Taking My 3 Year Old to an Allergist?

Ask the allergist. My DD just went and they only did a scratch test.

The other thing to consider is, is it heat or is it something like a breakthru case of chicken pox or roseola? I thought my DD had heat rash and it was roseola.

My daughter has very sensitive skin and will rash out from time to time. I have taken her to the doctor before and was told that it was just an allergic reaction to something. If the PA thinks it might be an allergy causing the hives, you can try changing your soaps and detergents. You'll want to use one of those free and clear laundry detergents. For soap you can use Dove White, there are a few other brands that have a "white" soap. My daughter was breaking out even with Johnson's Baby wash. So just because its made for "baby" doesn't mean it won't cause irritation. I was told you can also "develop" an allergy to something that you have already been using. Right now she has broke out from the sunblock I just bought. It seems like when she gets these rashes they last for about a week or so even after I stop using whatever I have ruled out as the irritant. So far my Pediatrician has never recommended me take her to an Allergist. So my point is, if you want to hold off on seeing the Allergist, try changing some things and give it a week or so to see if there are any changes.

Talk to the allergist about it when you get there. My ped allergist doesn't see a lot of value in allergy testing kids unless other, more simple measures have been tried to figure out what the issue is.

For example - are you using 'free and clear' laundry detergent with no fabric softener; are you using scent-free baby soap; did you add anything new to her diet; did you give her benedryl and if so did it help (if it's an allergy the benedryl should help, if it's heat rash the benedryl won't help); etc.

I'm sure your allergist will have more ideas on figuring this out. And it does not necessarily mean blood draws.

if the hives are not bothering her... and seems to be getting at least a bit better why not wait..

however.. if she is itchy and miserable.. and the rash is not improving.. you might need to see an allergist to determine what she is reacting to.

so.. is this a big problem... go to the dr and try to solve it.. if it is just alittle rash... wait and maybe it will go away..

I would wait. It has been very hot. So really it has just happened this one time. I am not one to run to doctors with kids for every little thing, so I would give her some Benadryl and see what happens. However, if she is really miserable and scratching continuously, then go.

When my daughter (2) got hives (Last week) I toke her to the doctor and he was getting the test ready.I gave her my phone just to distract her.We he did it,she of course cried.But she got gummy after.And if your doctor recommended it,you should try it.The allergist will test her and see if she needs to take her blood.Your daughter had a allergic reaction to something.Mine had on to are dog.Sadly,we had to give them away because she was just so bad then.

I took my son to see an allergist when he was a toddler. He was an unhappy camper for about one minute there, and then they gave him a sticker and we moved on to happier things. Sure, preschoolers aren't happy when the see a needle, but this is not a reason to avoid needed medical care. Just take her, and plan a fun outing right afterwards.

Try some benedryl and wait to see her actual doctor. I may pass on its own.

My son had to see an allergist at 18 mos. They generally don't do blood tests. It will be a skin prick test for the most common allergens. The only time we have had to do a blood test was to confirm that an formerly diagnosed allergy was no longer present.
Either way, I don't think it will be for nothing. You'll at least have an answer to the allergy question, right?

My 5 y.o.son was 4 when I first took him. They don't always take blood tests. They will look at the rash and mainly ask you alot of questions. Most likely they may want to schedule an allergy test which wasn't as bad as I expected it to be. The experience wasn't nearly as traumatic as I expected... wasn't bad at all.

Sometimes they take blood, sometimes they do the scratch test (and that can be awful). If you think it's the heat, what do you expect the PA or the doctor or the allergist to do? Do you want them to rule out other things like food or environmental or animal allergies? Are you doing anything else nutritionally to boost her immune system? Do you want to try something else before going through the full battery of tests? I work with a lot of people who do that - the kids don't get sick as much if at all, they often get rid of the allergy symptoms, and they have better focus. I guess you have to figure out how much you are willing to go through (expense, "trauma", hassle, discomfort, and then the ultimate route of medication or significant elimination of causes) and weigh that against the severity of her symptoms. I have a friend with a severely allergic child who just wasn't willing to do that - her child was on a nebulizer all the time anyway, and she just couldn't torture him. She also didn't want to get rid of the cat, pull up all the carpets, install heavy duty air filters, and so on -- if it wasn't essential. After 3 months, he was illness-free and allergy-free just by boosting his immune system by ADDING nutrients he was missing. Another friend had a child with 60 food allergies - I kid you not - and a learning disability, plus rages. It took about 5 full months to get rid of everything. You couldn't get either one of them into an allergist's office after this.

You can take her to a pediatric dermatologist.
That is another option.
It could even be, her getting "rashes" from say, playing outside in the grass. And/or from sweating and it being so hot.
Who knows.
My son has gotten rashes from trampling through grass fields.
Or from playing outside and getting hot and sweaty.

Did you try and give her Benadryl? Did the pediatrician suggest that?
It is an antihistamine.

I had hives when I was a kid. Often.
I grew out of it.
I was not allergic, to anything.
It was mostly due to topical, irritations.
HIVES ARE EITHER: internal from ingesting something, OR from topical skin irritations. OR there are idiopathic Hives.... many of which no cause is known. Others may be triggered by viral infections. Especially after a fever. But this is more of a rash.
It can be situational, or per "allergies."
When I was a kid, my parents just put on topical anti-itch creams on me. It was fine. I was not formally allergic, to anything.
There is a difference.

Then, there is a difference between Hives, and rashes.

Then, if she seems sick or has a fever... then the "hives" or rash could be due to sickness.