Early Stages

Skeeter has a dr's appt at 3:15 and I cant be there (dang it all)... because at 8:30 this morning- she broke out in red bumps all over her body. What I am asking, is for those who kids have had the chicken pox, what do the early stages look like? I took some pics, but they came out really really bad because of the flash. Pretty much it is just on her torso area, and on her face and in her hair (scalp area).. where she is itching most on her scalp and belly.

The best way I can describe it, it isnt sparatic like some of the pictures I have found, like with a dot here and there. These bumps are ALL over, and raised, but not raised like a pimple (which is what all the cp pics showed) but I didnt know if it could look like a rash first or what.

I thought, maybe an allergic reaction to something at first, but there was nothing out of the ordinary that she has had in the last 24 hours. And I havent tried any new detergent in the last 6 mths.

Any advice would be helpful.

watercolor said:

Skeeter has a dr's appt at 3:15 and I cant be there (dang it all)... because at 8:30 this morning- she broke out in red bumps all over her body. What I am asking, is for those who kids have had the chicken pox, what do the early stages look like? I took some pics, but they came out really really bad because of the flash. Pretty much it is just on her torso area, and on her face and in her hair (scalp area).. where she is itching most on her scalp and belly.

The best way I can describe it, it isnt sparatic like some of the pictures I have found, like with a dot here and there. These bumps are ALL over, and raised, but not raised like a pimple (which is what all the cp pics showed) but I didnt know if it could look like a rash first or what.

I thought, maybe an allergic reaction to something at first, but there was nothing out of the ordinary that she has had in the last 24 hours. And I havent tried any new detergent in the last 6 mths.

Any advice would be helpful.

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Look up Fifth's Disease. Course it's been a million years since I've had a little one. Forget that. I just looked it up, but it's good info anyway.

I remember getting chicken pox as a kid, and I first noticed them on my forhead and scalp area. Looked like raised bumps the same color as my skin at first. Then after a day or so they were reddish in color and all over the place. Hope this helps.

It could be Roseola (also known as sixth disease)...has skeeter been running a temp?

Masey said:

It could be Roseola (also known as sixth disease)...has skeeter been running a temp?

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Saturday through monday she was running a temp. Steady sitting at 102.1 or 102.2 and then on easter morning, it spiked to 103.1, we took her to urgent care- and they checked her over, only to tell us it was a viral deal, and she would have to ride it out. Her fever finally broke on monday around 6pm, after the last dose of tylenol at 3:30. So.. yeah, for 3 days practically she had one- but hasnt had one in the last 24 hours.

I remember when my kids got chicken pox, they kinda looked like they had spilled applesauce on themselves. :shrug: For lack of a better description.

Go buy some Aveeno.

chevylover said:

I remember getting chicken pox as a kid, and I first noticed them on my forhead and scalp area. Looked like raised bumps the same color as my skin at first. Then after a day or so they were reddish in color and all over the place. Hope this helps.

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I was in 8th grade when I got chicken pox. I first got a fever, then raised bumps that looked like tiny fluid filled blisters. They turned red the next day or so.

From what i rember when i had chicken pox they usually start where the sweat is. Under arms, hairline....I was about 8 or so when i got them. but i do rember them being a little fluid bump at first.

Also just found this........

Symptoms of Chickenpox
Chickenpox causes a red, itchy rash on the skin that usually appears first on the abdomen or back and face, and then spreads to almost everywhere else on the body, including the scalp, mouth, nose, ears, and genitals.

The rash begins as multiple small, red bumps that look like pimples or insect bites. They develop into thin-walled blisters filled with clear fluid, which becomes cloudy. The blister wall breaks, leaving open sores, which finally crust over to become dry, brown scabs.

Chickenpox blisters are usually less than a quarter of an inch wide, have a reddish base, and appear in bouts over 2 to 4 days. The rash may be more extensive or severe in kids who have skin disorders such as eczema.

Some kids have a fever, abdominal pain, sore throat, headache, or a vague sick feeling a day or 2 before the rash appears. These symptoms may last for a few days, and fever stays in the range of 100°–102° Fahrenheit (37.7°–38.8° Celsius), though in rare cases may be higher. Younger kids often have milder symptoms and fewer blisters than older children or adults.

Typically, chickenpox is a mild illness, but can affect some infants, teens, adults, and people with weak immune systems more severely. Some people can develop serious bacterial infections involving the skin, lungs, bones, joints, and the brain (encephalitis). Even kids with normal immune systems can occasionally develop complications, most commonly a skin infection near the blisters.

Anyone who has had chickenpox (or the chickenpox vaccine) as a child is at risk for developing shingles later in life, and up to 20% do. After an infection, VZV can remain inactive in nerve cells near the spinal cord and reactivate later as shingles, which can cause tingling, itching, or pain followed by a rash with red bumps and blisters. Shingles is sometimes treated with antiviral drugs, steroids, and pain medications, and in May 2006 the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a vaccine to prevent shingles in people 60 and older.

Contagiousness
Chickenpox is contagious from about 2 days before the rash appears and lasts until all the blisters are crusted over. A child with chickenpox should be kept out of school until all blisters have dried, usually about 1 week. If you're unsure about whether your child is ready to return to school, ask your doctor.

Chickenpox is very contagious — most kids with a sibling who's been infected will get it as well, showing symptoms about 2 weeks after the first child does. To help keep the virus from spreading, make sure your kids wash their hands frequently, particularly before eating and after using the bathroom. And keep a child with chickenpox away from unvaccinated siblings as much as possible.

