They can get red or pretty painful if this happens. Sometimes, the lymph nodes themselves get infected.The general rule is, while lymph nodes may actually get large while your child is sick, they tend to shrink back to normal size in 2-3 weeks.So the groin lymph nodes (for the leg) and the armpit LNs (for the arm). If an arm or a leg has an impressive bug bite, allergic reaction, rash, you name it - the lymph nodes that drain the area may get a little larger for a few weeks.Babies have lymph nodes in the back of their head/skull that are very easy to feel.My 8 year old has three in his neck that I can see almost all the time when he turns his head. Kids, in general, are leaner than us, and many of the nodes are close to the surface.

You can ABSOLUTELY sometimes feel and see lymph nodes in your kid's neck.What do I get asked about most as a pediatrician? That's just a terrifying path I advise you not take. Usually, lymph nodes are the size of a lima bean and are wiggly under the skin.Some illnesses, like strep or mono, really commonly cause neck lymph nodes to become big.Sick? Got an infection somewhere? Even just a bug bite or a zit? Nearby lymph nodes may swell up for a bit.They are 'hotels' for your white blood cells: they temporarily house our immune cells to help us fight stuff!.People often call them 'glands' but they aren't really glands.Let's check out some fast facts so that the next time you see a little lump in your kiddo's neck, or under the chin, or behind an ear, you take a deep breath and remember that a vast majority of the time, it's totally normal.

Lymph nodes at back of neck