Keratosis Pilaris

[missmommy]

i posted a rash question a few days ago but i think i have learned more since then, but i have new questions )

ok i have been going crazy tring to figure out what has been causing my sons rash! he has these goosebump like bumpys all over.

last week he had what i thought was a really bad tummy flu. diarrhea, projectile vomiting. then as soon as that all started seemingly going away he started to get a little rash on his face, near his mouth and nose. he is teething so i thought it was from all the extra drool. but it kept getting worse.

we ended up taking him to the ER the night before last because he was getting fevers and his rash had me freaked out. it covered his face, his arms and legs. but really nothing on the trunk of his body.

he got tested for strep and things since thats all the dr thought it could be. we found out he didnt have that but he had a double ear infection. so the dr told us he could have gotten a rash from the fevers. so he just gave us antibiotics for his ears. my husband asked if it could be related to eating gluten, since we were both worried about that. the dr said no right away. my husband said we were worried since im a celiac. the dr said "whats that? like a capricorn or leo"? he said to go see the dr again on fri to make sure the fevers and rash and ears are doing better.

his fever is gone and he has been acting like he feels better, but his rash is still there and it doesnt look like it is getting better.

i have been all over the internet trying to find what type of rash this might be. i finally found pictures and things that actually look like it.

after reading all about keratosis pilaris i decided to look up if there was a link to celiac and all kinds of stuff popped up!

ok guys i need your help! please im going crazy, i am so scared that the baby has celiac too, ad this is the frist sign. anybody know about this type of skin problem? could it be a reaction to gluten? like ive said before we try to keep gluten away from him but i have had friends give him nibbles of things and he hews on the same stuff as other babies at church who im sure just finished off a hand full of cheerios.

katie

[purple]

I can only tell you about my 17 year old dd, etc. She was born with what we called heat rashes in July. Her older sister is gluten intolerant as of last Feb. My 17 yr old dd is on a mostly gluten-free/all vegan diet for 3 months now. She has not been tested. Their grandma has many symptoms of being allergic to wheat. My dh has some symptoms. I have none. My 17 yr old has had keratosis pilaris for 3 years. Its hard bumps on her arms. They don't itch but they drive her crazy so she picks them and they bleed and scab then the cycle repeats. Since changing her diet it has cleared up alot. I never see scabs anymore. She has been a very healthy child, only gets a cold about once per year. No other problems, praise God! At first we thought the 3 years of skin issues was related to her being a dish washer at local restaurants for 3 years. Then we learned about gluten when the oldest was diagnosed allergic.

For now I would think your baby is a celiac b/c its genetic. We are not celiacs so I can't answer any questions about it.

Read lots on here, there is alot of info. Be sure to take him to a doc that knows LOTS about celiac or you are wasting your time/$.

[April in KC]

My oldest son has KP, on the backs of his upper arms particularly (that's a very typical KP location). He has Celiac and also food allergies (peanuts, soy, pork, etc.) KP can be caused by vitamin A deficiency, which we discovered he has. I have been trying to supplement him with A since finding out...too early to know if it will cause it to go away. KP is causes little hard bumps. You might check to see if KP is typical in the locations where your child has the rash - it not, you might keep searching for the cause. I'll bet there are other rashes that can look like KP.

I have dermatitis herpetiformis (definitely gluten related), and one of my sons also seems to have that. His DH rash is smaller and more delicate than the typical adult version. As a baby, it looked like fine dots, a bit like KP. He also had facial eczema until he went on a gluten-free diet.

good luck!

[hadabaday2day]

I am very new here, but I can tell you what I have experienced with my son.

I have celiac disease and both my kids have tested negative. I am positive that my son has it anyways and he will be going gluten free. He has had eczema since he was a tiny baby. He doesn't get too many dry patches (which would be typical of eczema), he gets small bumps all over but moreso on his arms, legs and face. I have never even compared it to KP but it sounds like a good match. One time he even got hives. The doctors have told me this is an "atypical reaction to his eczema" He has the small bumps almost constantly and whenever he gets sick he gets a rash onhis body and mainly his face. It's like the little bumps just flare up. Happens almost every time right after he has been sick.

So while I have no definate answer for you since we have not tried him on the diet yet, I am 99% sure that he has it and that his eczema (and all it's atypical reactions) will go away once he is gluten free. My doctor agreed that it was almost like he was allergic to being sick, or allergic to viruses. It makes sense to me when you consider that Celiac is an autoimmune disorder. I hope that might help you a little.

Alia

[Fiddle-Faddle]

One of my kids had a rash that was a lot like wht you describe.

Our ped sent him to a dermatologist, who took one look and said,

"This is definitely a drug rash, what's he on."

He was on breast milk, that was it--BUT he had just had his 4-month immunizations 24 hours before the rash started. According to the dermatologist, that was definitely the cause.

He also has gluten intolerance. Had I known then what I know now, I would have delayed or refused vaccines, and not had him on gluten.

[Amyleigh0007]

I went to a dermatologist shortly after my daughter was born last year for a rash I had on my arms and legs. She said it was karatosis pilars and perscribed some gross acid lotion. The lotion did not work but going gluten free did! A month after I went gluten free the rash was gone.

[purple]

I was checking out oil pulling and came across info on keratosis pilaris. Google it with oil pulling therapy. Do lots of research before trying it esp. if you have mercury fillings. I wouldn't recommend it for kids.There is an oil pulling thread under "gab/chat" with a few links posted. Also check out apple cider vinegar with KP.

[frec]

The gluten-free forum scores again! After reading this thread I did a bit more research and by golly, I think you've diagnosed the mystery rash I've had for 8 months. (My dermatologist just said, oh, yeah, a rash...that'll be $200) Here I've been changing soaps and lotions and worrying about a Candida flareup and just below the radar glutenings (though that still may be a factor)... Thank you.

Honestly, I despair about doctors sometimes.

[missmommy]

The gluten-free forum scores again! After reading this thread I did a bit more research and by golly, I think you've diagnosed the mystery rash I've had for 8 months. (My dermatologist just said, oh, yeah, a rash...that'll be $200) Here I've been changing soaps and lotions and worrying about a Candida flareup and just below the radar glutenings (though that still may be a factor)... Thank you.

Honestly, I despair about doctors sometimes.

well doctors at times can be very helpful but.... at other times not so helpful, "celiac whats that? like a capricorn or a leo or something."

but thank God for forums like this! when you think you are going crazy or turning into a hyprocondreact, there is other people here to understand what all the worry is about!

but here is an update on my sons rash. the bumps that were on him did end up spreading to his torso too. they continued to get worse on the back of his arms and legs. but finally it all started to fade everywhere but on his legs. his legs became scaley and cracked. they feel so dry and scratchy, but they dont seem to bother him.

i have been slathering on aquaphor and that seems to help. he goes to the dr in 2 weeks for a baby well check up and i am going to ask for a referral for a dermatologist.