Strange rash...what Is It From?

Definitley sounds like Roseola. My daughter just got over it. You son was only contagious while he had the fever. I bet today it's fading away already...

My eldest would regularly get "fever of unknown origin" followed by a rash. No worries. It's just the way some bodies react to the bug that got them.

I agree with the other moms. My son, too, had a high fever at daycare one day, then a couple of days later, broke out in a rash. His pedi said it was just a virus and was not contagious. I think as long as the rash doesn't seem to bother him and he hasn't has a fever in 24hrs., he should be fine.

Consider the rash contagious until you know what it is.

A friend of mine just told me that her daughter had the Christmas tree virus. It involves the trunk, fever, and welt like spots. (I had never heard of it.)

Hopefully your ped. will be able to figure it out quickly.

Good luck!

As one of the other mom's said, Scarlet fever is the next step after strep. When my son was in 1st grade, he woke up with a rash around the neck of his new pj's. He is fair complected and I thought it was just a reaction to the pj's. It spread over the trunk of his body the same way. He had scarlet fever and had never complained about a sore throat ahead of time. I would have it checked as soon as possible. Chances are it isn't anything serious, but it isn't worth that chance.
Good luck

L.:
Sounds like the "THREE day measles" (not measles at all, but can't remember the technical name) to me! If that is what it was, it WAS contagious when he had the fever, and not now! I'd ask the dr. if that is what it could be!

Symptoms:
Fever "for no known reason at the time"
Followed usually within 48 hours by a rash covering a large portion or a marjority of the body!

Do a google search on "Three day measles" to see for yourself if that is what you think it is!

A kid at my child's daycare had it and it was ONLY the fever and the rash!

Good Luck!
T.

It's okay. As long as his fever is gone the rash is just a viral exantham. It is caused by the virus that gave him the fever. It pretty much signals that his immune system has fought off the illness and his fever should be about done. It will go away in a few days or a week. Don't worry, it doesn't itch and isn't painful.

I wouldn't think the babysitter would want you to take him to her house until you get him seen and diagnosed.

I am no doctor, but it sounds like 5ths disease. My daughter had it over the summer. It looks like a heat rash or something that benedryl will help, but no. I took her to the DR and he said it was 5ths. There is nothing they can do for it. I think they are contageous before they break out. Some kids get it bad on the face - cheek area - it goes away and then after the rash it sometimes will look like "marble" or like you are really cold - kinda purple. If it is 5ths there is nothing you can do....just let it run its course.

it could be strept throat. my son would develop a rash and we would take him in, throat would not be red but they would swap and it would come up positive for strept. def go to the doctor. good luck!

It's probably just roseola. Both of my kids have had that and their symptoms were the same as yours. Light fever, little stomach issues followed by a rash. It's just a virus and the rash will go away in a couple of days.

Out of respect and concern for other kids, you should never send a child to day care or school with an unidentified rash, especially a widespread one. Most schools and day care centers have this stated in their rules, and it makes sense to follow these rules in a home care situation too.

I would NEVER send my child to a sitter with a rash w/o Dr/ okay. I also would never allow my child to play with another child who had a rash unchecked by a dr. It could be highly contagious like fifth's disease. Take a day off work (or find someone who can) and take your little guy to a doc. Serious or not, you wouldn't want someone risking your child's health.

My child JUST got over fifth's and it took an entire MONTH. To make it worse, you can catch it again and again, so if you expose the sitter's kids to it- they will likely keep passing it around to each other for awile and your guy isn't going to ever feel well.

Possibly scarlet fever?

Anyway, just take him to the doctor!

L.,
Hopefully you will get this before you have to go to work. Honestly, if the rash is spreading all over his body and it looks to be getting worse, I would NOT take him to the sitters. If this is contagious, you risk infecting the other children, and possibly having to have your sitter "off" for a few days so that you have to stay home anyway.

when my kids were that age and got a virus they usually got a rash afterwards. It never itched or anything but looked odd. I would send them to the sitter as long as they don't have a fever..

Have you changed your washing powder lately? The fever may not have anything to do with the rash. But to be on the safe side I would not expose the other children until you've seen the doctor.

Sounds like Roseola.

