Belly Button Rash

[DBug]

I've got a 2 year old dcb that has a rash right around his belly button. It looks like heat rash, so I'm not worried about it. The odd thing, though, is that it is a perfect circle around his belly button. It's solid red right around it, and then it fades into the pin prick dots that are typical of heat rash about an inch out from the belly button.

I let dcmom know about it, but I haven't sent him home because I don't think it's anything serious -- just a little strange. Has anyone seen anything like this before?

[Chickenhauler]

The solid red threw up an alarm flag at first....a few questions for clarification....

Is it swollen? Tender? Like it's infected in one way or another?

Kids tend to mess with their bodies, could it be that he's sticking his finger in there constantly, getting who knows what all around the belly button hole (food, dirt, gunk, whatever)?

[TGT09]

The way you are making it sound is as if it's Ringworm reminescent. I had it on my arm as a teenager. It's highly contagious. It started out the size of a dime and grew to be bigger than a half dollar. After I had ointment and antibiotics it wasn't contagious. I would just beware....could very well be heat rash but might want to google Ringworm images to compare. I think the fact that it's a perfect circle around his bellybutton is strange but I would still google it. You never know.

[alyssyn]

My 2.5 yr old son had this in January. Turned out to be an umblicial hernia. He had to have emergency surgery that night. I'm not trying to frighten you or anything, that was my experience with those symptoms. My son was also swollen in his privates.

[TGT09]

I found this picture that looked quite similar to mine.

http://boingboing.net/Images/kidsore.jpg

However, I think there are many reasons why this child should be seen by a doctor. Maybe I'm making it out to be worse than it is as only you know what it looks like.

[alyssyn]

I agree totally about being seen by a dr. So many different things can cause rashes, you just never know. Better to be safe.

[booroo]

Just so ya ring worm us contagious until the crated stage same as impetigo; which by what you are descrbing sound like the start of impetigo... My 13 year old picked it this past nov at a wrestling tournement, I too thout heat rash from his head gear, turned it wasn't, I though heat rash, then a couple if days later ring worm, then the next day I didn't know what it was, it spread so fast all over his body!!

I don't want to scare you but keep an eye on it!

[Former Teacher]

The way you are making it sound is as if it's Ringworm reminescent. I had it on my arm as a teenager. It's highly contagious. It started out the size of a dime and grew to be bigger than a half dollar. After I had ointment and antibiotics it wasn't contagious. I would just beware....could very well be heat rash but might want to google Ringworm images to compare. I think the fact that it's a perfect circle around his bellybutton is strange but I would still google it. You never know.

When I read the post my first thought was indeed ringworm

[momma2girls]

I've got a 2 year old dcb that has a rash right around his belly button. It looks like heat rash, so I'm not worried about it. The odd thing, though, is that it is a perfect circle around his belly button. It's solid red right around it, and then it fades into the pin prick dots that are typical of heat rash about an inch out from the belly button.

I let dcmom know about it, but I haven't sent him home because I don't think it's anything serious -- just a little strange. Has anyone seen anything like this before?

It sounds exactly like ringworm!

[Unregistered]

If is should be ringworm, once it is treated for 2 days with a product like Lotrimin, it needs to be kept covered with a bandage. Happens all the time in wrestling, and the rule there is 2 days treatment and keep it covered. The ring can be present for weeks and weeks, but doesn't mean it is contagious all that time. This is the guideline our school nurse and wrestling team went by.

[safechner]

I found this picture that looked quite similar to mine.

http://boingboing.net/Images/kidsore.jpg

However, I think there are many reasons why this child should be seen by a doctor. Maybe I'm making it out to be worse than it is as only you know what it looks like.

I hate to tell you but it is ringworm. My best friend's son get it very often because he got it from school (it may be dirty or kids might have it). You will need to get an antibiotics for that from the doctor. Let us know how's it going..

[DBug]

Well, today the rash is almost invisible. It started out bright red in the morning yesterday, and by the time mom picked him up, it was still pink. This morning though, if you didn't know to look for it, you wouldn't see it.

Looking at that picture (and I googled a few more), ringworm seems to be a rash that has some texture or bumpiness to it. My dc boy's was completely smooth -- only the colour of his skin was affected.

But I guess my question now is, if the rash is pretty much gone today should I still suggest the ringworm possibility to the mom?

[TGT09]

Well, today the rash is almost invisible. It started out bright red in the morning yesterday, and by the time mom picked him up, it was still pink. This morning though, if you didn't know to look for it, you wouldn't see it.

Looking at that picture (and I googled a few more), ringworm seems to be a rash that has some texture or bumpiness to it. My dc boy's was completely smooth -- only the colour of his skin was affected.

But I guess my question now is, if the rash is pretty much gone today should I still suggest the ringworm possibility to the mom?

Well speaking of "my" experience with ringworm...it definitely has a texture. I would even go so far as to call it scaly and like severe dry skin. I would keep your eye on it but if it were my dckid I would want to make sure it's not something contagious regardless of ringworm or not. I know at least in our state there are lots of viral infection rash's going on right now and they all look different....not to mention are in various places of the body.

[Chickenhauler]

Well speaking of "my" experience with ringworm...it definitely has a texture. I would even go so far as to call it scaly and like severe dry skin. I would keep your eye on it but if it were my dckid I would want to make sure it's not something contagious regardless of ringworm or not. I know at least in our state there are lots of viral infection rash's going on right now and they all look different....not to mention are in various places of the body.

I've dealt with ringworm in livestock, and it kinda feels like a dry elbow scaly skin like condition.

Many times, any hair that is growing in the affected area also falls out.

Almost looks like a bunch of really small pimples, but dry.

[laundryduchess@yahoo.com]

thats ring worm, you can do an over the counter for it. =-) about 2 - 3 days the spot is gone, and a few days more its all over. We do treatment for 10 days here.