Toddler skin bumps itchy at night

My son has had itchy bumps that seemed to develop only at night for 2 days. Each night they appear at different spots (elbow, knees, thighs, forearm...etc.). They are about 2-5mm bumps that come in groups of 3-6 in each spot. I see the bumps in the morning after he woke up, but after a while they disappeared.

I am wondering what's happening? Could this be allergy related, like something he ate that he's allergic to? or just dry itchy skin due to soap and hot water? He had mild watery stools yesterday and also a lingering cold with stuffy nose/coughs, but otherwise look fine. I am not convinced that they are related to the same cause either. Please help!! as it has been very disruptive for his sleep (therefore mine too)!

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
From the symptoms they can be hives. Hives (medically known as urticaria) are red, itchy, raised areas of skin that appear in varying shapes and sizes. They have a tendency to change size rapidly and to move around, disappearing in one place and reappearing in other places, often in a matter of hours. Mostly they are due to allergic reaction. Allergies are an important cause of hives. So just check out his diet or the potential allergens he may be coming in contact with. Since he is having runny stools and cold, the hives could have been due to viral infection also as viral infections are another important cause of hives.

If the symptoms persist then get an evaluation done by a dermatologist.
It is very difficult to precisely confirm a diagnosis without examination and investigations and the answer is based on the medical information provided. For exact diagnosis, you are requested to consult your doctor. I sincerely hope that helps. Take care and please do keep me posted on how you are doing.