My 7mo old is going through the same thing right now. High fever sat and sun, none on monday and rash on wed. I looked online and I think he has roseola. It's a viral illnesses that need to run its course. Its not real serous.
Here is the site I found:
http://www.babycenter.com/0_roseola_10885.bc

My daughter just had Scarlet Fever caused by Strep Throat two weeks ago and it sounds just like what your son has. I would definitely take him to the doctor because Strep is very contagious and he will need antibiotics. The itch is also very irritating and will get worse. Benadryl is good and Motrin and you may end up needing to use Maalox for any upset stomach caused by the antibiotic. Take him to the doctor is my opinion.

I think the benadryl is the right thing to give him. My son( 2 1/2)has had the same thing a couple of times and I took him to the Dr once for it. The Dr. said it was the stomach virus manifesting itself into a rash that would last 24-48 hours. I didn't really believe her but she was right. I would just wait and see unless it gets close to your childs eyes. I have triplets and my girls did not get it.

L.,

Take off work and go to the doc. With such a little guy, don't wait around.

Good luck to you and baby.
S.

Have you considered chicken pox? I would not let him around other children until you know for sure what the rash is from. Even with the chicken pox vaccine, kids are still getting chicken pox. They often have cold symptoms and can have stomach symptoms prior to rash breaking out.

Fifth's disease usually presents with a slapped cheek look (face very flushed with red/pink cheeks) and the rash is usually a lacey pattern, not raised. And, once the rash appears, it is no longer contagious and like many others have said, there is not much other treatment for it, just needs to run it's course.

A doctor is the only way to get it diagnosed, let us know what they say.

i REALLY think it is the Roseola virus (maybe spelled incorrectly).....my daughter had that when she was about 15-16 months old. It is just an air-born virus you can get anywhere. The rash (spots) occurred just as you are talking about. We were out of state on vacation....go figure. I called the nurse & she told me that is what it was. Luckily I didn't have to take her into an out of town clinic or such. The treatment is Benadryl & the symptoms last approx. 3 days. Some longer. NO NEED TO WORRY. There is no long term affects from this.

Funny thing is my daughter has a twin brother. He never contacted it & they share EVERYTHING! She's actually had it twice a year or so apart & he has never gotten it.
J.

Sometimes, when a child has a virus, he will break out in a rash after the fever has passed. This has happened quite a few times with my children over the years and the doctors have always told me it is due to the virus. Their explanation is that the virus must leave your child's body one way or the other. If they have fever or are vomitting/diarrhea, that's how the virus is leaving their system. If the fever or stomach symptoms has passed, the virus escapes via a rash.

If the fever and other symptoms have been gone for over 24 hours, he should be safe to go to the baby sitter (even with the rash).

If the rash is not gone (or significantly better) within the next three days or if you notice the rash is causing your son itching or pain, then you would need to keep him home and take him to the doctor.

Not that I'm a doctor, but I'd say he's fine...

I think it sounds like Roseolla and although I would get it checked... with rashes, once the rash is visible ~ they are no longer contagious. So, the other children have probably already been exposed.

Sounds like any number of things. I would not take your child to the care provider as you do not know what it is. Exposing her and the other kids would be very unfair. I would take the child to the dr to rule out what it is not and get professional guidance as to what to do...

It could possibly be shingles. My little brother had this. I was thinking shingles because you also mentioned the fever and the tummy upset. A fever is not necessarily a bad thing. It is his little body's natural defense against infection. You can give him Tylenol for comfort and fever reduction if you feel it necessary and try an oatmeal bath. I would say if the Benadryl, oatmeal bath and Tylenol don't seem to help much, I would take him to the emergency room if you work during your doctor's office hours.

Since you have no idea what it is I would say to take off and stay home with him.It isnt fair to the sitter to get her other children sick.

could possibly be hives. my son had a virus this summer that gave him a high fever and then hives (after the fever ended). your description fits what his hives looked like. to be safe, i would check with your pediatrician.

ok heres the thing. you are probably already at work by now and have made your decision on weather to sit or not. My 3 yo had same thing once and I took him to regular doc who said scarlet fever and to use benedryl for rash and tylenol for fever yes he is contagous the next day he had appt with a different doc who said scabies and he gave us a med. he started clearing up that night with meds. I never did determine if it was scarlet fever or scabies but the med worked it was and all over cream you put on. which ever or wht ever it may be any rash accompanied by fever is contagous

My son had something similar not long ago. If he has had any immunizations in the last 3 weeks it could be caused by that. Some injections have an incubation period of about 2-3 weeks. Just a thought.

