Roseola Infantum

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General Information

DEFINITION - A common, contagious childhood disease characterized by high fever and skin rash.

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BODY PARTS INVOLVED - Skin; central nervous system.

SEX OR AGE MOST AFFECTED - Infants and young children (1 to 3 years).

SIGNS & SYMPTOMS

• Fever, often high, for several days to 1 week.
• Irritability.
• Drowsiness.
• Flat, reddish skin rash after 4 or 5 days of high fever. When the rash appears, fever and other symptoms disappear.

CAUSES - It is caused by a herpes virus (type 6). Incubation is 5 to 15 days.

RISK INCREASES WITH

• Day care center.
• Exposure to others in public places.

HOW TO PREVENT - Avoid exposure if possible.

What To Expect

DIAGNOSTIC MEASURES

• Your own observation of symptoms.
• Medical history and physical exam by a doctor.
• Laboratory studies, such as urinalysis and blood counts, to rule out other reasons for high fever (such as middle-ear infection, meningitis, pneumonia or urinary-tract infection).

APPROPRIATE HEALTH CARE

• Home care after diagnosis.
• Doctor's treatment.

POSSIBLE COMPLICATIONS

• Convulsions caused by high fever (they will not cause brain damage and will cease after fever subsides). Roseola's high fevers are a common cause of febrile convulsions during the first two years of life. They can be frightening, especially for the parents, but they are not harmful. It is the body's response to the rapid changes in temperature.
• Infection of the brain (rare).

PROBABLE OUTCOME - Spontaneous recovery in 1 week. The rash may last 2 days, but sometimes it comes and goes in only a few hours.

How To Treat

GENERAL MEASURES

• There is no specific treatment for roseola. Rest at home is sufficient until symptoms disappear.
• Lukewarm water baths or a sponge bath may be used to reduce fever if it reaches 102F (38.9C) or higher.

MEDICATION - For minor discomfort and to reduce fever, you may use non-prescription drugs such as acetaminophen. Antibiotics don't help. Don't give a child younger than 18 aspirin for fever. It has been linked to Reye's syndrome.

ACTIVITY - The child should rest in bed until fever disappears.

DIET - Encourage fluid intake. The child should eat a normal, well-balanced diet. Continue baby-vitamin supplements if the child is accustomed to taking them.

Call Your Doctor If

• High fever.
• Twitching or other signs of a convulsion begin.
• The child refuses liquids.
• The child cries loudly and persistently and does not stop when picked up.
• The child is listless and has a stiff neck.

From the Complete Guide to Symptoms, Illness & Surgery by H. Winter Griffith, M.D. © 1995 The Putnam Berkley Group, Inc.; electronic rights by Medical Data Exchange.