What does a measles rash look like?

[eilonwy]

I've looked up all the symptoms, and it looks like my little guy has the measles as well as an ear infection . I've never seen the rash, though, and I can't find a really good description online. Does anyone know a site where I could find a picture and a good clear description of how it spreads? Also, is there anything to be done about it?

The other possibility is that he's developed an allergic reaction to the antibiotic he was on for the ear infection (amoxicillin). Are there any pictures of drug-allergy rashes? And what are the other symptoms of a drug-allergy?

[tausborn]

http://images.google.com/images?q=me...=Google+Search

The above link is an image search on google. WAY more pictures than I ever wanted to see of rashes on children and babies!

[eilonwy]

I've got to remember google when I do searches... : Thank you!

ETA: My little man definately has the measles, from those pictures & what I've read. His ped said "Well, he may or may not have the measles or an allergy to amoxicillin. We'll take him off of the amoxil, and write that he has an allergy in his chart. Measles is caused by a virus, so there's nothing we can do about that either. Hope you guys are immunized." *sigh* I just hate seeing my little man sick .

[darkpear]

Aww, poor little guy!

Try oatmeal baths? That was the only thing that gave dp any relief when he had measles a couple of years ago.

[Justice2]

A short story....When my baby was 2 days old we came home from the hospital. Well, at the time we lived with my parents and they have company over quite frequently. Well, there was this lady and her 11 year old son there when we arrived. As this is a great family friend, I didn't mind introducing my new son to her and her child. Well, the next day this lady gets a call from her son's school. It seems her son has a measle~like rash and she needed to pick him up and take him to the doctor. Well, this boy having been around my 2 day old son, naturally I became a bit concerned and called his ped. The ped told me that she (not having seen the boy with the rash) could bet me, confidently, that this boy did not have the measles. That measles, in this country are extremely rare because of the vax. I asked her "what could happen to my baby if it was the measles that he was exposed to" and her response was " Well, hun, I have been a ped nurse for over 10 years and have NEVER seen a case of the measles in a newborn, that is how rare it is."

**edited for memory**

When I was carrying my second baby (that I lost later) I had severe problems and ended up in the hospital on IV antibiotics. 2 days after I was released I broke out in a very measle~like rash and actually thought I had the measles. I freaked, because of my pregnancy, and rushed to the er. They took me right back and after an exam told me that I had an allergic reaction to one of the antibiotics administered in the hospital a couple of days before. The symptoms that I had...I felt very lethargic, tiny dots all over my body that started on my chest and within 2 hours had spead ALL OVER. And to this day, I have never experienced and itch like that...not even when I had the chicken pox. I don't think I had a fever (but if your guy has an ear infection, that could very well be the cause of a fever). All in all, I felt like crap!

Now, I am not saying that your child DOESN'T have the measles, but I would also been more prone to believe that it was an allergic reaction (penicilline allergies are VERY common, much more so than the measles) and would keep him away from any penicilline based meds. s to your little guy and I hope that whatever he has goes away very soon!

[eilonwy]

I appreciate the input, Justice2, but my sons symptoms differ in a few ways. (They did, rather; he's starting to get better now, thank goodness!)

1. Measles causes characteristic spots in the mouth, on the insides of the cheeks. He had these.

2. His rash started behind his ears. This is a very strange place for an allergic rash to begin (unless it's to earrings or shampoo), but it's usually where the measles rash begins. It's spreading pattern was also very suggestive of measles.

3. His rash doesn't itch. Allergic rashes nearly always itch fiercely (and I've had several of different kinds, so I would know!), but the measles rash usually doesn't itch at all; it just looks like it should.

4. His eyes were swollen and he screamed bloody murder when exposed to light. (Again, very common with the measles, very rare with allergies.)

5. He ran a very high fever (104.2 was the highest I temp I recorded, and I'm willing to bet it was higher at some points ). Some people are inclined to run fevers with allergic reactions (I am one of them), but they are usually much lower, even in infants.

6. He's still got the rash. Allergic rashes to medication generally disappear within 36 hours of the last dose; Eli last had Amoxil at 8 am on Monday.

My mother is allergic to penicillin, so I have no problem with listing an Amoxicillin allergy in his chart as it is still a possibility. While measles is very rare in this country, in areas of the country with large unvaccinated populations (for example, places with large Amish communities) it is more common, and I happen to live in one of those areas and visit another weekly (south & central PA).

As a result of my research and the opinions of others (including his pediatrician), I have been taking precautions based on the idea that my son had a contagious disease, which I thought was the more polite thing to do as we are, at least weekly, in contact with children too young to have been vaccinated and potentially too young to deal well with the disease. I made it a point to inform people with very young children with whom Eli was in contact this week, as well as pregnant women, that they may have been exposed to the measles. Better safe than sorry.

edited to fix smilies.

[Justice2]

I think you were right in keeping him away from people who were at a high risk for catching the virus (and from your description, it does indeed sound as if he had the measles versus an allergic reaction). I hope that he is feeling better! I had the measles as a child (and mumps too...so much for the vax ) and they are terrible...not fun at all! s to your little guy!