Baby with Hives?

Have you changed laundry detergents lately? or is there a pet in the house? Two things to think about? Hope you find the culprit!!

I agree with trying differnt soaps and detergents. Maybe find a baby soap that is fragrance free. As far as detergents go, try something like All Free & Clear. Wash everything your son comes into contact with, his clothes, your clothes, blankets, towels, etc. Don't wear perfume and use something like Dove for sensitive skin that doesn't have all the scent. You could try going on an elimination diet to see if it's something you are eating, Dr Sears website has great instructions. I would try logging what you eat and if you get a reaction for up to 72 hours afterwards. Just try one thing at a time though, change the wash and see if that helps for a couple days, then add in a new soap for a few days, then change your diet. If you do all the options at once then you won't know what the problem was.

Amanda,
I totally matters what you put in your body as well as on your body.
I recommend that only use Free and Clear detergents and read your labels of food and products.

Babies skin is really sensitive. Did you know that if the products you use on your children have 'Tear Free' that there is and anasthetic in them to numb your baby's eyes and skin from the chemicals? YUK, huh? Have you ever heard of Arbonne? Their baby products are so gentle and are botanically and pH correct. There is no need to numb your baby because there are no chemicals!

I am an independant consultant with Arbonne and would love to send you a sample. I have had tons of results with these products and babies with rashes. Please let me know if you are at all a little interested :)

I am here to help,
T.
www.tesabartell.myarbonne.com

Hi Amanda,

My 6 month old never had hives, but she would break out on her forehead when I ate something she didn't agree with. She is exclusively breastfed, too. I ate a very boring diet of meat and potatoes, carrots, breads, grains, and eliminated everything else. It was sooooo boring, but I was able to add things in to see if she reacted to them. She started to be more tolerant (less gas & breakouts) around 4 months, so I agree that you could get your son allergy tested since your son is 5 months already. Then at least you'll know and won't have to deal with an episode of his throat swelling up and having to go to the doctor for a major reaction to being exposed to some unknown food. This happened to the son of a coworker and her son turns out to be allergic to eggs and milk.

Good luck!

Ask your pediatrician for a referral to a pediatric dermatologist. Our six month old has eczema and the first time we brought it to our pediatrician's attention (when he was about 2 months old) she said his dry skin was due to the dry air. At four months old, when his skin had not cleared up, the pediatrician gave us a referral and the pediatric dermatologist diagnosed the eczema and prescribed some ointments that have improved his skin. The dermatologist said it was unlikely anything I was eating (baby has had only breastmilk) was contributing to his skin issue.

It could by rosacea, which my 14 month old daughter when she was about 9 months and I was nursing her as well, although she also ate some solids as well. I was introduced to this great calendula cream by California Baby which took it away in about a week. It is very pure and worked wonders. It also never came back. I could apply it all over her body, as she got it a little bit on her face, but mostly on her arms and stomach, and also as often as I liked. The bumps looks like a baby acne, if that helps any. You can find this wonderful product at Wild Oats on Academy/Wyoming, or any natural foods store, but not all of them carry the cream. Good luck.

Hi Amanda,
My two year old had the same problem at about the same age. She would break out in hives for no apparent reason. Each time the blisters would be more extreme. We finally had her tested for allergies and found that she was so allergic to egg whites that if My 3 year old or any of us touched her without washing our hands after eating eggs, she would break out. They gave us a epi pen and we were very cautious.
Maybe you could ask your pediatrician if your baby could be tested.
Good Luck
L.

Take your son to an allergist and find out what is causing the hives. There are too many possibilities, you should not make yourself crazy trying to figure out what the cause is. Micheal Clayton is fabulous ####-###-####. He is in Albuquerque.

As a parent of an allergic-to-many-things child . . . The common offenders: dairy, milk, peanuts are good ones to start eliminating. Also, strawberries (and other berries), shellfish, wheat. Our infant was seriously allergic to my breastmilk because of several allergies to the foods I was eating. We eventually had to get him tested. After we cut out those foods, he was a different kid -- he was less crabby, did have as much trouble pooping and slept better. The allergies were affecting other things that we didn't realize!

If your child is truly allergic to certain foods, he can also get hives if you touch those foods and then touch his skin.

Good luck!

I am exclusively breastfeeding and this happened to my son right after he was born. He would be up all night screaming from gas and he broke out into hives. I took my diet down to barebones steak, chicken, asparagus, apples and yogurt. It still happened. Then I took out the yogurt. It took a day or 2 but then he was fine. I have been slowly adding new things back in a day at a time to see if he reacts. I keep track of what I add so I know if it agrees with him or not.

Just keep track of what you eat. Do you remember what you ate right before the hives started? And the hives can take a few days to go away while the substance is cleansing out of his system, so maybe go down to a diet of things you know he's fine with until the hives go away and then slowly add things.

Their digestive systems also get stronger with age, so there may be less he's sensitive to. Now I can eat a little bit of dairy without affecting him at 2 months. Good luck!

Hi A O,

First, I commend you on using healthier, safer products!!! If only more people knew about these alternatives, there would be so much less disease.

