Skin Bumps on Child and Mother - Not Dad

[widmark]

We are desperately in need of help.  About 5 weeks ago, our diaper wearing 20 month old began getting little pimple-sized, pink bumps around the creases between leg and pelvis.  She also developed pink-eye at that time.  We took her to a pediatrician who thought it was a fairly non-contagious viral wart that would go away gradually.  We later saw a dermatologist who thought it could be scabies.  Within about a week we had four opinions... 1 dermatologists thought it was scabies, 1 dermatologist and 2 doctors thought it was probably molluscum and something we should just watch and apply itching cream as needed.

A week or so later the bumps had spread slightly but then appeared to be fading away, although our 3 year old had gotten 1 or 2 bumps along the way as well.  The grandparents stayed with us for 10 days and Grandma got a half dozen bumps on her abdomen, and Grandpa had nothing (both are in their mid 60s).  Grandparents returned to their house thousands of miles away and Grandmas bumps went away within a week.

The bumps appeared to be in a holding pattern about 4 1/2 weeks after our initial discovery on our 1 year old.  We then had house guests (2 parents and a 3 year old) and the 3 year old and mother got the bumps (about a half dozen for each).  While they stayed with us the bumps spread wildly on my 1 year old including to her scalp and back of the neck, and surprisingly and extensively on the mother (abdomen, under breasts, arms, and bikini area and chins).  The house guests departed after staying at our house for 3 days, and their bumps began going away within 24 hours.  I am the Dad and with the possible exception of a small bump on my forearm, I have not had bumps.

We saw another doctor who suggested the bumps could be scabies, and because scabies treatment is essentially harmless, he recommended we treat the whole family with permethrin cream, wash linens in hot water/hot dry, etc. which we did last night.  Based on the online pictures I have seen, I really didn't believe it was scabies based on the bump patter, but we are willing to try almost anything.  I took pictures of my 1 year old and the mother this morning after the first scabies treatment, and attached one of the pictures here of my 1 year old.  It looks like the bumps have spread and swollen slightly.  My wife has now got bumps on her shoulder area.  I feel a little itchy and I may have a new bump on my knee, but still my 3 year old and I seem to be relatively unscathed.

So we are baffled and exasperated, as it doesn't look like this is scabies... it looks as if the cream helped to spread the existing condition which I would guess makes some sense if the problem if bacterial or viral.

Some theories/thoughts on what it could be related to:

- We live in an older house with some moisture in the crawl space underneath.  Mosture/mold condition?
- Bed bugs?  I don't think so, and have looked all over for signs, but found nothing.
- Fleas?  I don't think so as I have not seen any fleas, and we have no pets and hardwood floors.  We do have a carpet on the outside patio where the kids spend lots of time... and birds eat bird seed from areas of the carpet as well... could that be a harbinger for whatever is causing the condition?
- If viral, is there ANYTHING we can do to destroy the virus in the house?  How to identify it or does it matter?  Any options other than waiting or freezing off the bumps?

I find it interesting that men do not seem to get it, and that everyone who leaves the house seems to benefit very quickly.  I am constantly hugging/touching my 1 year old and putting cortisone creams on her because she itches so much.  Yet as I say, I have been fairly unaffected.

Please help....*anything* would be much appreciated.  Our plan is to see a pediatric dermatologist asap, but its been difficult to get a quick appointment.  Thank you.

[widmark]

Your email address was blocked so unfortunately I can't respond directly.  No mice or hampsters.  I wonder if the Avon product includes Deet.  I think Deet is more for prevention and can irritate if you have agitated bites.  Mites seem to like skin creases and so it certainly sounds consistent with mites from your description.  Good luck... we are still mite free.  : )

[hayducky]

Also somewhere in my research that Avon's skin so soft is a bug repellant and to try that on your skin, but I think I also read  you can wash your bedding in it too??? As long as they are not biting me or my children anymore I would think they would eventually die.

[hayducky]

I too suffer from some mite bites as well as one other child, wonder if you had any hampsters or mice in the home, I think this is where mine came from, my bites look like mosquito bites and are in moist creases or under the elestic parts of my waist or the edges of my bra, I dont know how to treat, I am up to suggestions, you can email me ***@**** for I am not sure if I will be lucky enough to find this forum again. Good luck

[widmark]

Yes, thankfully.  It was bird mites in addition to HSP (Henoch-Schonlein Purpura) in my youngest child.  We didn't know about the HSP until months later.   HSP is typically only temporary lasting maybe a year.  Its an immune system reaction to being sick... essentially you are sick and then HSP causes you to have a negative reaction to being sick... causing some respiratory issues, arthritis, blotchy/red rash (purpura) primarily on the legs, fever, and stomach pain among other things.