This does sound a bit like Roseolla, but as i remember, my son had "rosey cheeks" with his rash. i want to mention my daughter presents with a rash when she has strep throat. It could also be a reaction to something he has eaten. Regardless, a rash of any kind is telling the body something is wrong...you must take him to the doctor!

Good Luck!

sounds like roseola. here is a snippet i found at askdrsears.com

ROSEOLA

Your one-year-old has had a high fever for the past three days, and naturally you are worried. This morning the fever seems to have subsided, but your child has suddenly broken out with a red rash all over the body. What could this be? Is it serious? Should you rush to the doctor? Here is the Dr. Sears guide to this very common childhood illness.
Click here to find out more!
WHAT IS ROSEOLA?

It is a usually harmless illness caused by a virus. It occurs almost only in children age 3 months to 3 years, most often between 9-12 months. It is probably the most common cause of fever in this age group.
WHAT DOES ROSEOLA LOOK LIKE?

This virus generally causes 3 days of high fever (often over 103). The fever then subsides, and the child breaks out in a flat or bumpy red rash, usually starting around the neck, back and chest, then spreading out. The rash lasts a few days to a couple weeks.

Dr. Sears Clue: Roseola is about the only virus in which the rash appears after the fever breaks.

Sometimes this virus will cause 3 to 7 days of high fever, with no other symptoms and no rash. Some children will have swelling of the glands in the front and back of the neck, runny nose, cough, ear pain, vomiting or diarrhea with this illness. Children can have one or all of these symptoms.

Dr. Sears Clue: The characteristic of Roseola is that infants don't seem very sick and act almost well when the high fever comes down.
WHEN IS IT CONTAGIOUS AND HOW IS IT TRANSMITTED?

It is contagious from about two days before the fever starts until 1 or 2 days after the fever is gone, even if the rash continues. Children who are fever-free for 1 or 2 days can return to school, even if they still have rash. It is passed via saliva, runny nose, or cough. The incubation period (time from when your child is exposed to the time of actual illness) is around 10 days.
HOW DO I TREAT ROSEOLA?

You essentially just treat any symptoms that are bothering your child. There is no actual treatment for this virus. The main thing to keep in mind is that this virus can cause high fevers. Try to be diligent in treating moderate to high fevers. Click here on fever for guidelines.
DO I NEED TO SEE THE DOCTOR?

There is no urgency to see doctor for this illness.

not sure if this is what is happening to your son but with my children, i have 3. after they have a fever they develop a rash. the first time it happened i went to a dermatologist and they said sometimes it is just a reaction to the body fighting a bug after a fever, but nothing serious. now if your son is up to date with his shots i would not worry about him having any scarlet fever or any virus of that nature at all. but you could see if maybe he could also be having an allergic reaction to the medicine you gave him or something he ate. my kids are allergic to pediacare and a few other meds. just worth checking out. about taking him to the sitter, i would wait just to be on the safe side and get him to a doctor first to find out what is happening. i know it is not good to miss work but the sooner you know the cause of the rash the less worrying you will do. hope this helps.
L.

Roseola. I've had 4 kiddo's and those are the symptoms and the rash...they are usually only contagious before the symptoms show up! The rash is the last stages so your little one should be on the up swing.

Sounds like Fifth Disease. This is very contagious during the fever stage, but by the time he has the rash, it is much less contagious. I would still take him to the pediatrician, but if that's what it is, there is nothing they can do at this stage. I wouldn't be worried----it's very common.

I think you should NOT send him to the sitters since she has 3 children...you need to stay on the sitters good side. It really does sound like your boy needs to see the doctor, so make that the priority.

Take care,
K.

Hi L., all of the symptoms you have described can be caused by strep throat. Believe it or not, it causes stomach aches and red bumpy rashes all over the trunk of the body. It also causes a kid to not eat because their throat hurts so bad.

Sounds exactly like the start of scarlet fever to me (strep throat gone bad) or possibly roseola. Check his mouth, if you see dark speckles or whitish film, that's what it is. Please don't take him around other children or old people and please do take him to the doctor right away. Good luck.

Many times when a child has a virus, the last stage is a big rash all over. Also, my doctor said that when the rash shows up, the virus that caused it is no longer contagious. From what you ahve written, it sounds like what happens with my kids sometimes.

I would take him to the doctor - just to be sure.

But, it sounds like "fifth's disease" to me. It is not horrid like it sounds. It is just a rash caused by a virus. My daughter had it about a year ago and it got worse by heat. Plus, it itched a little.

