Daughter Won't Stop Scratching

Updated on November 10, 2008
S.E. asks from Barstow, CA
40 answers

My daughter is 16 months. She keeps scratching her back, right below her neck. Yesterday we noticed that she must have been scratching it so much that it started to bleed because there were blood spots on her shirt. She scratches the same 2x4 rectangular area and we see her doing it sometimes during the day but I think she does it more so at night.

It is not spreading and when she hasn't been scratching it, it looks perfectly fine except for the scab's she's now created. Last night we put Neosporen on it and put a gauze over it so she couldn't scratch. I was surprised to see that it was still on in the morning.

She does not have eczema that I know of and this is the only area bothering her. I know most people suggest to go see a doctor but I'm just wondering if this has happened to anyone else's child before.

Thanks!

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So What Happened?

Thank you so much to everyone who responded! It never occured to me that it could have been her tags. Mama brain fart I guess. We have been clipping out her tags and for the clothing that has the labels printed on, we have been turning those inside out. The scratching has stopped and her irritated area is clearing up. I haven't found an easy way to remove the printed labels so if anyone has any tips for that, can you email them to me? Otherwise, I think I'm just going to sew little patches over them.

Thank you again!

S.

Featured Answers

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E.D.

answers from Los Angeles on

S.:

Due to where she is scratching, the irritation may have to do with the tags in her clothing. I would keep it covered until it heals and remove all of the tags out of her clothes and see if that stops.

Good luck!
E.

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L.L.

answers from Los Angeles on

My daughter used to do this. I found out that the problem was a combination of her hair rubbing on the back of her neck and sweat. Also, she has really sensitive skin. I ended up putting Eucerin Calming Creme on and pretty soon she did better. I also put her hair up regularly, and switched to all products for sensitive skin.
Any clothing rubbing against the sore spot will always start the scratching, so I used to always put her in a onesie to prevent the rubbing.

H.T.

answers from Los Angeles on

Hi S.

Is it possible that it is from the tag of her shirt? Maybe cut all the tags out of a few shirts carefully along the seam and see if that helps?

Good luck,
H.

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M.S.

answers from Los Angeles on

Is she by any chance scratching where a tag is? I know Carters recalled some of their jammies that are "tagless", I guess it was irritating some kids skin by causing a chemical burn.

I just googled it - it wasn't actually a recall and the article that I am going to paste, says jammies manufactured Fall of 07 - however, a lady on the news said it happened to her child with jammies she got this summer.
http://www.ehow.com/how_###-###-####_return-carters-tagle...

Just a thought!
M.

1 mom found this helpful
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R.T.

answers from Los Angeles on

Hi S., do you think it might be the tag on her clothes? Tags drive my granddaughter crazy!!!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

V.S.

answers from Los Angeles on

I immediately thought that maybe the tags on her shirts are bothering her. Is the area that is bothering her in the spot where a tag would be? That's the only thing i can think of.

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M.A.

answers from Los Angeles on

The tags on her clothes may be itching her. Try cutting them out to see if she stops. Meanwhile just keep the area moistened (Neosporin and bandage is fine til the scabs heal!) After that, some rich lotion a few times a day and she'll probably be OK. If not, call the pediatrician. Good luck.

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J.K.

answers from Los Angeles on

I read a story on CNN not long ago about some kids being allergice to the "tag free" label in the back of shirts, etc. The ones from Carter being the worst. Not sure if she has the tag-free clothes, especially her pajamas, but this could be the cause seeing its only in that exact area that she's scratching. If she is wearing "tagless" clothes, try the tagged kind and go to the doctor about it???

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L.B.

answers from Los Angeles on

Could be she is scratching from the tags in her clothes. Try either cutting off the tag or putting a band-aid over it. You could also use liquid Benadryl...put the liquid medicine on the area she is scratching. It really works.

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E.K.

answers from Los Angeles on

Hi S.,
I just recently saw a news blurb (one of those ticker tape things on CNN) that babies were developing rashes on the backs of their necks from clothes with the printed labels instead of tags. Like the ink in the printed label was causing some sort of allergic reaction. Has your daughter been wearing clothes with those printed labels?
Just a thought.....poor thing. Something is making her uncomfortable....we just wish they could tell us what it was so we could fix it!
I use Aquaphor and it works for just about everything.
Good luck for you and your little one. :)

E.

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D.P.

answers from San Diego on

yes, my daughter had the same scratching issue. I thought it was tags for awhile, but her skin was dry. Try putting a good lotion on her back a couple of times a day. Cetaphil is my favorite. Keep Neosporin on it to help it heal too.

