Does My Daughter Have Hives?

Updated on October 31, 2008
C.T. asks from Bella Vista, AR
19 answers

My 23 month old has no known allergies, at about 11 this morning she developed red spots on her face, kind of blotchy. I noticed at 1pm they were slightly raised and in different places on her face than they were at 11. When she woke up from her nap the spots were in new places on her face and also her legs, back and bottom. They are just red, not white in the center or blistered, they are various shapes and sizes and thankfully don't seem to be bothering her, she has no fever or other symptoms...any ideas? Could it be viral-or can she go to school tomorrow. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

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So What Happened?

Wow! Thank you all so much for your quick responses. This morning when she woke up the hives were almost gone, by the time she ate breakfast and I was getting her dressed, they were back-so we went to the Dr. They are hives, he said he sees this weekly and 90 percent of the time it can't be tied to anything specific. Sometimes it occurs after a cold and of course new foods or laundry detergent etc...none of these things seem to be the cause. He recommended Zyrtec once per day and they should be gone within a week. If it continues off and on for 3 or more months then she should be tested for allergies. They are the strangest things, when I was talking to the nurse my dd's face was completely clear of them, when the Dr. came in her face was half covered in them-that fast. Crazy! Thanks again for all your help-you're awesome!

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A.J.

answers from Tuscaloosa on

It sounds like hives to me. My 2 year old son had a case of those about 2 months ago and I had to go on the internet to see what they were. We used Benadryl, calamine lotion and just plain water when we bathed him. They started looking better in no time. He also had a case of them at school in which they gave him some Benadryl and they cleared up. Since you daugther is not any medicine, I'd say it's hives and not an allergic reaction.

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A.W.

answers from Oklahoma City on

It sounds like she is breaking out from maybe something she ate. My nephew would break out like that when he eats something with eggs in it, or just eggs. Did she eat eggs that morning? That maybe something to look into.

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M.B.

answers from Fayetteville on

With a rash she should not go to school. You need to call the doctor and explain to them the symptoms. It could be viral, it is always safe to ask. The rash you are describing sounds like the rash my son had last year, no symptoms just the rash. I called the dr. and had to take him in. Good thing I did, he had strep. When it gets to the point that a rash appears, it is dangerous, or at least that is what the dr. told me, because it is the type of strep that is scarlet fever. I do not want to worry you, but I thought the same thing, that maybe it was hives. I have 2 older than my son and they did not ever get anything like it, so I started to "blow it off" and I am glad I did not. I hope your little one gets better soon!

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C.I.

answers from Fort Smith on

My daughter has been having a similar problem since she was about 18 months (She will be four in a month). It tends to happen about every 5 - 6 months. She gets hives that come and go and move to different parts of the body over a period of 3 - 6 days. In the beginning they didn't really seem to itch and didn't last as long. The last time she got them they itched terribly and lasted for 6 days. The doctor put her on prednisone and benedryl. We are considering allergy testing, but aren't sure that is the answer. We cannot relate it to anything. It tends to happen in the fall and Spring. Her preschool is so used to it that they know she is not contageous and have no problem with her still attending school during her breakouts. I am a bit nervous because each episode is a bit worse than the last. We have not changed detergents or introduced new foods when she has these breakouts. I'm thinking maybe environmental, but it is so odd how quickly they appear and disappear. Some days she will wake up clear and be covered by noon. Other days she will wake up covered and be clear by noon. There seems to be no rhyme or reason. Then they completely disappear for 5 - 6 months.

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S.A.

answers from Jonesboro on

C. your children may be developing a sensitivity to something new. Have you tried a new laundry detergent,soap, lotion, medicine or food? I have 3 children, 12year old boy, 11 year old girl and 8 month old baby boy, and they all have sensitive skin. They develop an eczema rash that occurs sometimes just from coming into contact with things. I use ALL allergen, fragrance-free laundry detergent and double rinse their clothes. This helps and my children and I have food allergies so we watch food labels. For my 8 month old I use Baby Eczema cream by Disney baby daily after bathing with Cetaphil soap. When he has a rash my doctor has recommended I use 1% hydrocortisone ointment (over the counter). Even a cool washcloth laid across the rash can offer some relief. This seems to help my little guy, hopefully your little one gets some relief from her rash.

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C.T.

answers from Oklahoma City on

This happened to me once. It would only happen when I would sleep at night. This continued for a few days and then disappeared.

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C.R.

answers from New Orleans on

Is she on any antibiotics? My son developed a hive type rash after using augmentin/amoxillian. He had used the same antibiotic many times b/f breaking out. As soon as we changed antibiotics, the rash went away. If not, have you introduced any new foods or shellfish into her diet? Definitely talk to you doctor. They may recommend benadryl. Make sure to monitor her breathing. You never know when a skin rash can develop into something else.
Good luck

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L.M.

answers from Texarkana on

This happened to my 7 year old a couple of months ago. It started as a small red rash on her leg (mainly foot and ankle area), but spread to her face, stomach, back, arms, and everywhere in between. It turned into to small raised bumps that did not itch and no fever. The doctor did a strep test (negative) and checked her. He said it was just a rash; should clear up on its own and it did. He suggested Claritin or Zyrtec. She took Xyzal and it looked better the next day; gone in a week. Hope this helps.