Now, my son just had a rash like hers, and we waited it out. It is going away.

BUT I would still take him in - it would make you feel better to know for sure he is okay.

It could just be a rash, or it could be serious. He may have the MRSA staph infection. Don't wait around on this one.

Please don't take to the sitters. I am sure you would not want your child exposed to an unknown rash. Find out what it is before you expose him to others.

From my experience in working at daycares, I would wait until I knew it wasn't contagious before exposing him anymore to anyone else. It may not be contagious, but I would wait just to be safe since it is getting worse.

It could also just be allergies. Have you changed any products recently? New laundry detergent, soap, shampoo, clothes, diapers, lotions? Anything else, like different foods or juices? If so, it could be that.

I see other mom's agree, but I just thought I'd throw in my two cents. From webmd...

What is roseola?
Roseola (roseola infantum) is a mild illness caused by a virus. It is generally harmless and is most common in children 6 months to 2 years of age. It is rare after age 4.

What are the symptoms of roseola?
Roseola often starts with a sudden high fever [103 F to 105 F] that lasts 2 to 3 days, although it can last up to 8 days. The rapid increase in temperature may be the first sign of roseola and often occurs before you realize that your child has a fever. The fever ends suddenly.
After the fever ends, a rosy-pink rash may appear over your child's entire body, starting on the torso and spreading to the face, neck, and arms. The rash is not itchy and may last 1 to 2 days.
On rare occasions, a sore throat, stomach ache, vomiting, and diarrhea occur.
A child with roseola may appear fussy or irritable and may have a decreased appetite, but most children behave almost normally.

How is roseola treated?
The roseola fever can be managed with acetaminophen (such as Tylenol or Panadol), ibuprofen (such as Advil or Motrin), or sponge baths. Do not give aspirin to anyone younger than 20 years of age because of the risk of Reye's syndrome.
The roseola rash will go away without medical treatment.

L.
Sounds like your son is experiencing a viral rash which is a rash that shows up after a child has fought off a virus. It is a common response especially among kids after an illness. Hope this helps
A.

My son had a rash last year and it lasted for 8-10 weeks. He was not contagious and there was nothing that the doctor could do. I forgot what it was called. Medicines just made it worse. He did not itch and he didn't run a fever.

To me it sounds like something contagious or at least something that should be checked out by a doctor before you send him anywhere where other little kids are located. I would just try to get him to the doctor's as soon as you possibly can. Most kids have strep throat before they get scarlet fever so unless he's had strep throat recently I would guess it probably isn't scarlet fever. If it is, it's easily treatable with antibiotics so don't worry. Hope this helps!

Ok, since you already thought "heat rash" then you sound convinced it's not that now and your judgment is good because this is your child.

WIth that in mind- this could be one of 4 things that come to my mind. The first thing is that many children Do break out in rashes with even simple colds. My youngest- 3 years had done that repeatedly and it leaves with the cold. It's not serious but looks bad and worried me.

The second thing is an allergic reaction to something. You must have thought this was probably since you gave him Benadryl and that, I believe was a smart move-just in case it is. It could be a food allergy or even reaction to new soap/detergent in his clothing.

The third thing: Chicken Pox. Yes, I know everyone does the vaccine now but the information says that some children DO still get a mind a mild case of it. You'd know if this was chicken pox because he'd be ITCHY and complaining and the sores would have a white center-a bit pussy when scratched open and then form scabs. Gross but true. I remember from the severe case I had as a kindergartener...

The fourth thing that it may very well be is Fifth's Disease. This is characterized by a noticable red rash all over the body. It is accompanied by fever too and is HIGHLY contagious. I've not had to deal with it first-hand but do know that whole school districts have been affected if one child comes down with it because it is easily spread. It's not a terribly serious illness but I would definatly not send him to the babysitter if this is what it is.

If the rash responds to the Benadryl then you KNOW it was an allergic reaction. If not, the Benadryl did not hurt. Might be a good idea to check with the sitter as to what was eaten and if she was wearing perfume or if there are pets around, etc.

Sure hope this helps and that your little angel is back to normal in no time.

Personally, I would not take him to the sitter. Don't chance exposing anyone else. Rashes are strange it could be a number of things so it would be best to wait and consult with the doctor.

Sounds like it could be contagious, I'd stay home with him.

