16 Month Old with Strange Rash

Updated on March 02, 2008
L.L. asks from Berlin, MD
24 answers

My 16 month old has a strange itchy purplish-red rash on her palms along with a fever and a white coated tongue. She does not have the rash in her mouth or on her feet(so no Hand-Foot-Mouth disease). She also has nasal congestion. She's eating & drinking normally and seems to be happy enough after having Tylenol to lower her fever. I took her to the doctor, but I'm not satisfied with their diagnosis...I was told to come back in 10 days! I think that's a very long time to let strange symptoms go without treatment! Has anyone had any experience with these symptoms all together like this?

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S.P.

answers from Washington DC on

It does sound strange to me too. Especially if fever is involved. Fever always means infection somewhere in the body. Try another doctor. good luck.

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K.J.

answers from Washington DC on

My son had a similar rash w/ fever, except his rash was on his stomach. I took him to the ER, where we got a diagnosis of scarlett fever and a prescription for antibiotics.

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F.B.

answers from Charlottesville on

My son had hand, foot and mouth just as you described, nothing on his feet. And, I ended up w/ viral meningitis, which can often be traced back to hand, foot and mouth (not common following h,f,m; but if you see a case in an adult parent, their child frequently would have had h, f, m). I would see another/new doctor. Good Luck!!

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B.C.

answers from Norfolk on

go to a different doctor! a friend of mine just called and told me that her daughter has those same symptoms. she spent the morning in the pediatrician's office. what you are describing is right in line with scarlett fever, and several others that you dont want to mess with. my friend's doc ran a littany of tests. take her to a different doc!

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S.G.

answers from Washington DC on

HI, I am a mom of 5 boys...24-5 yrs old...the white tongue sounds like thrush....but I remember when I was growing up and then my now 17 yr old when he was 6 developed undiagnosed strep that transformed into scarlett fever(fever also)...all the symptoms were there...has the rash developed anywhere else on the body?You did not say what the doctor diagnosed...how long has it been going on? hope you figure it out....S.

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J.S.

answers from Washington DC on

The white coated tongue sounds like a mild case of thrush, but as long as she still drinking and eating, she should be fine. The rash sounds typical of what happens when a high fever breaks, but it's hard to say. What I normally do when I'm not satisfied with the drs verdict, I schedule the kids with a nurse practioner, because in my opinion they take more time with diagnosing. Hope this helps.

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T.T.

answers from Dover on

You might want to take her to the DR. My sister had a purplish rash and has hospitalized. It was a reaction to meds. and Mono.

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A.T.

answers from Norfolk on

I would definatly get a second opinion. I agree...that is a long time to let strange symptoms go untreated when it can turn out to be something more serious...
Take her to the ER or another dr. Go with your motherly feelings...you know your baby better than anyone!

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S.F.

answers from Washington DC on

how about a strep test --asap

S.

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J.W.

answers from Washington DC on

you should go get another opinion from another doctor, until you are satisfied!

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L.L.

answers from Washington DC on

Hello!

May be strep throat but not certain. I remember my oldest had a tongue as you described and it was strep. I am not sure of the rash though. Did they give you a Rx for ointment, hydrocortisone or there is also a liquid that can help with the itching....I think it may be called Zyrtec? Can you seek another doctor's opinion since you are not satisfied? Has the rash or other symptoms gotten any better since seeing the doctor?

If all else fails, maybe you can go to the ER. I am sorry I can't give better information or guidance. I wish you well and hope the baby feels better soon.

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M.S.

answers from Washington DC on

My friend's son was just diagnosed with a mild case of Scarlet Fever, which is a rash on the skin that comes from the Strep virus. It isn't as bad as it sounds but he needed antibiotics to treat it. At first they thought the rash was just from swimming at a hotel pool where he wasn't used to the pool water treatment. His throat is so inflamed but he was eating normally and not complaining of a sore throat. Their pediatrician said he should have been unable to swallow without severe pain, so not all kids have the same pain thresholds. I would seek a second opinion at an Urgent Care facility right away.

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R.T.

answers from Dover on

it could still be Hand-Foot-Mouth disease, my daughter only got them on her bottom, feet & hands

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D.L.

answers from Norfolk on

Hi L.;
Does the fever and rash reoccur?I suggest you take her to another pediatric dr ASAP.You never said what the first diagnosis is but 10 days is way too long for a baby to go with a fever and congestion.The rash is inconsistent with flu or cold but may be hives or heat related.the white coating on the tongue suggests thrush but may be due to a cold or other illness.good luck and God bless.

