Roseola

Roseola or Baby measles is a viral illness that affects very young children, from 3 months to 4 years. Roseola can be traced to the human herpes virus. Roseola is contagious and spreads through sneezing, person to person contact and coughing. Often symptoms of roseola are mistaken for strep throat or ear infection.

Typical symptoms of roseola include high fever and appearance of rash. The child might suffer from upper respiratory illness such as runny nose or sore throat. The characteristic roseola rash appears after a few days of high fever. This rash resembles flat pink spots and is noticed all over the body. The high fever often brings on febrile convulsions in some children. The child will have reduced appetite and swollen lymph nodes in the neck. There might be swollen eyelids and mild diarrhea. Acetaminophen or ibuprofen is often prescribed to lower the fever. Roseola is not usually treated with any medications. The child must taken plenty of fluids and take bed rest.