Hives are a condition in which a very characteristic allergic reaction occurs on the superficial skin of the baby. In cases where this reaction is on the skin but deeper, the picture is then known as angioedema.
It is a fairly frequent process in children's age, especially in young children, and that can be seen acutely (more or less immediate reactions after contact with the substance that produces the allergy), or chronically (hives processes that last more than six weeks).
Causes of urticaria and angioedema
Both pictures are manifestations of an allergy picture in babies. There are many substances that can trigger them, such as food, creams, tissues or metals. But the process can also be triggered by such curious causes as cold, pressure, sunlight ... or even water!
It seems that in children who may be subjected to situations of family stress, these types of skin reactions may be easier to see.
There are specific types of hives in which the picture appears when the child sweats, exercises or bathes with hot water.
The mechanism is always based on an allergic process, in which the skin reacts to a stimulus that, erroneously, recognizes as strange and therefore triggers that defensive reaction.
Symptoms of urticaria and angioedema
The most characteristic of hives is the appearance on the skin of the so-called "hives". These habons are small elevations of the skin, which are more or less reddish in color and have very irregular edges. They usually bite a lot and it is also very characteristic that they appear and disappear quickly, so they give the feeling that they are changing places.
The greatest risk of these hives is that when itching so much, the child himself can cause self-injury from the continuous scratching of the skin, which runs the risk of becoming infected by bacteria. This is much more frequent in younger children, where it is more difficult to control scratching.
Sometimes it occurs a curious phenomenon, known as "dermographism". This name comes to mean "write on the skin", because when you pass your finger through the child's skin, a line-shaped horn appears after a few seconds that follows the drawing. This is seen a lot in heat-related hives.
He angioedema It consists in the appearance of urticaria lesions but at a deeper level, inside the skin. This causes the child to have inflamed and indurated areas of the body. They do not usually itch, but they do hurt, even in the form of punctures, especially when touching or palpating inflamed areas.
Most often both hives and angioedema occur in mild or moderate forms. In the first one or several areas of the skin are affected, but with few lesions that disappear in a few hours. In moderate cases the involvement may be greater and last several days. In addition to hives there may be angioedema.
Severe cases are characterized because the presence of angioedema is greater and more severe. The greatest risk is that it affects the face and neck, so that areas that endanger the entry of air through the airway can be inflamed. In these cases the child should always be taken quickly to an emergency department.
Treatment of urticaria and angioedema
Acute cases of urticaria and angioedema usually evolve in hours or in a few days. In turn they can be mild, moderate or severe.
Slight pictures are usually treated with little or no medication, and remit in a short time. Moderates usually require oral treatment, such as antihistamines or even corticosteroids, which should always be prescribed by a pediatrician.
Serious cases are those in which inflammation can put the child's life at risk, so they should always be evaluated in an emergency department. There, depending on the child's condition, he will receive treatment with adrenaline, corticosteroids, oxygen or other measures that he may need.
In summary…
Both hives and angioedema are the manifestation in the skin of an allergy process in infants and children of any age. Most cases consist of mild hives, but others are moderate or severe, requiring different treatments that should always be prescribed and controlled by the Pediatrician.
The only way to avoid their appearance is to avoid exposure or ingestion of the substance that triggers them. For this reason it is very important that the Pediatrician knows the appearance and evolution of the pictures, in order to find this substance through allergy studies.
Once the substance is known, any person in charge of the child should be advised.
