{"id":15234,"date":"2020-08-31T12:15:49","date_gmt":"2020-08-31T16:15:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/?p=15234"},"modified":"2020-08-31T12:15:49","modified_gmt":"2020-08-31T16:15:49","slug":"roseola-in-kids","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/roseola-in-kids\/","title":{"rendered":"What is roseola? How do you treat it?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Endless coughs and sneezes, runny noses, and unexplained itchy bumps\u2014kids seem to be a magnet for germs. In our parent’s guide to childhood illnesses, we talk about the symptoms and treatments for the most common conditions. Read the full series here<\/a>.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

What is roseola?<\/a> | Symptoms<\/a> | Diagnosis<\/a> | Treatments<\/a> | Prevention<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Roseola was the first illness I faced as a new parent beyond the odd sniffles. My then 13-month-old son spiked a sudden fever in the afternoon, but otherwise seemed perfectly fine. It would be a few days before the rash appeared and we learned that while the fever was scary, it wasn\u2019t dangerous. The cause of the fever was a common and usually harmless childhood illness: roseola.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/a>What is roseola?<\/b><\/h2>\n

Roseola (sometimes called sixth disease or roseola infantum in babies) is a common illness in childhood that is characterized by a high<\/span> fever<\/span><\/a> followed by a rash. \u201cMost children have been infected with roseola by the time they start kindergarten,\u201d says Soma Mandal, MD, a board-certified internist at<\/span> Summit Medical Group<\/span><\/a> in Berkeley Heights, New Jersey.<\/span><\/p>\n

Roseola is contagious for children and adults, but because most people experience it in childhood and gain immunity, it is rare for adults to catch it.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cRoseola can be caused by different viruses, but the most common cause is a virus called human herpesvirus 6,\u201d Dr. Mandal says. \u201cTypically, this occurs from asymptomatic shedding of the virus in secretions of close contacts.\u201d Another, less common, virus that can cause roseola is human herpesvirus 7.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Roseola<\/span> typically occurs<\/span><\/a> in children younger than 2 and is most contagious while the child has a fever for three to five days, before the rash appears. Although measles, rubella, fifths disease (parvovirus), and roseola all present with rashes, they are distinct illnesses from each other.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cRoseola is spread by droplets when an infected person, speaks, coughs or sneezes and then it gets on the mucous membranes (eyes, nose, and mouth) of the recipient of the infection,\u201d says Leann Poston, MD, a medical contributor for <\/span>Ikon Health<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Roseola is rarely serious. Occasionally, the <\/span>fast-rising high fever caused by roseola<\/span><\/a> can cause a febrile seizure or aseptic meningitis, which will resolve. While these seizures are scary for parents, they are rarely serious and not associated with epilepsy or other seizure disorders. Febrile seizures occur in about <\/span>10% to 15%<\/span><\/a> of young children who have roseola.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/a>Roseola symptoms<\/b><\/h2>\n

\u201cIn some people, the infection causes very few to no symptoms,\u201d says Dr. Poston. For those who are symptomatic, symptoms<\/span> can include<\/span><\/a>:<\/span><\/p>\n

A high fever<\/b> (usually between 101 degrees F and 105 degrees F) that often comes on suddenly, lasts three to five days, then suddenly goes away. Some children have a runny nose, cough, or sore throat before developing a fever.<\/span><\/p>\n

A pinkish-red rash<\/b> that may or may not be slightly raised that appears as the fever goes away (12 to 24 hours later). The rash starts on the trunk and spreads to the neck, arms, legs, mouth, and face.<\/span> The rash lasts<\/span> one to three days<\/span><\/a>, or for<\/span> just a few hours<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The roseola rash typically has the following characteristics:<\/span><\/p>\n