Pea Size Lump on My 16 Month Old's Neck. . .

I had the same fear with my daughter. My doctor told me in was in fact a swollen lymph node. I know the fear though. Congrats on the baby girl!

My son had one that stayed around for about two years, and the Dr said not to worry. I did just disappear on it's own. It was in fact a swollen lymph node nothing to worry about :-)

Hi, I have a friend with a 4 year old that has the same thing. The doctor has watched it over the years, he got it around 6 months, and it is just a lymph node. The doctor said it's fine and nothing to worry about.He did have some tests done when it was found but everything came back normal. Good luck, I hope it's just a lymph node for you too.

Yes, it most likely is a lymph node. Some children have naturally larger lymph nodes, they are just easier to feel, and if he is fighting a cold then it will be swollen. My son has the same thing and I freaked out when I first felt it. I eventually calmed down and at the next dr visit I asked about it. Sure enough, just a normal node, but for some reason his is larger and closer to the surface. He was about a year old when I first noticed it and now he is almost 9 and it is still there, easily felt.

One of my triplets has this also. The peditrician told me not to worry about it.

My daughter had the same thing on the back of her neck. I right away thought it was a tumor too, but the doc said a swollen lymph node. She's 9 now and it's still there. I'd still ask the doctor as long as you're seeing him, just for peace of mind. Good luck!

I kind of sounds like a calcium deposit. I get them myself. I have one on the back of my right hand, right now. It's been there for years, and floats around. Or, it might even be a lyphoma(not sure on spelling), which is a hardened pocket of fatty tissue, nothing more. But, it can't hurt to get the doctor's opinion.

Anytime they get sick you will be able to feel palapable lymph nodes. I'm sure the Dr will tell you it's fine.
C.

My 8 week old son has something similar. It has been diagnosed as a "bony tumor" of sorts. They want to do a CT scan to make sure that is what it is, but he's so small. I am going to get another opinion this week and perhaps take him to Children's Hospital to see what they say.

Yeah, my son has had those since he was a few months old. His doctor told me that sometimes children develop glands there that are easliy seen/felt. I would not worry! I know what you are saying (cancer thoughts), I was totally freaked out when I first felt them because they seemed to come out of nowhere, but from what I was told by a doctor, perfectly normal- a natural sized gland. My son, who is three now, still has them there. It is probably not a big deal, but the next time he sees his doctor, point it out and get some feedback. Good luck!

My 24 week old daughter has a couple of them in the same area that your son does. Her pediatrician did not seem concerned; she said if it moves easily that is a GOOD thing; if it was "attached" then there would be concern. We could have a surgeon look at it but all they would do is have us keep an eye on it and see if there are any changes. My daughter initially had 3 of these lumps and one has gone away. We're not sure what they are but her pediatrician doesn't seem worried about them and they don't bother my daughter.

Wow, I was just talking to someone about this kind of thing this morning! About 2 months ago, my 9 year old son started complaining that his leg hurt. It got progressively worse over a few days, after day 2 we looked and there was a huge lump on his inner thigh, hard to the touch and HOT! Got him right into the doctor the next day, it hurt so much it hurt to walk. The doctor was pretty sure it was just a swollen lymph node, but wanted to be sure so sent him for an ultrasound on it. It did end up being a swollen lymph node (didn't even know there were lymph nodes there!) and he went on a round of antibiotics and it cleared right up! I hope that's all that it is with your little boy! I also went through the scary thoughts that it could be cancer, and the doctor was even thinking blood clots. Let us know what happens at the doctor's!!

my son has always had one on the back/side of his head where the hairline is and when he is sick i can feel one in his neck. It's just their immune system at work.
A.

