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Home › Articles › Toddler Health › Hives

Hives

What Causes Those Angry Red Bumps?

By Katherine Bontrager

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Dr. O'Keefe says run-of-the-mill hives are very common, and their bark is worse than their bite. "And the breakouts are a very individual thing," she says. "The more allergic a child is, the more often the breakouts will occur."

If foods or common airborne allergens are suspected, allergy testing can be useful, Dr. Maitland says. "For chronic hives, an allergist can perform a detailed past medical history, assessment of the home environment, use of medications, supplements and food diaries," she says.

In Alexis' case, doctors treated the hives with a combination of hydroxyzine (an antihistamine) and Zantac. "The Zantac apparently has a type of histamine blocker in it that is effective on certain kinds of hives," Mooney says. "For Alexis, that ended up being the magic bullet."

Thankfully, Alexis is now almost 8 years old, and, as the doctors suggested, she has nearly outgrown the hives entirely. "She's been off a regular regimen of Zantac for nearly three years," Mooney says. "And in those years she's had probably three outbreaks, which last just a few minutes until she's had one dose of Zantac. Otherwise, it's just becoming a bit of a distant memory – knock on wood."

Signs of Something More Serious

There are some cases were an onset of hives will require an immediate trip to the doctor's office. "Sometimes hives can indicate a severe food allergy," Dr. O'Keefe says. "But if a child has a peanut allergy, there will be more than just hives. There will be swelling of the lips and trouble breathing, in which case you need to call 911 or rush the child to the emergency room. Anaphylactic shock is an absolute emergency."

As with anything, if your child looks sick, call the physician, Dr. Maitland says. "Sometimes an acute onset of hives can indicate the beginnings of an infection," she says. "If your child develops difficulty breathing or wheezing, has a fever or joint swelling, has abdominal pain, starts to cough or is now hoarse, this may be a sign of an impending severe allergic reaction that requires urgent or prompt attention."


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