Anyway, the hives are likely due to something YOU are consuming. I would cut out eggs, dairy, wheat, corn, and soy for 7 days. On day 8 introduce ONE of these items back into your diet and monitor her for 2 days. After 2 days (day 10), introduce one more and evaluation. Continue to do this until all 5 have been added back into the diet. It's typically one of these five; but may be something else like strawberries or melon.

Best of luck! :)

Warm Regards,
G. Van Luven
Healthy Habits Wellness Center, LLC
###-###-####

My son got hives as a baby. He is now 8, and while he doesn't get hives, he still has allergy issues. DS' hives would be worse at the daycare he was in for a short while, so I think it may have been a cleaning or laundry agent they used. The pediatrician had us give him Benadryl. Look for allergens in your home and detergents. Yes, it is possible to react to something you ate, but tummy upset would usually happen before hives.

My son kept getting what looked like hives when I was exclusively breastfeeding and the only thing different in the equation was the soap we were using for his bath. We started using Dove soap at the suggestion of our doctor and we never had any problems after that. Look at all of the factors in your household that could have changed recently and go from there. Oh, one other thing, both of my kids break out if I put them in new clothing from the store without washing it first. Dryer sheets are also a culprit for them. Best wishes.

Where are the "hives" appearing? It definately could be an allergy. I have found that most of us moms don't realize that our little baby's tummies cannot handle cow milk/dairy products. The size of the protein cell is too large for their little digestive systems to break down, hence the allergy. Try cutting out different things and give it a good 4 days for each thing to see if there is improvement.

I have allergies to all natural soaps, lotions, etc. even though it is all natural & hypo allergenic i will still break out in hives. I am allergic to something in even those. I have found switching between soaps help a lot i think it is due to my body not getting enough of what is one to have a reaction. I would try some other soaps see if they help any. Sensaria is an all natural preservative free line as well. I tried some of their stuff before.

Hi there, are you eating any kind of nuts? Peanut butter, almonds etc? I have a son that is allergic to all nuts and if he ingests any he breaks out in hives immediately is why this came to mind. I would think you might be on the right track with a food allergy. Both my kids were just allergy tested (they are older) but the allergy dr was telling me peanuts, eggs, dairy, and wheat are BIG time kids triggers.

I would say maybe try and cut things out one by one to see if that helps, remember it takes 72 hours for something to cycle through your system. I.e. If today is Friday, the peanut butter sandwich you had on Tuesday night / Wednesday morning may still affect your baby! And write what you eat down... you might see a pattern with the hives.

GOOD LUCK!

Has he been on antibiotics recently?????
My DD when she was 1 1/2 broke out in hives on her second ( and last ever ) treatment of antibiotics. My ped ( well then ped, now I use a homeopath) tried to tell me it was my soap. Still infuritates me. I believe my DD is allergic to penicilin. ( spell?) And he did say he would "mark her file" - ya right you will!
I did change to a "free" soap becuase it is better for all of us. We made her home made yogurt and gave her the oatmeal baths until it cleared up. She has never had them again (she is almost 4) and has not been back on antibiotics.

I'm sure there is a homeopathic remedy or an herb that can help. If you want my doctors info - email me ____@____.com

Good Luck -

L.
WAHM of 3

I would think it's an allergic reaction to something. It could be something you're eating, the soaps and detergents you use on you, your clothes, your son, on his clothes... this list goes on. What did you change around the time you started noticing the hives? If the pediatrician isn't concerned, perhaps you do need to take him to a dermatologist like T suggested. Until you find out what is causing it, there isn't much you can do.

Good luck.

C.
http://purelyvibrant.myarbonne.com/

Hi Amanda,
Your letter sent up a little (?) in my head.

My understanding is "Hives" are a sign of an allergic reaction. (I had hives once as a kid, and had to wear a medical-alert bracelet in case I had another reaction). If that is the case, and they really are "hives" I would think the MD would have been a little more concerned. The more times a person experiences an allergic reaction, the worse it can get, right up to medical emergency.

Now, hang on, I'm not trying to scare you. What I'm getting at is it may just be another kind of rash, and your MD just called it "hives" in a slang sort of way (which I hope is the case).

Could it also be, "heat rash" or "eczema?" Those are easy to treat, and really common on babies. (both of mine have had both).

If you're still concerned it's hives, I'd get to a dermatologist.

Good luck to you.
T

I am an adult who suffers from hives daily for the last 7-8 years. You can have him allergy tested (hurts a bit) but sometimes they can't tell you the problem. I know that I am allergic to the products you use. I am even allergic to Dove which is recommended for those with hives. I take Zyrtec daily and that helps. The best advice is to try another type of soap for a few days. Then for you to go on a diet that cuts out all possible allergens (especially dairy and certain fruits). If it clears up, you start adding things back slowly till you figure it out. Unfortunately, none of this worked for me and the normal allergens are not my problem so I have to live with it!
P.S. Dreft is the best detergent and do not use fabric softener of any kind as it is the most common allergen.