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S.D.

answers from Los Angeles on

Maybe the tags from her clothing are bothering her and you'll have to cut them off; or if you're cutting them off, maybe there is still a little piece left bugging her.

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M.M.

answers from Los Angeles on

This is a horrible time of year for the skin - especially in little ones. Even people who don't normally have eczema have reactions to the weather chacnge. We use ShiKai Borage Dry Skin Therapy - Children's Formula morning and night and this helps tremendously. You can find it a ShiKai.com or they can tell you where you can buy if locally.
Good luck

C.W.

answers from Los Angeles on

There has been some recent news about kids having allergies to tags on children's clothes. I think it was the Carter's company. I'd double check it wasn't that...

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D.M.

answers from Los Angeles on

Ditto on the first response!

My son hates tags, and I have to cut them out. If I forget one, he runs up to me and says 'Mommy fix it'.

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L.T.

answers from San Diego on

If it doesn't go away soon, I would have her checked out. Toddlers can pick up the strangest things, lice, scabies, ring worm...or it could just be a little rash gone haywire. The doc should be able to help her feel better faster if it is something that needs treatment.

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C.A.

answers from Los Angeles on

I discovered the Benadryl makes a spray. It has been fantastic, one of my kids is a scratcher. i know all about nothing that turns into a scab. Some people just have sensitive skin.

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D.T.

answers from Los Angeles on

Dear MOM's,

Please see this link on news today as it may answer some of your questions about area behing neck/back- http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27603449/

Also, just check other clothing for tags that are rough and if you cut them out be sure to curve the edges so as not to be pointed and poke your baby. I am an adult and still have to do this...

I also love recommending my organic, botanical ABC Baby products but you can see those on my website: www.beautifulfreedom.myarbonne.com and I have pediatrician letters of recommendations.

Good luck,

D.

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L.W.

answers from Los Angeles on

Any tags on her clothing that may be irritating that area? I've run across that problem before. Remove any tags that may be causing this. Even stamped-on tags on the material can cause irritation. Hope that helps.

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P.R.

answers from Santa Barbara on

Hi S.. You didn't say how long this has been going on, so it could be a variety of things. Lots of people suggested the tags, and that's the first thing I'd check. It could also be scents or dyes from laundry detergent or fabric softener, so if this continues after you remove tags, you might try switching to unscented. That's what I use as a general rule. Or it could have been a bite. But I bet once you remove those tags you'll see an improvement!

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S.E.

answers from San Diego on

Wow, S., I'm glad you wrote the list with this problem! My four-year-old daughter has been doing this since she was a little toddler, and I had no idea why--Baffled, I was beginning to think it was a habit she had to cope with stress. I remove all the tags from her clothes, and have always done so. I had no idea that the ink from the "tagless" clothes could irritate as well. But now it makes sense, because since beginning to wear underwear she has started to scratch at the small of her back too. I'm going to pull all the "tagless" clothes and see if the scratching stops....

Please let us know if that works for you.

Kindest regards,
S

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C.B.

answers from Reno on

Could it be her labels irritating her? It sounds like that is about the place. If so perhaps try cutting the labels out of her things. My daughter is very sensitive to labels and I often have to cut them out. Thanks for the sacrifices your family makes to keep our country safe. I really appreciate our military families.
C. :-)
www.guardiansleeper.com

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J.F.

answers from San Diego on

My first thought was excema but then I thought it sounds like an itchy tag problem!

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R.F.

answers from Los Angeles on

I know there ere some issues with the tag-less tags in some baby clothes. Maybe that is bothering her or something else in her clothes. Good luck.

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M.G.

answers from Los Angeles on

I saw a special on that on TV. They said children are allergic to labels on clothing, especially the ones that are just printed on! Anyhow, try removing the labels, or wearing the shirts inside out and see if that helps.

Good luck!

M.

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N.D.

answers from Los Angeles on

Could it be a chemical burn from the tagless clothes? Some children are very sensitive to the ink.

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Z.W.

answers from Las Vegas on

maybe the tags in her jammies or shirts are irritating her skin????...myself, i cut almost all of the tags from my stuff........

