was normal cause nothing became of it, and they went away. And she is fine.

Feeling my own head, my right side in that area is a little larger than the left.
Best of Luck

Oh my God a few days ago i noticed the same thing and had my family and friend's all feeling my 4 months head. They were in the same spot(2)in the back of the head. We just had our 4 month appointment and the doctor said they were lymph nodes, but his cradle cap has been cleared up for about 2 months, he does have a cold which could be cause from that infection.

both of my daughters had those little lumps on the back of their necks, I freaked out with my first born of course. Theyre very common and will go away on their own, they dont seem to cause any discomfort. As for the cradle cap, thats the first time i ever heard of it as a virus?!?! so wierd, anyways, if u dont know already, gemtly warm olive oil in the microwave, massage into babys scalp, let sit 5-10 mins then gently scape scalp with fine tooth baby comb for 5 minutes at least, it will feel marvelous for that babys ithcy scalp and most of the "scabbing" will come of, you may need to repeat 2 or 3 times, but that should do it, good luck!

My baby had two lumps on the bottom back of her head where the glands are back there and when I took her to the doctor he said that when the babies have cradle cap that the glands swell at the back of the head. She is now almost 3yrs old and she's perfectly healthy and the lumps are gone. HTH

Hi M.-
I have a 7 month old baby girl that has one of these bumps on her head. My pediatrician also said it was probably a lymph node, but didn't say it was in relation to cradle cap. He did say because it was smooth edged and moved around when touched, it wasn't a big concern. He said that we would keep an eye on it and it would most likely resolve itself. Her next check up is in another month, so we'll check on it then. Good luck with your baby!

HI,
My friend and I have both had kids with swolen lymph nodes on the back of thier neck and the swelling went away. I never heard it was related to cradle cap but both of our kids did have cradle cap pretty bad. I was told not to worry about the swelling.

Hi M.,

Yes, swollen lymph nodes in and around the neck are very common, though worrisome. Any small scratch and yes, even cradle cap, can induce this immune response and they can stay enlarged for sometime. If I remember correctly there is a specific criteria to determine when swollen lymph nodes are more worrisome (a certain centimeter in size for a certain length of time can be an indicator of serious illness such as Hodgkins disease.) The nodes can be more prominent in more slender children even when they are of normal size. I would be a little more concerned if they appear tender to the touch. It sounds like you need more reassurance from your pediatrician. Why don't you ask him/her about the specific criteria and don't hesitate to continue to ask if the nodes remain enlarged. You're the mom and you won't relax until your questions are answered to your satisfaction.

Good Luck!
J. L.

My son had the same problem. Once my sons cradle cap cleared up, so did the lymph nodes.

Hi - my son had those two bumps back there and I was TERRIFIED. I took him to the doctor who took one look/feel and said it's nothing to worry about it's just lymph nodes. And my son didn't have cradle cap or anything - the doctor said it's just normal to feel them there for awhile when they are young. And thankfully he was right! My son is almost 3 now so don't worry about anything.

I Haven't noticed them on either of my children but i would get your little one checked out at Childrens. My 4 month old has cradle cap and doesn't have swollen Lymph nodes.

my 22 month old son has had one of those little bumps back on his neck since he was a month old, pedi said it is nothing to worry about unless they get larger and they havent of course i still worry and wonder why it is there but i just think to myself, he is a little guy and things on him are larger than they appear ;)

My 7 month old son has 1 swollen lymphnode on the back of his neck..His Dr said the same thing yours did- probably a result of cradle cap. I was told to keep an eye on it but not touch it every day. Good luck!

This is perfectly normal. Many kids (including 3 out of my 4) have large lymph nodes. The nodes can last for years following even a small cold in infancy. Its the bodies way of making immunobodies for the next illness. I know how it can seem disturbing when you look at them or feel them. My 5 year old still has a few marble sized ones on his neck area. Cradle cap can be a trigger as well (who would have thought..right?).

My son (now 2.5yrs old) had the same thing as a baby, and they often came and went until he was around a year old. He never had cradle cap...and both of the bumps are gone now. My daughter who is 5 months has them as well, and she also doesn't have cradle cap. I remember being worried about it with my son, even though I figured it must have been normal because they were both in the same spot on both sides of his head. When I asked about it, I was told that it was normal and nothing to worry about. I haven't asked my pedi about it with my daughter, because I remember going through it with my son.