Tuesday, August 25, 2009 ptamommy asks

Q: 8 yr old with pimple like bumps on legs, arms, back, bottom. Has had them since 4 yrs old. help

My child has had bumps on arms and legs and bottom for 4 years now (he is 8). They are usually filled with a hard core if squeezed, but sometimes they can be very inflamed and filled with pus. The bumps have spread now to his back and stomach. He has been to several doctors, and not one has been successful in helping to clear these bumps. My son tells me that they can sometimes be very painful when inflamed, especially the ones on his bottom. What could be causing this? food allergy? something else? please help. He has also been taking zoloft for OCD behaviors since 4 years old, could this be a side effect? Was told that this doesnt really fit the diagnosis of KP.

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Answers (4)

babyspecs

11/ 2/09 5:11pm

molluscum contagiosum is another possibility. You can look into this as well. They can be clusters of pimple looking bumps. I believe my son has them as well & I will be taking him to a pediatric dermatologist at the end of this month.

They say it's a viral infection commonly called poxvirus. Non contageous, but I heard you should let them go into a pool with it because it can spread through the water to other children & to different parts of the body.

Also, if this sounds like what your son has... DO NOT SQUUEZE THEM/POP THEM... it has to hurt #1 & #2, it may spread & make more bumps either in that area or to other areas on the body.

They say that once their bodies build up an immunity to it, they should go away (they say 2-9 months, but my son has had them for about 2 yrs. Wondering if your son attending a new school or if he swam this summer with younger kids. Could've been where he contracted it, since he is 8 yrs old.

Look into it, and I hope you find a solution. When you are stumped, you can call a dermatologist. I am sure they will know best & give you some suggestions.

Karen

9/11/09 3:16pm

Hi there,

Your sons condition sounds exactly like what myself (35), my daughter (8), nieces (11 and 8) and other family members suffer from called Keritosis Pilaris, where your body produces too much keratin (the stuff found in our hair and nails ) I have it on the back of my thighs and back of arms. My daughter has it in those places and her buttocks.

My GP also has this condition and tells me that there is no cure for it and that most adolescents will out grow it. I developed it at about 9 years old and haven't outgrown it yet. I have a friend who is an RN and she tells me that too much keratin production is due to a vitamin A deficiency but I have not confirmed that yet. The only thing I have found that helps is to very gently exfoliate the area everytime I bathe or shower with an exfoliating mitt or pumice stone and then use a good moisturizer afterward that doesn't have any nasty chemicals in it ( especially important for young developing bodies).

It can be painful when infamed. My daughters arms sometimes get so prickly that it catches on her clothing and irritates her.

best of luck,

Karen

Kel

9/16/09 3:54pm

molluscum contagiosum - my son had this when he was two. I wasn't sure what it was and it didn't seem to bother him too much so I didn't worry about it until my friend, who is a doctor, came to watch him one day while I was out. She noticed them when she was changing his clothes and told me it might be molluscum contagiosum. I took him to the doctor and told her about this and she said we could wait it out or burn them off. I went online and found a treatment on a US site called ZymaDerm - I checked it out, ordered a vile and it worked like magic. He is now almost 9 and it has never returned.

9/21/09 1:58pm

I'm assuming that they have tried antibiotics for a bacterial skin infection?

Q: 8 yr old with pimple like bumps on legs, arms, back, bottom. Has had them since 4 yrs old. help

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