Does your toddler have a spotty, pinkish red rash on her/his stomach? Is your child running a temperature too? It can be roseola, also known as roseola infantum. Roseola is a mild and common viral disease that usually strikes children between 6 months and 3 years of age. It is caused by a kind of herpes virus, not the type that is sexually transmitted.
Generally roseola starts off with unnoticeable symptoms. It starts with a relatively high fever which goes on for three to four days. The fever then stops abruptly and a rash emerges on your child’s body. This rash may last for days together or may be for some hours.
The rash is pink and may have small flat bumps or some raised spots. These spots or bumps may have a small halo around them and may turn white on pressing.
The rash doesn’t harm your child in anyway. It does not itch or make your child uncomfortable. Your child however may start losing his/her appetite and the intake of food may go down considerably. Your child may be irritable and tired and may have swollen eyelids and a mild diarrhea. The lymph nodes on your child’s skull and neck may look a bit enlarged.
At times, children with roseola may have febrile seizure. If this happens, your child may faint and jerk his/her arms, legs or facial muscles for two or three minutes. When this happens, your child may lose control over his/her bowel movements. When this happens, it is important to note the length or the time the seizure lasted. You need to inform the doctor about the same.
Rosela is contagious among children. This disease spreads through saliva or respiratory droplets. When an infected person coughs or sneezes, this disease can spread. All family members and other care-takers of the child need to wash their hands frequently to avoid the spread of the infection.
Keep your child away from day care and other places where there are many kids around as the other kids may contract the disease easily. Wait till the rash disappears completely. Once the rash is gone, your child can get back to his/her normal activities.
Although this disease is a frightening and a serious one, the good news is that once your child gets rosella, he/she will have life-long immunity to it. It is always a good idea to see a doctor in the fever stage itself because you don't know that you're dealing with roseola until you see the classic rash
Submitted by P T on March 12, 2010 at 12:22
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