People who haven't had chickenpox also can catch it from someone with shingles, but they cannot catch shingles itself. That's because shingles can only develop from a reactivation of VZV in someone who has previously had chickenpox

watercolor said:

Saturday through monday she was running a temp. Steady sitting at 102.1 or 102.2 and then on easter morning, it spiked to 103.1, we took her to urgent care- and they checked her over, only to tell us it was a viral deal, and she would have to ride it out. Her fever finally broke on monday around 6pm, after the last dose of tylenol at 3:30. So.. yeah, for 3 days practically she had one- but hasnt had one in the last 24 hours.

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Roseola is a viral illness in young children, most commonly affecting those between the ages of 6 months and 2 years. It is typically marked by several days of high fever, followed by a distinctive rash just as the fever breaks.

I don't know how old she is, but I'm thinking Roseola or Scarlet Fever and not chicken pox. My friends little boy just had scarlet fever about 2 weeks ago.


Scarlet fever is one of those childhood diseases that have been tamed by antibiotics. Once it was a common and deadly illness. Today it is rare and easily managed -- if recognized and treated.

The disease occurs mostly in children between the ages of 2 and 10 years. It's caused by infection with group A streptococcal bacteria - the same bacteria that causes strep throat. Symptoms typically appear three days after exposure to another person with the illness, although this incubation period can be anywhere from one to seven days.

Scarlet fever typically starts with a very high fever of up to 104°F and a sore throat. These early symptoms are followed by nausea, vomiting, headache, and abdominal pain. Twelve hours to two days later a distinctive scarlet rash appears -- first on the neck and chest and then all over the body. The rash feels like sandpaper. In areas of skin folds -- the armpits and the creases at the elbows and the groin -- the rash has a bright red color. The tongue also becomes swollen and turns bright red. After three days the rash and fever usually disappear, but the tongue may remain swollen for several more days.

As the rash fades, there may be peeling around the tips of the fingers and toes and in the groin area.

CAUTION! -- Seek Treatment

Unlike certain other childhood diseases such as rubella and measles, scarlet fever cannot be left to run its course. It must be treated or it can lead to arthritis, jaundice (yellow tint to the skin that's indicative of red blood cell damage or liver problems), kidney problems, and rheumatic fever (inflammation of the joints and heart valves).

What Causes It?
Scarlet fever is a contagious infection that is caused by streptococcal bacteria. It is spread by contact with an infected person or inhalation of the bacteria. Once inside the pharynx or throat, the bacteria multiply and produce a toxin that circulates in the blood and causes the symptoms.

A child of one of the guys I work with also was just diagnosed with Scarlet Fever.

nachomama said:

I remember when my kids got chicken pox, they kinda looked like they had spilled applesauce on themselves. :shrug: For lack of a better description.

Go buy some Aveeno.

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THAT is what is looks like! It looks like applesauce, but red. What a great explanation.

citysherry said:

Roseola is a viral illness in young children, most commonly affecting those between the ages of 6 months and 2 years. It is typically marked by several days of high fever, followed by a distinctive rash just as the fever breaks.

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Sounds like what it could be too.. going to go and look up pictures of Roseola

watercolor said:

THAT is what is looks like! It looks like applesauce, but red. What a great explanation.

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Let us know what you find out. I remember my son got those when he was about 2. Luckily it was warm out and I took him to the beach and let him play in the salt water. Cleared them right up. I had no idea salt water would help, but, apparently it does. Since it's too cold for that now, do the Aveno bath stuff on her if the doc says that's okay. The hardest thing we, as parents ever have to do, I think, is see our children suffer.

Or make stupid decisions when they get older......

watercolor said:

Sounds like what it could be too.. going to go and look up pictures of Roseola

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Some of the pictures I saw, look quite similar to what she has going on. This pic here.. http://www.mrnett.com/images/AlexWillow/March2002/Temp/RoseolaRash.JPG is very similar..


Just have to wait for the dr appt now


Dang it I wish the appt would hurry up. I just want to know what is wrong with my little girl. Sigh!

watercolor said:

Some of the pictures I saw, look quite similar to what she has going on. This pic here.. http://www.mrnett.com/images/AlexWillow/March2002/Temp/RoseolaRash.JPG is very similar..


Just have to wait for the dr appt now


Dang it I wish the appt would hurry up. I just want to know what is wrong with my little girl. Sigh!

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*Bump*

Nanny Pam said:

*Bump*

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I just got home. BAH!

Well, the good news is, it is neither chicken pox nor roseola. That is a good thing. Basically, he said, some kids, when they get a high fever, they will get a rash sometimes as a side effect from the fever- and its nothing that can be done, and its something that is connected with the viral infection they are fighting, and it needs to just be ridden out.

But- the bad news, which isnt so terrible, she has a fluid build up behind her ear. He did some pressure gauges on it, and wants to see her back soon, or at her 18 mth appt, whichever comes first, to possibly see if we need to go to an ENT. I have had chronic ear problems from when I was very young- her age actually- and I am really really hoping that she wont have to go through the same mess I did as a child with tubes and surgeries. It sucks so bad. I didnt think something like that was hereditary?

watercolor said:

I just got home. BAH!

Well, the good news is, it is neither chicken pox nor roseola. That is a good thing. Basically, he said, some kids, when they get a high fever, they will get a rash sometimes as a side effect from the fever- and its nothing that can be done, and its something that is connected with the viral infection they are fighting, and it needs to just be ridden out.

But- the bad news, which isnt so terrible, she has a fluid build up behind her ear. He did some pressure gauges on it, and wants to see her back soon, or at her 18 mth appt, whichever comes first, to possibly see if we need to go to an ENT. I have had chronic ear problems from when I was very young- her age actually- and I am really really hoping that she wont have to go through the same mess I did as a child with tubes and surgeries. It sucks so bad. I didnt think something like that was hereditary?

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Well... I am glad to hear she is OK. I hope her ear problems fix themselves, as they sometimes do...
Thanks for keeping us informed.