Chicken pox usually start on the abdomen, right? Can they start on the....

[StephandOwen]

butt? We just noticed a bunch of little red spots on ds's butt. I have no idea what they are. We're hoping for the chicken pox, but it seems unlikely since they usually start on the abdomen, right? He doesn't have any spots anywhere else. DP and I were discussing it (talking about how we'll keep an eye on it and see if more spots show up) and ds got really excited saying "I have the chicken pox mama?!? Really?!?" When I told him I didn't think so he got really disappointed. LOL!

[la mamita]

my son got his first on his neck--just one and i thought it was a spider bite. then he got them ALL OVER his butt, and almost nowhere else. a few on the back and face and arms, but definitely concentrated on the underwear area. not fun!

[StephandOwen]

How weird! At bedtime tonight he was scratching his arm so I took a look and there's a tiny red spot there too. Huh. May or may not be chicken pox. Maybe it's just a rash. Who knows.

So now my question is.... how do I know to send him to school or keep him home in the morning?!? If he has the chicken pox, will he likely be covered in spots so it's obvious in the morning? What if he just has the couple spots on his butt and the 1 spot on his arm in the morning? Do I send him? He can't really afford to miss more school if he's *not* sick, ya know?

[stik]

Chicken pox usually start on the belly, but they can start anywhere.  Is there fluid in the bumps?  If it's chicken pox, they should look like blisters with a red base, filled with clear or cloudy fluid. 

[CarrieMF]

They can start anywhere.

My middle dd had 1 spot under her eye.  It looked like a pimple.  I'd been through the cp earlier in the year with my oldest & instinct told me to not touch it.  It was there for 1 WEEK before they started to spread.  It was the 2nd day of them spreading before they spread fast & I swear every 5minutes she had more.  She was covered in them.

My youngest had hers start on her back on her shoulder blad.

If they are the CP there should be more in the morning & they should be starting to look more pox like - pimply/pus filled. 

I'd keep him home tomorrow so you can try & figure it out.  Rashes could be anything from heat rash to measles.

[StephandOwen]

Well, by this morning they were smaller and not pimply or pus filled so we sent him to school...