Help with infant flat pink blotchy rash?

Question

My son has been cutting teeth. He is cutting 2 eye teeth and 1 molar. He normally runs a low grade fever when cutting them so of course all weekend he had a fever. It was at it's worse on Monday but the fever dissappeared Sunday. Monday night he vomited. When he awoke Tuesday morning he had a flat blotchy rash all over his chest, back, face and the back sides of his arms. If you touch it you feel nothing. His skin just looks blotchy and very pink. There are no other symptoms, it's not itchy, there is no heat in it and doesn't seem to bother him. I'm thinking maybe he had a reaction to orange juice because he had this Monday afternoon and has never had it before. The only thing is it's now Thursday and it's still there. I figured if it was an allergic reaction then it would be gone by now. He is 17 months old. I don't know if his teething has anything to do with it or not. I have done research on the computer and in my baby books but can't seem to come up with an answer.

Answer 1

sounds like roseola,

What is roseola?

Roseola is one of the very common mild viruses that can cause a temperature and rash in babies and young children. It usually does not cause problems for the child except sometimes causing the child to feel unwell

Roseola is a mild viral illness of sudden onset and short duration that most commonly affects young children. Roseola is most common in children 6 to 24 months of age. The average age is around 9 months. Less frequently, older children, teens, and adults may be infected.

What virus causes roseola?

Roseola is primarily caused by a virus called human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) and less commonly by human herpesvirus 7 (HHV-7).

How is roseola spread?

Roseola is spread from person to person, most likely by transfer of oral secretions. Roseola is not very contagious. The incubation period between exposure to the virus and onset of symptoms is nine to 10 days.

What are the first signs and symptoms of roseola?

The signs and symptoms of HHV-6 (or HHV-7) infection vary depending upon the age of the patient. Infants and toddlers routinely will develop sudden symptoms with a sudden high fever that lasts for three to five days, irritability, bulging "soft spot" on the head (fontanel), swollen glands in the front or back of the neck, runny nose, puffy eyelids (due to swelling with fluid), and mild diarrhea. Within 12-24 hours of the fever breaking, a rash rapidly appears. Older children who develop HHV-6 (or HHV-7) infection are more likely to have an illness characterized by several days of high fever and possibly a runny nose and/or diarrhea. Older children less commonly develop a rash as the fever abates.

How high can the fever go?

The fever can be quite high. The fever averages 103.5 F (39.7 C) but it can go up as high as 103-106 F (39.4-41.2 C).

How should the fever be treated?

If the fever is not causing the child to be uncomfortable, the fever need not be treated. It is not necessary to awaken the child to treat a fever unless instructed to do so by a health-care practitioner.

If you wish to treat the fever, acetaminophen (Tylenol and others) can be used to lower a fever. Aspirin should never be used for fever in children or adolescents.

A child with a fever should be kept comfortable and not be overdressed. Overdressing can cause the temperature to go higher. Bathing with tepid water (85 F or 29.5 C) may help bring down a fever. Never sponge a child (or an adult) with alcohol; the alcohol fumes may be inhaled causing many problems. If a child develops shivering during the bath, the temperature of the bath water should be raised

Answer 2

could it be the fifth disease?  

http://kidshealth.org/parent/infections/...

Answer 3

When a baby/child comes out with a suspicious rash it's best to get it checked out.  Are there any purple patches at all?  Purple patches can indicate meningicoccal (but I don't want to alarm you unnecessarily).

The best thing to do is take him to your GP and get it looked at.  It could simply be a teething rash (my daughter came out with a rash when was teething too).