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J.L.

answers from Los Angeles on

I have always had to remove tags from one of my kids clothing as he is sensitive to it (The other one couldn't care less!) but make sure you use a seam ripper to actually remove the entire tag, not just cut it because that still leaves the strip at the top with pokey little corners and the thread which is bulky and irritating to some children. We also use mild hydrocortisone cream to help the itching. (but not with an open sore)And YES my child would dig himself bloody! So I know how hard that is to watch your baby with a bloody scab. And it takes a while to go away even after you've figured out the problem because they won't stop scratching the scab! If you can keep gauze on it that's a great idea! Incidentally, I did later find out that my son does have eczema, but I don't know if this was related or not. He still does get isolated little patches of itchy spots, always the same spots. So if the tag thing doesn't help I suppose the eczema thing is worth looking into. Good luck.

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A.M.

answers from Santa Barbara on

Try keeping her hair up off her neck. My son (we have yet to cut his hair) has this same problem. His is at the base of the neck where his hair covers. I have figured it is due to heat/sweating. A pony tail might help. Good luck.

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K.M.

answers from Los Angeles on

There was a news brief about Carter's labels and how many kids are having a reaction (rashes, blisters) to these labels. If your daughter is wearing any Carter's clothing/sleepwear this may be the cause.

Good luck!

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S.W.

answers from Los Angeles on

Hi S.,
It sounds like you have already gotten some great advice, but just so you know, kids have more sensitive skin than we do, so it's best to use non-toxic products in the home......
anything their skin touches, like clothes, sheets, all those things around the house that you wash, is better for them if you use non-toxic products.
Laundry products can be very harmful, and hence can cause severe skin reactions.
Even dishwasher detergent with toxic chemicals can damage the breathing air in your home.
All you need to do to keep your family safe is switch stores.
Most big names like Proctor and Gamble, Colgate Palmolive, and Johnson and Johnson are EVIL. They are brainwashing (or trying to) by telling us that they are safe companies and that they sell safe products. IT IS A LIE!
(and after this election, we know that there are a lot of lies put on TV!)
If you'd like to learn more about safer products for your family and switching to a RESPONSIBLE manufacturing company, let me know.
www.switchingstores.com/momsonamission

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C.R.

answers from Los Angeles on

it could be the tags on her shirts are bothering her.. some of the tagless brands have been recalled because the stuff they us e to print the tag onto the shirts can cause blisters and make them red and itchy.... this could be what is going on.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

C.T.

answers from Los Angeles on

Hi,
She must have a little irritation from some clothing or a tag on some clothing. I've even heard of tag less clothing causing problems. There may be some ingredient in the ink or whatever they use that is irritating to her skin.
I would go through her clothing and check out the tag area.
Good Luck!
C.

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M.Z.

answers from Reno on

It could be the tag or your laundry detergent. My daughter gets itchy if we use anything with extra added fragrance. Another thing, I get recall notifications weekly and a couple weeks ago I got one saying Carter's was putting out a notice that some of it's clothes with the ironed on tags (tagless) had been causing irritation on some children. These are the ones on last years clothes, the labels is slightly raised. If you'd like more information I can forward you the e-mail. I save them all.

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N.L.

answers from Los Angeles on

Hi S.,

I had a similar experience, and it ended up being the new shampoo that I was using, and when it would run down my back it would irritate my skin. And I wash my hair at night, so it made it worse at night. You could try hydrocortizone, but very small amount, to see if that helps too. But, Carters did a recall of tagless shirts, and that sounds just like where the tag would be, so check out the Carters recall, it might be that too. Good Luck!

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J.H.

answers from Honolulu on

Hi there,
I think it might have something to do with the labels too. If you do cut the tags out - just for the sake of saving your sanity if you are keeping clothing in case of another little munchkin - you can always mark the size with a laundry pen. My first never bothered about tags but my second is a little more sensitive. I keep a pair of foldable scissors out of reach in his room along with a laundry pen so I can cut/mark things as they come up.

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K.Y.

answers from Los Angeles on

My 16-month old girl has the exact same problem - well, except that she also scratches at the base of her back and her side haunches (below her diaper). Those areas don't get touched by any tags, but I suppose it could be the detergent issue (though we always use natural, chemical-free laundry detergent. The one thing that seems to help her is if I apply lotion to those areas regularly once I see her scratching. Also, I have to keep cutting her nails more frequently to avoid the scratching-until-bleeding part.

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T.M.

answers from Los Angeles on

does her hair hit that spot by chance, do you have tags on her shirts, make sure her nails stay trimmed, you might have to put baby gloves on her, something is bugging her there or she thinks or feels something might be tickling her there,process of elimitations mom change laundry soap, bathtub soap...

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