Lyme Question :-(

[Annie]

This morning I pulled an adult female deer tick off of my son's head. It wasn't completely engorged, but I'm pretty sure she had been feeding for a bit already because she wasn't flat either. We were at the park on Wednesday, and I'm feeling guilty that I didn't properly check his hair after we got home. I mean, it's January, right? Sigh. If he got it at the park, it would have been on him for about 48 hours. There's a chance he got it yesterday because he walked through some bushes for a minute, but in all likelihood he probably got it Wednesday. I suppose there's also a chance he got it on Tuesday in our yard. He has a fair amount of hair, and they're so small. I feel just awful. We live in Virginia which is middle of the road as far Lyme goes, but I've heard that our city is a worse area than many around here. My understanding is that protocol is not to do any precautionary treatment in children under eight. Is that accurate? Does anyone know the transmission rate if the tick is infected?

 

My husband suggested that we shave his hair off so that we can better watch for a rash. He's a wiggly little boy, and I admit that it's hard to inspect his scalp for a rash as it is right now. He just had his first hair cut about three weeks ago, and I'm just getting over not seeing his sweet baby curls. I would be sad to see rest of his shaggy little boy hair go.

 

Do you guys think we should shave his hair down tomorrow morning so we can watch for a rash more easily? Any other advice? He's been somewhat behind verbally, and although he's really caught up a lot in the last month or two, I don't know how much I would trust him to communicate any symptoms he may develop. :crying:

 

 

The picture is right after his first hair cut. :001_wub:

[Remudamom]

Well, he is a darling. I'd hate to shave his head too.

 

Don't feel too bad, once when one of our dds was about two she walked past her dad, who patted her on top of the head and then screamed. She had a monstrous tick full as.......well, a tick! And a little girl!!!! It's not like I didn't brush her hair everyday and put little ribbons in it. I have no idea how that thing got in there and got so big.

 

Maybe you could just watch the spot carefully, draw a circle with a marker on his scalp so you don't lose it?

[Farrar]

Apparently one of the newer Lyme realizations is that the spot does not have to be at the site of the bite. So watch his whole body. And watch for him to get the other symptoms as well and if he does, then I would insist on a Lyme test. I would definitely not shave him. Poor kid! Honestly, I think if you were going to go that far then you could just never allow him to have hair. Ticks are just everywhere. There's only so much we can do. He'll get others.

 

In a way, the easiest thing is if he gets the rash and all the symptoms. Then you know, you treat, you're good. That's what happened to my ds last spring - he had such a classic rash that the doctor called in a bunch of staff to see it as a demo. No wondering involved.

[Annie]

Well, he is a darling. I'd hate to shave his head too. Don't feel too bad, once when one of our dds was about two she walked past her dad, who patted her on top of the head and then screamed. She had a monstrous tick full as.......well, a tick! And a little girl!!!! It's not like I didn't brush her hair everyday and put little ribbons in it. I have no idea how that thing got in there and got so big. Maybe you could just watch the spot carefully, draw a circle with a marker on his scalp so you don't lose it?

 

Thank you. We're pretty smitten with him. Your story made me feel a little better. I drew a circle around it this afternoon, but it's still a little hard to find.

 

Apparently one of the newer Lyme realizations is that the spot does not have to be at the site of the bite. So watch his whole body. And watch for him to get the other symptoms as well and if he does, then I would insist on a Lyme test. I would definitely not shave him. Poor kid! Honestly, I think if you were going to go that far then you could just never allow him to have hair. Ticks are just everywhere. There's only so much we can do. He'll get others. In a way, the easiest thing is if he gets the rash and all the symptoms. Then you know, you treat, you're good. That's what happened to my ds last spring - he had such a classic rash that the doctor called in a bunch of staff to see it as a demo. No wondering involved.

 

I remember reading that about the rash last summer. Thanks for reminding me. The rash is most commonly at the bite site though, right? I agree about the easiest situation (assuming he was infected) being a clear rash and symptoms. That's the only reason I considered cutting his hair off - so there wouldn't be any doubt about seeing the rash or not.

[besroma]

If you know where it was attached, I would shave that area, leave the rest shaggy, then let the hair grow back over it.

 

I would not want to wonder for years....

 

(ETA: I am not saying this is what *you* should do, but what I would do.)

 

I know that the rash does not always appear, but at least it would give you some peace of mind.

 

Did you ask your ped.? When the same thing happened with my dd, my ped. was not concerned because of the county we lived in. That made me feel better.

 

He is adorable, and I totally get it about cutting off the curls.