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K.C.

answers from New Orleans on

It sounds like Fifth Disease to me. It's called 5th because it was the 5th virus discovered that causes red marks on the skin. Ask your pediatrician. My daughter had it, and supposedly once they get the lacy rash, they are no longer contageous.

It is almost non-symptomatic in children, but if adults get it, you can have sore knees for 6 months or more. From what I understand, most adults have had it as children and didn't even know...again, ask the doctor.

Hope this helps,
~K.

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D.C.

answers from Shreveport on

Your daughter may have hives or 5th disease. One of my girls went to the dr with hives on her arms caused by heat. the very next week my youngest started breaking out with tiny red dots like a rash. Dr. said she had 5th disease or "slapped cheek" disease because the cheeks will get really red. I had take her a week before because she had spiked a fever of 103 for no apparent reasaon. then next day or so she had slight runny nose. Dr says after 2nd visit that the fever and cold like symptoms was probably the beginning of 5th disease. It is basically over when you see the rash. Check with childs dr.

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K.G.

answers from Biloxi on

I'd call the pediatrician, my daughter had something that sounds similar. It was a virus called roseola, a member of the measles family that is common to children and pretty mild. A call to the doc won't hurt though, rashes can mean a lot of things.

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M.N.

answers from Little Rock on

Both of my children have multiple food and environmental allergies. They really sound like hives. Give your daughter benadryl (as per dosage on bottle) and see if they stop spreading or (hopefully) go away. I would set my alarm to make sure (if you are going to bed) that the hives (if that is what is going on) stop spreading. If they do not go away I would call the doc tomorrow to see if she needs any additional antihistamines or if that is what the Dr thinks is going on, if they do not stop spreading tonight with the benadryl, dont be afraid to take her to the ER.

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W.B.

answers from Baton Rouge on

Not sure but the way that you described them - my son woke up on three days with the exact same thing. His seem to be there always after his nap! I was told that they were hives and then they started questioning if I had changed to a different detergent or if I had added new foods or changed his milk or medicines. We never really got to the bottom of it. The hives would fade with time. The first time it happened I gave my little man Benedryl because it was really bad on his face and throat area and I was not sure what was going on inside and did not want his breathing to be affected. I really can't help you out but I would love to know what you find out.

W.

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S.W.

answers from Oklahoma City on

Good Morning, C.. So sorry to hear that your little one has hives! And, from my experience with hives, I am certain that is what she has. Hives can be caused by something she ate, that she usually doesn't eat, by any new laundry soap, or bath soap/shampoo that she hasn't used before or by stressors. If something occurred that was stressful to her. They do spread and are likely to even get on her scalp. You can take her to the doctor and they will give her a steroid shot, which will make the hives disappear within about 30 minutes. They are not viral, so they are not contagious. She is okay to go school, however, if they continue to spread, I would suggest taking her to the doctor. They generally are also very aggravating because they itch and the more they spread, the more they will "raise" on her skin.

I notice that you are a sahm christian mom. I have been looking on Mommasource for other christian moms to network with; learn some new arts/crafts/hobbies to do with other moms. Especially this time of year, as my husband is an avid deer hunter, so I'm a "deer widow" for the next few months and really, really need to meet some women to do some fun things with! Let me know if you are interested in learning a new art/craft, of if you are creative yourself (I don't have a creative bone in my body!) so, I'mlooking for a way to learn something new that is fun!

Good luck and let me know how it goes.

God Bless,

S. Woodall

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M.M.

answers from Huntsville on

If she's not itching, it's probably not hives. Could be measles, bites .... I'm glad you said they were not blisterd in the middle. Did you vaccinate your child for chickenpx?

Call your peditrician's nurse -- and most insurance companies have a nurse nn call. Follow their advice ...

It seemed there was always something new with my son!

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A.M.

answers from Tulsa on

My daughter had the same thing around 22 months. Her doctor confirmed they were hives. I still have no clue what caused them, but likely it was a allergic reaction to something. He advised me to give her benadryl...You might ask your dr. what dose she should take or if he recommends this it all. Hope this helps!

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S.H.

answers from Huntsville on

Without other symptoms, I would assume she could go to school tomorrow. You might want to go ahead and call her pediatrician tomorrow morning if the spots are still there, just to make sure.

Could she have gotten cold? It is possible to be allergic to the cold, as I myself am. When I was little I could go to sleep with spots in one place, and wake up with them in different places. Might not necessarily be the cold, but could be something else that she is having a small reaction to.

Oh, you may try giving her a bath to wash off anything that might have caused it.

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C.D.

answers from Texarkana on

Food allergies can come on suddenly. I had given my 16 month old cinnamon on several occasions before she showed any signs of a reaction. She was eating oatmeal and it anywhere it had touched was red. Then her stomach and chest broke out in tiny red spots. She had eaten honey and orange juice so I rubbed a little of all three things on her back (clean slate) and the spot where the cinnamon was rubbed turned red. I'd definately take your child to the dr, you just never know.

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C.S.

answers from Hattiesburg on

Hi there C.: Do you have a "nurse" service connected with your insurance or medical clinic? Please check with them . Yes, it sound like hives but you didn't say whether she had a temp. Lots of luck Remedy wipe with alcohol. She's too young for over the counter allergy med.

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