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M.A.

answers from Norfolk on

Did they test for strep?

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R.H.

answers from Washington DC on

Hi L.,
This sounded like Kawasaki syndrome symptoms to me, so I googled it, the fever, rash, and tongue are all on there. Since there are lots of other things that can cause that, too, I would just call your doctor and ask them to rule it out.

Signs and Symptoms
Kawasaki disease can't be prevented, but usually has telltale symptoms and signs that appear in phases.

The first phase, which can last for up to 2 weeks, usually involves a persistent fever higher than 104° Fahrenheit (39° Celsius) and lasts for at least 5 days.

Other symptoms that typically develop include:

severe redness in the eyes
a rash on the stomach, chest, and genitals
red, dry, cracked lips
swollen tongue with a white coating and big red bumps
sore, irritated throat
swollen palms of the hands and soles of the feet with a purple-red color
swollen lymph nodes
During the second phase, which usually begins within 2 weeks of when the fever started, the skin on the hands and feet may begin to peel in large pieces. The child also may experience joint pain, diarrhea, vomiting, or abdominal pain. If your child shows any of these symptoms, call your doctor.

D.S.

answers from Allentown on

Hi L.,

Get a second opinion from another pediatrician. D.

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J.F.

answers from Norfolk on

I'm not too sure about the rash on the hands, but the tongue thing sounds like thrush which is a yeast infection in the mouth. Usually babies get it. My son had it when he was little. There really isn't anything you can do about it. I'm not sure what insurance you have, but try to see a different doctor if you can. We are military and sometimes I take my kids to the ER so they can see different doctors and it's free for us. Also, check out WEBMD.com and look up some info on there. You may be able to match her rash to pictures on there. Good luck.

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C.G.

answers from Norfolk on

Absolutely get another opinion from a different doctor. I actually had scarlet fever when I was 7 and it is not something to mess around with. My sister was diagnosed with it two days after I was. I am not saying that is what your daughter has but the symptoms that you are describing sound like it. Look at
webmd.com sometimes they have pictures and other descriptions that you may find very helpful. Good luck and I hope your daughter is well soon.

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N.D.

answers from Washington DC on

If you are not satisfied with what your ped said I would take her to the ER. Thats what I would do. Always followe your gut feeling

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A.S.

answers from Norfolk on

Hi my name is A. and I have two boys, Jacob~7 and CJ~5. The white coated tongue sounds like thrush, a yeast infection of the mouth. As far as the purple hands, I don't know. You need to get her seen, again. Take her to patient first if your doctor refuses. This is not something with which to wait! She may be having circulation problems in her hands. Please don't wait. It's better to err on the side of caution. Good Luck and God bless.

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J.K.

answers from Washington DC on

Hand and mouth, often called foot and mouth, is very common in children. What is the doctor treating her for?

http://www.uihealthcare.com/topics/infectiousdiseases/inf...
Hand-foot-and-mouth disease

Hand-foot-and-mouth disease is a mild illness caused by a virus. Symptoms of the disease include a sore mouth and small blisters that may occur in the mouth, on the palms of the hands, or on the soles of the feet. Human hand-foot-and-mouth disease is not related to hoof and mouth disease in cattle.

Hand-foot-and-mouth disease affects toddlers primarily, but may occur at any age. It appears most often in warm weather, usually in the summer or early fall. It often occurs in small epidemics in nursery schools or day care centers. It is not unusual for more than half of the children in a school or day care center to have the disease at any one time.

The risk of contracting hand-foot-and-mouth disease can be reduced by frequent handwashing, avoiding exposure to others who have the disease, and not sharing toys during the infection. Most adults are thought to have become immune to hand-foot-and-mouth disease in early childhood. As with most infectious diseases, pregnant women should consult their physician if exposed to hand-foot-and-mouth disease. The person is contagious during the course of the illness for around 7 to 10 days.

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M.C.

answers from Washington DC on

Has she been tested for Strep? Did she try any new foods that maybe she's having a reaction to? Follow your gut. If you don't like the dr.'s opinion, get a second one. You can always take her to the ER, they tend to run more tests then the dr.

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J.R.

answers from Norfolk on

Sounds like Thrush. It's pretty common. Google it. Good luck. She'll be ok.

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