OH my goodness! I wish I would have asked this question on here (I would had I known about this site then) But, my son also has several on his neck. I noticed them about a year and a half ago, especially when he turns his neck a certain way. I of coursed freeked out, immideatly made a doc apt. and then on my knees praying he wasn't going to die of cancer! Well as all the other moms have said the doc was so not worried I think he was trying not to make TOO light of it for my sake! I see one or two in my daughter now. I wonder if you can see them on really skinny kids easier? Mine are both really thin. (I wish there was more to squeeze sometimes!) Of course, ALWAYS still ask your doctor when you are concerned about anything - It's never ever bad to ask questions :)

my son has these behind both ears and his doctor says they are normal. they are his lymph nodes and will eventually get smaller. he has had them since september last year, she said it could take until he is almost 3 for them to go down

Hi L.,

I had an experience with a strange lump on my son's head. My son is 22 mos. now. When he was born, I noticed a lump on the back of his head. The pediatrician told me it was a lymph node and that it would disappear by the time he turned a year old. Well, it didn't, so I ended up going to 2 other pediatricians and a dermatologist and no one knew what this lump was. One day, my son fell on his head and we rushed him to the urgent care at St. Joseph's Mercy and the urgent care doctor ( a much older doctor than the ones we previously seen) looked at it and told me that it was a dermoid cyst. I was referred to a pediatric neurosurgeon who ordered an MRI and indeed, it was dermoid cyst. The cyst was non-cancerous and it was removed. We were lucky because had my son not fallen that day, we may still be trying to find out what this lump was. We were also told it (probably) wasn't dangerous because it was not attached to the bone, but no one could tell us what this thing was. Later, the ped neurosurgeon told us that had the lump burst, it may have led to an infection. My son had the outpatient surgery last year, the scar has healed and my son is fine.

Kathy C

my son has one too!I kow how scary it can seem. i freaked out too.i took him to his doctor and to the nse ears & throat for a second opion. we noticed it @ christmas time, when he got tubes in his ears.(he was 5 months old.) he is now 9 months and its still there. they said it was a lymp node. that some kids have them, just keep an eye on the size. it will eventually go away. but if it gets to large or more then one.it will have to be removed. good luck to you!

It doesn't hurt to be cautious L., but it's probabbly nothing except what you thought it was. My son had a floting limphnode as well and still has it actually. It's small though. I know when I found it when he was a tiny baby I was worried as well. Good luck and please keep us up to date.

Hi L. -

It sounds like you've already received the info. I was going to share, but I thought I'd pass it along anyway as it comes from a reputable source... My father-in-law is an ENT (ear, nose, and throat doctor) and he told me that the swollen node behind the ear is EXTREMELY common in babies and can last quite a while. It is in no way an indicator that something is wrong, though it tends to worry mothers and fathers anyway - he said he sees at least a couple of babies each week whose parents are getting the node checked out. The point being... Your son is normal! :)

My daughter had the same thing in the same location and also she han one on the back of her neck. I freaked out. Yep, it was a lymph node and nothing to worry about.

L.,

The first time I saw something like that was on my 3yo, 27 years ago. I was sure it was cancer. At the emergency room, I was assureed that it was a pocket that had collected fluid. They said it was as if she had cradle cap and it was draining to that spot. I used selsenBlue shampoo for awhile and it went away and never returned

I would guess that it is a lymph node. We all have them. Some people's just stick out further and when we get sick they can swell and feeling much larger. Good to have it checked out.

Hi L.,

My son is almost 2 1/2 yrs old, and he has had the exact same thing in the exact same place for as long as I can remember. Even though I continue to ask about it at EVERY doctor's appt and they continue to reassure me that it's nothing to worry about, I still worry! My son has seen two different doctors in two different offices. They said that as long as it moves and doesn't grow much larger than a pencil eraser, then it's just a lymph node. I asked why it protrudes like that, and they just said that it happens in some toddlers. I know this isn't much information, but hopefully it eases your worries. If your doctor tells you to worry about it or says it's something different, please let me know!

Take Care,
A.

My son has the same thing and my doctor said the same thing--its just a lymph node. I also freaked out. Let us know what the doctor said.

My uncle works at the Macomb County Circuit Court also--small world!