Rash - Portland, OR

Look up Virginia Garcia Memorial Clinic. They are income based health care and are great. They will be able to get you in quickly and won't cost an arm and a leg. Don't wait for the rash to spread more if you're worried about it.

Hi M.,
My son just had the same thing, seems when it gets hot.. might be just a heat rash.. I put some hydrocortizone on it for a couple days just to see if it would go away and it did. He has had it before too when the weather gets really warm. Small, red bumps.. it spread on him also... but its gone now.
Hope that helps!
K.

I'm no expert, but it sounds to me like something my son got. It was basically a rash just like the one you described, and he was 100% fine when he had it. A few days after the rash, however, comes a very high fever. I can't remember the name of it, but it is very contagious (but you can only get it once), so if that's what it is he would need to stay home from daycare. On the other hand it could just be a contact rash. Have you switched laundry detergent or been going anyplace recently where those areas may have come into contact with a foreign plant or rough substance; I know that sometimes the rough bottom of a swimming pool will do that to my kids. Good luck!

Hi,
my son had something similar before he was, I think.
I took him to the dr. and it turned out to be eczema I think. It wasn't serious.
If you're worried, and can't take him in, call the advice nurse. They can usually figure it out over the phone.

K.

Have you looked up rashes on any of the health sites on the Internet? I find them by googling the symptom. In this case "rash toddler" There can be several different causes some of which are not serious.

Multnomah Co has a health clinic for which you pay on a sliding fee schedule. I think it's called Multnomah County Health Clinics. There are several scatter through out the county. My daughter used the one on Martin Luther King Blvd. It is a clean pleasant place but you do frequently have to wait to be seen. I'm not sure if they take appointments.

Their phone numbers will be listed in the
Government Pages.

NEW INFO 8/15/07

In today's Oregonian, S Renn Mitchell described a clinic run by volunteers. (North by Northeast Community Health Clinic. There is no charge. One of the doctors in the clinic is also a doctor for Kaiser Permanente. They are open only on Thursday evenings.

You can find more info at www.nxneclinic,org. Their phone number is ###-###-####

Wow! That is pretty much what just happened to my two year old! He started with a smallish rash like you describe and it has moved up his arm, down his torso and is now on his leg. He seems just fine, and rarely scratches at it, doesn't complain when we pick him up, etc. It's been going on and getting worse for two weeks. I've taken him to our family doctor, and then to a dematologist. They seem to think it is eczema/atopic dermatitis. I wish I had a good line on a free place for you to take him. The dermatologist gave me a steroidal lotion and told me to keep the area dry with a non-irritating, fragrence free powder like aveno(I'm using one from the natural food store though). You might try the powder and stop by a natural foods store for some cream to try. I am not a fan of using harsh drugs like the steroidal lotion, but his rash looks so awful, I'm trying whatever I can right now. I also read that eczema tends to run in families that have members who have allergies and/or asthma (my husband's side!). I am also trying to eliminate some of the possible allergens that might be causing this: chaging to a different clothes soap, no more cow's milk, etc.
Good luck to you!

My son is almost 8 months and is having a similar problem with a red pimply looking rash that started on his elbows and is slowly spreading to his upper arms and a few bumps on his legs and back. I've been to the doctor twice and he reccomended Cortaid at first (over the counter) but when that didn't work they gave me a perscription for some stronger stuff. He said that babies get all kinds of rashes and most of the time we never know the cause. If your son is otherwise normal I wouldn't worry too much about it...maybe try some Cortaid and see if that works. I am beginning to think it is heat related because it got worse today and it was so hot! Good luck!

Hi M.,

When my son was younger (and still a bit now) he would get heat rash ... small red bumps in the same area that your son is experiencing. I would suggest giving him a cool-ish (not cold, just not too warm) bath twice a day (if you can) when it's hot outside.

I think 'eczema' will be a common response which in my experience means "it's a skin rash; rub some cream on it" :) My approach is clean and cool skin and light non-talc powder before bed if it's a humid night. I'm also a fan of breathable fabrics and bedding in hot weather - especially since kids are such hot sleepers.

Of course, it may not be heat-related and could be an allergy. If it doesn't clear up or begins to itch or any other symptoms appear, you might want to run by a sliding scale clinic (maybe a naturopathic practice?) to see if they could work with your income to give you suggestions. Good luck! ~Tracy

My son had something similar and the doctor told us to use an over-the-counter cortizone cream. We did and it worked. It took a few applications, but his rash cleared up. The tricky part is keeping it on your son and him not wiping it off.

Another thought: have you recently changed laundry detergent or fabric softener or anything that would be in contact with his clothes? My son developed a rash on his neck when I switched to Tide detergent. Now I use All Free & Clear and his rash is cleared up. Just a thought.

Good luck!

Hello M.

Not to worry.. it sound simular to what my son had HE got it several times when he was young.. Im not a doctor but i think its a virus that his system is fighting. Some times its itchy sometimes is not. It usually starts on the torso and speads from there. You may notice that the first place it subsides is where it started. If you press on the red bump area and release it should be white., Anyway thats what i think it is.

There is a free clinic called the Good News Clinic on 181st and Stark or Wallace Medical Concern. Their website for Good News is www.goodnewschc.org or .com. My son has had that as well and I think it is heat rash but if you are concerned it would not hurt to have it checked out.

It's not free but they take your financial and insurance status in to consideration. Washinton county Health Services is in the phone book in the blue pages. My friend's daughter had Scabies nad she had to go to four count them 4 doctor's before they finally diagnosed her corretly even though she read up on the internet and suggested each time to each doctor Scabies only the fourth one lisened, agreeded and finally got her the right treatment.

All I know is that it doesn't sound good and you should take him to the doctors asap. They can offer you a cash rate, or you can make payments on it. Usually it's around 60 dollars for a visit, then just the cost of medicine. Good luck with everything.