How many children get roseola

Information contained in the handouts is updated regularly and therefore you should always check you are referring to the most recent version of the handout. The onus is on you, the user, to ensure that you have downloaded the most up-to-date version of a consumer health information handout. 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.

That means the condition can spread while an infected child has only a fever, even before it's clear that the child has roseola. Watch for signs of roseola if your child has interacted with another child who has the illness. Unlike chickenpox and other childhood viral illnesses that spread rapidly, roseola rarely results in a communitywide outbreak.

The infection can occur at any time of the year. Older infants are at greatest risk of acquiring roseola because they haven't had time yet to develop their own antibodies against many viruses. While in the uterus, babies receive antibodies from their mothers that protect them as newborns from contracting infections, such as roseola. But this immunity decreases with time. The most common age for a child to contract roseola is between 6 and 15 months.

Occasionally a child with roseola experiences a seizure brought on by a rapid rise in body temperature. If this happens, your child might briefly lose consciousness and jerk his or her arms, legs or head for several seconds to minutes. He or she may also lose bladder or bowel control temporarily. If your child has a seizure, seek emergency care. Although frightening, fever-related seizures in otherwise healthy young children are generally short-lived and are rarely harmful.

Complications from roseola are rare. The vast majority of otherwise healthy children and adults with roseola recover quickly and completely. Roseola is of greater concern in people whose immune systems are compromised, such as those who have recently received a bone marrow or organ transplant. They may contract a new case of roseola — or a previous infection may come back while their immune system is weakened.

Because they have less resistance to viruses in general, immune-compromised people tend to develop more-severe cases of infection and have a harder time fighting off illness. You can normally look after your child at home and they should recover within a week. Read more about other rashes in babies and children. Speak to a GP if you or your child has a weakened immune system and has had contact with someone with roseola.

They are spread through droplets of fluid released when a person coughs or sneezes, for example. Contact with these droplets, e. Q: Can you get roseola more than once? A: Yes, but this is rare. It is most likely to occur in people with a weakened immune system.

Q: How can one tell the difference between roseola and measles? A: The rashes associated with roseola and measles are frequently confused, but they have different appearances. The roseola rash is pinkish-red and typically begins on the trunk belly and back , then spreads to the extremities and sometimes the face.

The spots are distinct and may be surrounded by a white ring. The roseola rash develops when the fever disappears and typically clears within a couple of days. The measles rash, on the other hand, is brownish-red and usually spreads from the face down to the rest of the body, with the spots running into each other and creating a blotchy or bumpy appearance. When the rash appears, a person may develop a high fever and feel very unwell.

The rash typically persists for days. Q: Is roseola related to chickenpox or shingles? A: The viruses that cause roseola, chickenpox and shingles are all members of the large herpesviridae family of viruses. The viruses, therefore, are related, but not the same. Although the conditions share some common symptoms, such as fever and tiredness, they also differ in several ways, including in their severity and the treatment options available. Q: When can a child with roseola return to school?

A: A child with roseola can usually return to school and other activities after their temperature has returned to normal [11] and they feel well again. Q: Is a pregnant person at risk of passing roseola on to her fetus? A: Most adults are immune to roseola infection due to previous exposure.

Even if a pregnant person does contract roseola, the risk that they will pass it on to their unborn baby, or that it will cause complications for the fetus, appears to be very low.

July 8, Accessed February 8, March 19, Accessed: March 26, September, May 18, Accessed: February 21,