Roseola is also known as the sixth disease. It is a common childhood disease which usually occurs in children ages below 2 years old. This viral disease usually starts with a mild cold. The child then gets high fever which usually lasts between 3 and 7 days.
 

 
The child develops a rash after the fever returns to normal. The rash usually starts on the back or stomach and then spreads to the upper arms and neck. It usually clears in a day. The child can resume normal activities once the rash disappears.

 

Roseola is caused by the  human herpes virus 6  even though another herpes virus — human herpes virus 7 can also cause it. Roseola is contagious . It can spread from person to person through contact with an infected person’s  respiratory secretions and saliva.

 

What are the symptoms of roseola ?

 
It may take  a  week or two for an infected child to show symptoms for  this viral disease. The time between the infection to the beginning of symptoms. is called the incubation period.

 

Some of the first symptoms the child may experience include :

• runny nose
• red eyes
• irritability
• sore throat
• high fever that can go as high as 105 degrees Fahrenheit

 
After 2 to 4 days of the child becoming sick, the fever goes away and the child begins to develop rash. This rash is usually characterized by the following :

• pink or rose-colored
• starts in the middle of the body and spreads to the arms, legs, neck and face
•  has small sores that are slightly raised

 
This rash may last from a few hours to a couple of days.

 

How is roseola treated ?

 
There is no specific treatment for this disease. The child usually gets better on his own without any complications. With your doctor’s permission, you can give your child over the counter pain relievers such as acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others.

 

DO NOT give aspirin to  children and teenagers without checking with your doctor . This is because aspirin has been linked to Reye’s syndrome, a rare but potentially life-threatening condition in  children.

 

How can I make my child comfortable during the infection period ?

 
Like all viral infections, roseola will run it’s course. In the meantime you can take these steps to make  your child feel comfortable.

 

• let the child get lots of rest
• keep the child hydrated by giving him lots of fluids such as water, ginger ale,  clear broth, or an electrolyte solution (Pedialyte, Rehydralyte, others)
• give the child a luke warm sponge bath or apply a cool wash cloth to the child’s head to soothe discomfort.

 

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