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Dr. JJ: Now, a couple more things about your neck. These are things that generally will
alarm parents but they're actually normal so we should talk about them because these
are things you're going to feel a lot the first two or three years of your baby's life.
Behind the neck and behind the ears and coming all the way around underneath the chin are
sort of a fishnet of what are called lymph nodes. These are tiny little lentil-sized
organs in our body that cleanse and protect us and they also enlarge to protect us during
colds, when there are rashes on the head, when there are scratches or trauma on the
face. Often if children are even exposed to viruses or sometimes even after vaccines,
these lymph nodes may feel like peas or corn or sometimes your little lima beans.
Jennifer: They're right here? Dr. JJ: Exactly.
Jennifer: Okay. Dr. JJ: There's a whole network of them behind
the neck. Because the skin is so thin there and because there's very little hair to cover
that area, it really sets off alarms in parents. As long as he is happy and he doesn't have
fever and he's not showing any signs of distress, you're going to feel those little peas and
carrots probably for the greater part of the first three years and in the front as well.
Say if he's cutting a tooth or if he's got a sore throat or he cut his lip, you may see
or feel some enlargement of these glands either underneath the chin or on the neck as well.
Again, that's just nature and his immune system really protecting him and straining out any
bugs that might be making their way into his body. We look at that as actually a bonus,
a plus, not a negative.