 

:grouphug:

[Farrar]

But look, the rash can be anywhere. I don't know that it is more often at the site of the bite, actually. My ds's wasn't unless there was another tick or it moved - see, that's the problem with it - as I understand it, unknowns like that make it hard to study. Plus, I think it's typically pretty clear. If you're not looking, then hair will make you miss it. If you are looking, then you'll definitely see it on the scalp. Are you really going to shave a kid's head every time he gets a tick? My kids get them all spring. Yes, I worry. Yes, I know people with chronic Lyme and it scares me. Yes, we do routine tick checks and rash checks in season or if they have a tick. But I also won't let it prevent my kids from being normal (with hair) and doing normal stuff.

[Catwoman]

If you think there is even a chance that the tick was on him for more than 24 hours, get him on antibiotics immediately.

 

Once symptoms appear, it is much harder to get rid of Lyme, but if he starts antibiotics right away, he will probably never even develop a single symptom.

 

 

[Mergath]

I would take him to the doctor. Don't bother watching for a rash- it can be at the site, somewhere completely different, or not show up at all. I had a bout with it over the summer. The rash was on the back of my arm, the tick I found was on my, er, butt. And a child that age won't be able to tell you very well if he feels fatigue, or aches. Much easier to do the antibiotics than to try to figure out if it's Lyme, or the flu, or a random bug, or what.

[Annie]

If you think there is even a chance that the tick was on him for more than 24 hours, get him on antibiotics immediately.

 

That was my initial reaction as well, but after doing some reading, I don't know that I would find a doctor to prescribe one or what they would prescribe. From what I read, they don't really give doxycycline to kids under eight, and other antibiotics don't seem to be very effective before symptoms show up.

 

I read a bunch of different things in a short period of time while trying to do the other things I needed to, so I would be appreciative of anyone who has information about what the process is for kids this young. He goes to a single doctor practice, so I can call the after hours line in the morning and see how far I get. I would hate to take him to an urgent care during flu season, especially since you never know how much peds experience a doctor there will have. We don't have a children's hospital/urgent care.

[anabelneri]

I'm with Cat... dd had a tick this summer, and after reading what I could find we went to the doctor for antibiotics. If your doctor is uncooperative, find the folks in your area with Lyme and find out what doctor IS responsive. I have more than one friend with kids with Lyme, and it's nothing to play with. As mentioned by PPs, symptoms don't always appear, and both the boys I know with Lyme were bitten when they were under 8yo.

 

Antibiotic treatment is supposed to be quite effective if it's given early. It's well worth it in this case, IMO.

(I'm not a doctor, just a mom who got really, really scared this past summer & did a lot of reading & being assertive with doctors)

 

Good luck!

[Tokyomarie]

That was my initial reaction as well, but after doing some reading, I don't know that I would find a doctor to prescribe one or what they would prescribe. From what I read, they don't really give doxycycline to kids under eight, and other antibiotics don't seem to be very effective before symptoms show up.

 

I read a bunch of different things in a short period of time while trying to do the other things I needed to, so I would be appreciative of anyone who has information about what the process is for kids this young. He goes to a single doctor practice, so I can call the after hours line in the morning and see how far I get. I would hate to take him to an urgent care during flu season, especially since you never know how much peds experience a doctor there will have. We don't have a children's hospital/urgent care.

 

Amoxicillin would likely be the drug of choice for a younger child.

 

Finding a tick on a child that has probably been attached for more than a few hours would lead me to seek antibiotic treatment. Just know that if you do give him antibiotics, also give him probiotics (separated by a few hours from the abx) to protect his gut.

[Lizzie in Ma]

For what it's worth, you don't always get the rash.

 

What are the symptoms of Lyme disease?

 

Early Stage (days to weeks): An early symptom of Lyme disease is usually, but not always, a rash where the tick was attached. The rash appears from 3 days to a month after the bite. It often starts as a small red area then spreads, clearing up in the center so it looks like a donut. However, the rash may not always appear like this. Flu-like symptoms, such as fever, headache, stiff neck, sore and aching muscles and joints, fatigue and swollen glands, are also common in the early stages of Lyme disease.

[Mommyfaithe]

Are you sure it was a deer tick and not a dog or wood tick? Deer ticks are so tiny....even engorged. If you are sure it was a deer tick, call your ped so he at least has it on ds's records. Then, if he gets sick....even later on...you will know to check for Lyme. I write down when I pull ticks off kids....because it happens often where we live and we have already dealt with one ds with chronic post Lyme syndrome.

[Annie]

Thank you for the replies. After looking at a lot of pictures I'm certain it's a deer tick. It's an adult female, so it is bigger than the male deer ticks or nymphs. It's still quite small though. I'll call the doctor's after hours line in a half hour or so. She's pretty conservative with antibiotics (which I usually appreciate), so I'm not sure what she will say. The thought of an urgent care makes me twitchy, and I'm not sure the likelihood of finding a doctor that wants to do anything.

[Annie]

Well, the pediatrician doesn't want to treat without symptoms. I suppose I could make an appt on Monday and push the issue, but I'm not sure she will change her mind.

[Celia]

Can you save the tick and get it tested?