I had removed and bird nests in the eaves/etc. on my conviction that we had bird mites, although we had an outdoor patio "carpet" that was still in place from a prior owner.  While bathing one of my kids probably just weeks after my last post, I noticed what looked like 25 or 30 specs of dust "moving" along the back rim of the tub.  I got my child out of the tub, and grabbed the specs using tape and contacted the health dept.  They positively identified the specs as bird mites.  You would think we would have been horrified, but it was such a relief to know what the issue was since bird mites were one of the easiest of the possibilities to deal with.  We removed the patio carpet immediately and a bird feeder under an eave figuring these were harboring the mites.  The bites went away very quickly.

The HSP lingered, although seems to have gone away as of 3 or 4 months ago, knock on wood.  Having HSP was unfortunate parallel path while the bird mite problem was going on.  We ended up going to a number of doctors on to diagnose the HSP, since HSP is impossible to conclusively identify, and also because one of the unlikely, albeit severe potential outcomes is kidney failure.  You need to monitor HSP with urine and blood tests to make sure the kidneys are functioning well.  Not exactly fun for a two year old.

Your email was a good reminder to be thankful the episode is over!

[srstevens]

Did you ever get your bumps/itching resolved?

[widmark]

We saw a pediatric dermatologist today.  They believe the bumps are flea bites.

Since we don't have carpet (hardwood floors), don't have pets, and have never seen a flea in the house despite many bites... I looked to see what other bugs could have created the problem.  We have a very old outdoor rug on our back patio, over which we have a bird feeder.  Birds are constantly standing on the patio eating... so I looked up bird related bugs.  We also have two nests, one recently abandoned, above some speakers hanging under the eaves and over the patio.  So.... I am convinced its bird mites.  Has anybody dealt with bird mites?  How to get rid of them?

Thanks.

[widmark]

Thank you.  This makes some sense, and it can't hurt to run some bleach around those spots.  We don't have any carpet in the house and no basement.  There are no visible signs of mold either.

I woke up this morning with new bumps (about 3 or 4 new bumps... around my knee/lower outer thigh, arm pit area, and lower chest/upper abodmen).  I am putting retin-A on them and it seems to help after a few days.

Since we've had 8 out of 9 people who stayed at our house get the bumps within a day or two, and without any apparent breathing issues, does it make sense that so many of us would have such a quick and essentially identical reaction if it was mold?  I think of mold as typically impacting respiration to some degree, and seems odd that none of us are having trouble breathing if its mold.  Just a thought.

After taking the scabies meds and exhaustively cleaning the linens, etc, I am convinced this isn't scabies.  I also don't believe its fleas or bed bugs as we have searched high and low for both and I know they can be seen with the naked eye.  None of us have seen any bugs in the house.

Mulluscom would seem to be a possibility.  Having scoured many websites it appears mulluscom takes at least a week of incubation to show bumps.  Based on our various house guests, the bumps have been showing up in as little as 24 to 48 hours.  Also, the pictures of mulluscom bumps that I have seen on-line are more wart-like, somewhat whiteish and protrude from the skin; our bumps are more small and pimple-like, red/pink, and with an occasional tiny white head whether in adults or children.  All are very, very itchy.

So I wonder if we have another viral type of skin rash or if we have essentially found all the possibilities?  Since the bumps/rash seems to go away quickly after folks leave the house, wouldn't this be a little incongruous with a virus?

Thanks again.

[Dr_Aparna]

Hi,
From you description it seems to be an allergic out-break in your home.
Mold grows on bathroom walls, it makes basements smell bad and in your home this could be the cause.
If you inhale the spores, you could get a case of allergic rhinitis, otherwise known as hay fever -- an unpleasant combination of runny nose, sneezing, watery eyes, itching, congestion and coughing.
Mold is a type of fungus that thrives in warm, moist environments. The air can be full of it in warm summer months, often causing seasonal cases of hay fever.
You may need an antihistamine medication to control your symptoms. In severe cases, your doctor may prescribe a series of allergy shots to help reduce your sensitivity to mold.
There are also extra steps you can take to keep mold under control. Wash your bathroom once a month with a dilute bleach solution .To prevent mold from taking hold, your kitchen and bathroom should be well ventilated. If possible, get rid of carpets in your basement or bathrooms. If a carpet or upholstery gets soaked, have it removed or replaced immediately.
ref:http://www.myonlinewellness.com/topic/mold