Roseola

This mild viral illness mainly affects children between the ages of six months and two years.

It’s contagious and is caught when your child breathes in airborne germs expelled by coughing and sneezing. The typical symptoms are a mild upper respiratory illness followed by a sudden high fever. The fever usually lasts around three days and ends abruptly, to be followed pretty much straightaway by a raised pinkish rash on the body. This lasts for around a day and isn’t itchy. The spots turn white when touched and may have a lighter ‘halo’ around them (different from the rash that accompanies measles, which is preceded by cold-like symptoms and tends to cause a high temperature throughout the course of the illness).

Roseola isn’t serious but it can make your child cranky. He may go off his food and have diarrhea. You can lower his fever with fever reducers and tepid sponging, but it’s possible it could result in a febrile convulsion – also known as a fit, this can cause your baby to lose consciousness and his arms and legs will jerk for a few minutes. Don’t panic – these are rarely harmful. Call your pediatrician for advice if your child suffers a convulsion.

Treatment

Because roseola is a virus there’s little you can do to help ease the symptoms except help to bring down your child’s fever with acetaminophen or ibuprofen (avoid giving him aspirin as this is associated with Reye’s syndrome). Make sure your child drinks plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration. Your child will usually be able to return to daycare or preschool once his fever has cleared and he’ll be immune to any further attacks of roseola.

The information in this feature is intended for educational purposes only. If you have any concerns about your health, the health of your child or the health of someone you know, please consult with a doctor or other healthcare professional.