Roseola

Two weeks ago on Saturday May 21, Chloe suddenly developed a fever. Our thermometer registered it at hovering around 100 - 101, which is still considered a low-grade fever. Since she didn't show any other symptoms, we shrugged it off as teething. (Actually, I was hoping she was teething because with only 6 teeth at the age of 18 months, she has a lot of catching up to do.)

The fever persisted until Tuesday when it suddenly disappeared. On Tuesday night I made sure she didn't show other symptoms of any kind. I specifically checked her body to make sure there weren't any rashes. Everything looked clear and I felt confident that she was okay. Maybe it was indeed teething that caused the fever.

Then on Wednesday morning, lo and behold I noticed a rash on her neck. I took off her clothes to inspect the rest of her body. I noticed the rash was all over her torso and neck. None on her face, arms, or legs. The rash was pink and flat. When I saw the rash I immediately knew what condition/illness she had. The tell-tale symptoms of having a sudden fever with no other symptoms followed by a body rash told me she had roseola.

This is where I have to give credit where credit it due. I first learned about roseola less than a year ago when my friend YW posted on her Facebook wall that her baby BW had the illness. A few weeks later another friend of mine, GH, also posted on her Facebook wall that her baby had it too. As a new mother, I always keep my eyes and ears out for anything baby-related. With two of my friends having experienced this condition with their babies within weeks of each other, it really stirred my interest. I looked up roseola online to educate myself of what it is in case my baby were to get it in the future. Sure enough, Chloe got it and I was prepared for it because of my friends and Facebook. This "heads up" that I had helped to prevent me from panicking when I saw Chloe's seemingly unexplained rash. So thank you to my friends and thank you to Facebook.

Even though I knew what it was, I still called the pediatrician to confirm my suspicion and to get formal instructions on how to treat it. Based on my description of Chloe's symptoms, the doctor confirmed that Chloe most likely did have roseola. She told me no treatment was necessary. Just let the rash run its course and it will go away on its own. She assured me that this condition is very mild and Chloe shouldn't be feeling any discomfort at all. She instructed me to call again or bring Chloe in if her condition doesn't improve in 4 days or if the rash changes dramatically or if other symptoms occur. She even told me that the rash will probably get worse before it gets better because it had just started. Sure enough that night the rash multiplied around her torso. Whereas it was sparse in the morning when I first noticed, by night time it was very dense. By the next day it started to spread to her arms and legs. But by the 3rd day the areas where the first rashes developed (neck, stomach, and back) started to fade. Then the next day the neck, stomach, and back had all cleared while the rashes on her arms and legs started to fade. By the afternoon of Saturday May 28, all the rashes were gone and my baby was completely back to normal. Thank goodness for the internet and for the pediatrician's guidance to keep me from worrying too much for my baby while she fought this illness.

So what is Roseola? Below is WebMD's overview of it. But first here are two pictures of Chloe's rash at its worse stage.

What is roseola?

Roseola (roseola infantum) is a mild illness caused by a virus. It is generally harmless and is most common in children 6 months to 2 years of age. It is rare after age 4.

What causes roseola?

Roseola is caused by two common viruses. The viruses belong to the family of herpes viruses, but they do not cause the cold sores or genital infections that herpes simplex viruses can cause. They are spread through tiny droplets of fluid from the nose and throat of infected people when they laugh, talk, sneeze, or cough. Roseola mostly spreads from infected people who don’t show symptoms.

If your child has roseola, keep him or her at home until there has been no fever for 24 hours and he or she is feeling better.

What are the symptoms of roseola?

Roseola often starts with a sudden high fever [103°F (39.4°C) to 105°F (40.6°C)] that lasts 2 to 3 days, although it can last up to 8 days. The rapid increase in temperature may be the first sign of roseola and often occurs before you realize that your child has a fever. The fever ends suddenly.

After the fever ends, a rosy-pink rash may appear mostly on the trunk (torso), neck, and arms. The rash is not itchy and may last 1 to 2 days.

In rare cases, a sore throat, stomach ache, vomiting, and diarrhea occur.

A child with roseola may appear fussy or irritable and may have a decreased appetite, but most children behave almost normally.

How is roseola diagnosed?

Roseola is diagnosed through a medical history and physical exam. The doctor often knows it's roseola if your child had a fever and now has a distinct rash.

How is roseola treated?

The roseola fever can be managed with acetaminophen (such as Tylenol), ibuprofen (such as Advil or Motrin), or sponge baths. If you give medicine to your baby, follow your doctor’s advice about what amount to give. Do not give aspirin to anyone younger than 20 years of age because of the risk of Reye syndrome.

The roseola rash will go away without medical treatment.

Should I worry if my child has roseola?

Roseola generally is a harmless viral infection. Like any illness that can cause a fever, it can cause fever seizures, which are uncontrolled muscle spasms and unresponsiveness that last 1 to 3 minutes. The fever seizure is caused by the rapid increase in temperature in a short period of time. After a fever has reached a high temperature, the risk of a seizure is probably over. Fever seizures are not a form of epilepsy.