how to tell if baby is itchy?

[psychochick]

FTM here with a 5 month old who has developed a couple of patches of red-ish bumps on chest and neck. We sent photos to his pediatrician who didn't seem too concerned but she asked if they were itchy. I said he hasn't been scratching them and she seemed satisfied with that answer. But another advice nurse told me that babies that young won't know to scratch when it's itchy, and they'll just be fussy instead and he had been a bit more fussy the last few days so now I'm unsure. So wanted to ask other moms, do 5 month olds know to scratch their chest if it's itchy? I know he scratches his eyes when tired and can pull at ears now but not sure if he has yet to discover his chest?

 

[Mrs.H2016]

No but he will be fussy. Rub it for him and see if he settles and seems more at ease. They get rashes like you mentioned a lot and most times it's nothing

 

[noon_child]

I didn't realise my LO was sooooooo itchy as a baby because she wasn't scratching. Around 5 months she would rub her legs together or against the floor to scratch them but hadn't worked out how to scratch her face thankfully. I think, now that I know how much she scratched later on, that the reason she was so difficult to get to nap or relax anywhere was that she was really itchy

 

[autumnal]

It never even occurred to me that they might get itchy

 

[noon_child]

It never even occurred to me that they might get itchy

I should have mentioned my LO had quite bad eczema.

 

[psychochick]

Ah yea. LO only has these bumps on his chest and back so I guess he really can't indicate that it's itchy. I am not quite sure what it is but some of it went away quickly after I put some calendula cream on him, basically went away over night. But others seem more stubborn. Dunno if that's to be expected for eczema or dry heat rashes. I've been reading such conflicting info on rashes online heh.

 

[autumnal]

Yeah mine gets eczema too from his milk allergy