Roseola

The video shows a child with roseola. Typical symptoms for this childhood disease include a fever and a rash.

What is...
Symptoms
Complications
Home treatment
Prevention

What is...

What is roseola?

Roseola, also known as exanthem subitum, is a common viral illness with high fever followed by a rash after the fever breaks.

It is most common in children between 6 and 24 months.

Although many children never show signs of this illness, by the age of 4, most children have been infected by the virus and become immune to it.

Two common and closely related viruses cause the disease: human herpes virus type 6 (HHV-6) and type 7 (HHV-7).

The time from infection until the disease breaks out (incubation period) is not known, but a child is considered to be contagious for a few days before he develops a fever and until the rash appears.

The exact way someone becomes infected is not known, but the virus is probably spread through droplets from coughing or sneezing.

Symptoms

Symptoms and signs of Roseola

Roseola often starts with symptoms of a cold, followed by a quickly rising fever, which may reach 39.5 degrees Celsius (103 degrees Fahrenheit) or higher.

In spite of the high fever, the child will have few or no other signs of infection.

Some children may become grumpy and irritable, but many children are still happy, even with the high fever.

After 3-5 days, the fever disappears, and then within a few hours the child develops a rash.

The rash is rose-colored (pinkish-red) and can be flat or raised spots, which turn white (blanch) when you press them.

The rash is mostly found on the neck and chest but can also be found on the face, arms and legs. The rash doesn't itch, usually disappears in 1-2 days, and typically does not return.

Some children may develop other symptoms such as pink eye (conjunctivitis), swollen lymph nodes in the neck, cough or diarrhea, in addition to fever and rash.

Many parents report that children with roseola are more irritable during the rash phase, than while the child had fever.

Complications

Complications of Roseola

Roseola usually is a harmless disease that goes away without any consequences. The most common complication is a febrile seizure. In fact, roseola is a frequent cause of febrile seizures in this age group.

The seizures occur with sudden loss of consciousness, stiffening of the body, and convulsions (jerking movements) of the arms, legs or face.

Most febrile seizures last less than a minute or two before stopping on their own. Contact your doctor if your child has a seizure with fever.

Home treatment

Treatment / What you should do if your child has Roseola

Roseola generally causes only minor discomfort for a child. If your child seems lively and is otherwise acting well with a good appetite, it is not dangerous for the child to have a fever up to 40 degrees Celsius.

It may not be necessary to give a medicine to bring the fever down, but lowering the fever may make your child more comfortable. It also may make it easier to judge how sick a child is.

If your child has had a febrile seizure before, or is known to have epilepsy, you should give a medicine to bring the fever down once the temperature reaches 38.5 degrees C (101 degrees F) or higher. Children with known heart disease should also be given a medicine to bring the fever down.

If your child seems uncomfortable because of the high fever, you can give a medicine to bring the fever down, remove any unnecessary clothing, and give your child plenty to drink. Any fever increases your child's need for fluids.

Give your child food if he wants it but do not worry if he doesn't feel like eating.

Remember that since a virus causes this disease, antibiotics will not help. If the fever lasts longer than 2 to 3 days, or if your child seems to be getting worse, check with the doctor.

You should always contact your doctor right away if your child has a seizure with fever.

Prevention

Prevention of Roseola

It is difficult to avoid viral infections.

Keep any child home from the babysitter's or day care when he has a fever.

Frequent hand washing, avoiding people who are sick, and staying generally healthy by eating right, getting enough sleep and exercising regularly can decrease the number of viral illnesses in your child.

Partners

About Child Health Guide

Child Health Guide (CHG) is a health web site for parents that uses actual video examples of how children look and act during illness and traumatic injuries.

The CHG helps parents by providing clear, easy-to-understand, accessible, actionable information about their child’s condition.

The Child Health Guide is a major advance in the delivery of healthcare information.

The CHG includes video clips of more than 100 of the most common childhood illnesses and injuries. Organized by symptoms and cross-referenced by disease, the CHG enables parents to easily find the information that is most useful to them.

It also has an important section about home-accidents and how to prevent them.

The video clips show children with symptoms at various stages of a disease – both more and less serious. The accompanying “narrative” explains the symptoms, the illness, and what a parent should do.

The CHG is not a substitute for a physician’s advice or a doctor’s office visit.

Rather, it is to help parents better understand and articulate their child’s condition, making visits to the doctor – and follow-up care -- more effective.

Both the videos and supporting text are vetted by physicians at the Harvard Medical School and Dartmouth Medical School.

Terms and Conditions

The "Child Health Guide" is intended to provide helpful, informative material on the subjects addressed. The material reflects the more common circumstances related to a symptom or a condition without any attempt at being all-inclusive. The material is not intended to be a substitute for consultation, evaluation, and treatment by trained medical professionals.

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