Great detective work Pat! That could be the source. Having young and tender skin, it may be just regular contact dermatitis also. I don't know what kind of wood chips they used, but some have chemicals sprayed on them for color and preservation. Scabies could be a possibility also, caused by tiny mites that burrow under the skin. In any case your son still has a rash. Is it really itchy? What does it look like? If there was poison ivy oil on the wood chips, you can bet many other kids would have the same type rash somewhere on their bodies. I would ask the teacher if any of the other students have the same symptoms, or inquire from other Mom's in the neighborhood who have kids that play at the same playground. If no one else that played there has a rash, then I doubt it was the mulch that had urushiol oil in it (if that is the culprit.)
When my son was very young he was allergic to all kinds of common things. One mosquito bite would swell to the size of a golf ball. He was sensitive to mulch, tree bark, soaps, etc. He outgrew all of these reactions as he aged. He still gets an ocassional hive but no more extremes like when he was in grade school. I hope you find the source of his rash and that it is not causing him too much discomfort. |
