What Do Swollen Axilliary Lymph Nodes In The Arms Of An Infant Suggest?

Posted on Wed, 9 Aug 2017

Question: My 15 week old baby has a swollen axilliary lymph node on the same arm as the one in which bcg was given.Doc gave amoxicillin antibiotics for a week. Gave it for 2 days. The size of the node has not increased but has not visibly decreased either. Doc had said that though this can be a bacterial infection, possibility of the infection exists. Please advice me on this. If antibiotics given how many days does it take for the node to disappear? What are the reasons for bacterial infection in armpit? Baby doesn't seem concerned with the lump, no pain or redness either. His weight is 6.03 kg, birth weight was 2.64 .He increased to 5.7 kg in the first two months , but now, in the last two weeks he gained only 117 g. Should I be concerned about this decrease in weight gain from 10 the week onwards?

Possibility of TB infection is there? Doc said to keep a watch since it's the same arm as the bcg shot

Answered by Dr. Diptanshu Das (1 hour later)

Brief Answer:
Weight gain is saltatory and not continuous

Detailed Answer:
Thanks for asking on HealthcareMagic.

I have gone carefully through your query and understand your concerns. You need to understand what is going on. Lymph nodes can enlarge due to a number of reasons. It could be due to some local infection or could even be due to some ominous causes like cancers (including leukemias and lymphomas). Clinical correlation is needed in such a case. It is apparent that your doctor suspected infection as the cause and prescribed antibiotics. Bacteria reside on our skin and getting an infection involving the armpits is not unlikely. If you give antibiotics it is very important to complete the course of 5 days. You did not do that and that is not a good thing. Let me also inform that it is not necessary that treatment with antibiotics for 'n' number of days might not lead to any reduction in the size of the lump. If the size is not growing rapidly you need not get concerned.

Let me tell you that weight gain is not a continuous but a saltatory process. In other words, it occurs suddenly in bouts. The overall weight gain is good and I would not get concerned about it.

Let me know if I could help further.

Regards

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Remy Koshy

Follow up: Dr. Diptanshu Das (1 hour later)

Hi, his 14 the week vaccination is due today.. since this infection is there & I'm giving antibiotics( I have not stopped it), when do you think I should reschedule it?Should I wait for the node to disappear completely or till the antibiotics dosage is completed

Answered by Dr. Diptanshu Das (35 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
No need to reschedule

Detailed Answer:
No, you need not reschedule. You can go ahead with the vaccination without any worries. No need to wait for the node to disappear. It may take time.

Regards

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Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Nagamani Ng