Sounds like Roseola. If you look it up online, he has the exact symptoms. Roseola is the only childhood rash that you get the rash AFTER a fever. Scarlet fever you would get a rash and a fever at the same time. Roseola is from a virus and has an incubation period of 10 days. Chances are if the sitters kids were going to get it he has already exposed them to it since he is past the contagious point. There isn't much you can do about it, just treat the fever and rash. look it up on www.askdrsears.com under childhood rashes. Or google childhood rashes. This rash starts after 2-4 days of fever typically 103 or higher. After the fever subsides, the child develops a rash, usually starting around the neck and spreading to the trunk and then to the extremities. Then it resolves. This is all listed under the Roseola listing on the website. Scarlet Fever typically has very red cheecks along with the rash. There are some other rashes listed for you to look at and read about also. BTW, Fifths disease is also listed. It characterized with a "slapped cheeck" look on the face, the rash is so red, and then lacy on the body. The fever also coincides with the rash. Roseola, again, is the only rash that you get, AFTER, the fever. Sounds like Roseola to me. Either way, the doctor can't do anything for Fifths disease or Roseola but supportive care, like Benadryl, topical hydrocortisone, tylenol and Ibuprofen as they are both viral.
Good luck,
L.

Both of my sons (ages 2 and 3) get the same thing any time they run a fever. Did the doctor happen to do a strep test on him? My doctor said (after lots of testing) that it is Scarlet Fever, but not to worry about it. He said that it is something that will stay dormant in their body until they get sick and the fever will make the rash appear.

It sounds like it could be Fifth's disease. Lots of kids get it, but I would take him to see the Dr. just in case. Don't think that's contagious...check webmd.com or google it to see if the symptoms fit. good luck

Sounds like 5th's disease AKA slapped cheek disease due to the red cheeks. My 9 year old had it a year or so ago. Luckily I have a neighbor who is a nurse and she told me that there is nothing you can do other than nurse the fever. They are contagious before the rash appears. He had a fever for 7-9 days, was very lethargic and had NO appetite. Good luck.

it sounds a lot like 5th disease you can look it up on web md

If I were you I would not wait until tomorrow but take him to a Cook's urgent care center. You never really know with a fever and a rash but better safe than sorry.

I would NOT take him to the sitter. It may be roseola (sp?) which, by the time the rash shows up is past the contagious stage, but if it's not, you need to be considerate of the other children. If you showed up at the sitters and her kid had a strange rash, would you like to have to leave your child there where they would be exposed? Please be considerate of the other children, just in case!

It's probably Rosiola. It often occurs after a fever and is harmless. But I always liked to talk to my doctor to confirm.

if your child is itching it and its spreading you will want to have that checked so that you can get control on the rash and not catching it your self.

Both of my boys had roseola this summer. High fever with hardly any other symptoms and when the fever broke, they had that strange rash. I was scared when my first son was going through it, but then I knew what to expect when my other son got it. Here is a website with more info:
http://kidshealth.org/parent/infections/skin/roseola.html

Good luck!

Both of my girls have had rashes that manifested from a virus. Had the fever and everything and then the raised rash. If that is what it is, it will dissapate with the virus and is not contagious. We treat all rashes in our house (and bug bites, and environmental rashes, basically all "itchies") with Arbonne baby diaper cream. Even though I prefer mine, I would assume that any diaper cream you have on hand would suffice to rub in and treat it. Good luck :-)
A.

Hi L.,

I saw that someone else also said roseola, but thought I'd provide a quick link from Dr. Sears: http://www.askdrsears.com/html/8/T082900.asp

Good luck.
M.

Sounds like Roseola. High fever for about 24-48 hours (usually 104-105) followed by rash which is usually contained on the trunk. Highly contagious, but relatively harmless from what our pediatrician said. They are contagious for 7 days after the fever subsides. It usually affects infants and toddlers. You should be able to find out more by "googling" Roseola on the web.

sounds like Fifths Disease - call your Dr.

Sorry, no day care until you see the doctor!! (I am a day care provider myself and I would not allow him to be there). But I agree that it sounds like Fifths Disease, which, if he has the rash he is no longer contagious, and there is not at thing you can do! But, you have to make sure, so head on in tomorrow. Maybe you will at least get to sleep in some...~A.~

Keep him home and get him to the doctor asap. A.

My son had this over the weekend. I took him to the Dr. and she warned me the rash would come at the end. She said she would provide a note for daycare, as it was a harmless and not contagious rash. He went to daycare this week for 2 days with a terrible rash and was fine.