The illness is typically milder in adults, but they can pass the infection on to children. Also, be sure to contact a medical professional right away if your child experiences a febrile seizure or has any other serious illnesses, especially a condition that affects the immune system. Roseola can sometimes be difficult to diagnose because its symptoms mimic those of other common illnesses in kids.
Also, because the fever comes and then resolves before the rash appears, roseola is usually diagnosed only after the fever is gone and your child is feeling better. Read more: When to be concerned by rash after fever in toddlers ». Doctors typically confirm that a child has roseola by examining the signature rash.
A blood test may also be performed to check for antibodies to roseola, though this is rarely necessary. Antibiotics only work to treat illnesses caused by bacteria. Your doctor might tell you to give your child over-the-counter medicines, such as acetaminophen Tylenol or ibuprofen Advil, Motrin to help lower fever and reduce pain.
In certain children or adults with a weakened immune system, physicians might prescribe the antiviral drug ganciclovir Cytovene to treat roseola.
You can help keep your child comfortable by dressing them in cool clothing, giving them a sponge bath, or offering them cool treats such as popsicles. Your child can return to normal activities when they are free of a fever for at least 24 hours , and when other symptoms have gone away. Roseola can cause febrile seizures in some children. In very rare cases, the illness can lead to serious complications, such as:.
It will go away on its own. To help your child feel better until it does:. Do not give ibuprofen to an infant age 6 months or younger, or to a child who is dehydrated or constantly vomiting. Using aspirin to treat a fever in children could cause a serious condition called Reye syndrome.
Once the fever has gone away for 24 hours, your child is no longer contagious. So even if your child still has the rash, he or she can attend daycare. Never use mercury thermometers. For infants and toddlers, be sure to use a rectal thermometer correctly. A rectal thermometer may accidentally poke a hole in perforate the rectum. It may also pass on germs from the stool. The infection spreads when a child with roseola talks, sneezes, or coughs, sending tiny droplets into the air that others can breathe in.
The droplets also can land on surfaces; if other children touch those surfaces and then their nose or mouth, they can become infected.
Roseola may be contagious during the fever phase, but does not spread by the time the rash breaks out. There is no known way to prevent roseola. But because it affects young kids rather than adults, it's thought that a bout of roseola in childhood may provide some lasting immunity to the illness.
Repeat cases of roseola can happen, but are uncommon. The fever of roseola lasts from 3 to 7 days, followed by a rash lasting from hours to a few days. To make a diagnosis, a doctor will take a medical history and do an exam. A diagnosis of roseola is often uncertain until the fever drops and the rash appears, so the doctor may order tests to make sure that the fever is not caused by another type of infection. Roseola usually does not require professional medical treatment.
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The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne. Roseola infantum. Roseola infantum Roseola infantum is a common, mild, viral infection that can cause a temperature and rash in babies and young children. Signs and symptoms If your child has roseola, they may have a sudden high temperature, which usually lasts between three to five days.
How is roseola spread? Care at home Most of the time, roseola does not need any professional medical treatment. Paracetamol can be used if your child has a high temperature and seems uncomfortable or irritable. See our fact sheet Pain relief for children.
Offer your child plenty of fluids water, breastmilk or formula to keep them well hydrated during a fever. Antibiotics are not given because antibiotics do not treat viruses. When to see a doctor You should see your GP if your child: is lethargic very sleepy, hard to wake has fewer wet nappies than usual your child has a fever that does not get better after 48 hours has a convulsion a fit that lasts less than five minutes You should call an ambulance immediately if: your child has a convulsion that lasts more than five minutes your child does not wake up after a convulsion If your child is unwell with a fever and a skin rash small bright red spots or purple spots or unexplained bruises that does not turn to skin-colour blanch when you press on it, this may be a sign of meningococcal infection see our fact sheet Meningococcal infection.
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