Mommy FTW

Almost exactly two years ago, my older child Cameron came down with Roseola.  I’m not sure why, but this common illness which is caused by a virus usually appears in children age 6 months to 2 years in the spring and fall.  And given the number of google searches Mommy FTW is getting about roseola, I’d say there’s plenty of it going around!  So, I wanted to do a repost of some of the information I shared 2 years ago when Cameron got sick.

Roseola is sometimes called “baby measles” or the “sixth disease.” It is a form of herpes. Roseola is highly contagious, being spread through contact with saliva or being breathed on by another baby with roseola. If a child in your playgroup or in your little one’s daycare has roseola – you definitely want to be on the look out.  It usually starts with a sudden high fever with sometimes no other symptoms. During this phase of the illness just give your child ibuprofen to try and keep him comfortable. FYI – ibuprofen is a better choice than acetaminophen (tylenol) because it lasts longer, which means you have to administer it less often.  The fever will generally last about 3 days.  FYI – About 10 to 15 percent of children with roseola have a seizure. If this happens, your baby may become unconscious and jerk his arms, legs, or facial muscles for two or three minutes.

About a day after the fever subsides, you will see the telltale rash of roseola (see pictures below).  This might be the only clue that tells you what happened to your little one!  I didn’t figure out what was wrong with until I saw the rash and talked to some other moms in our playgroup.  The pieces of the puzzle came together and I knew what we were dealing with.   The rash isn’t itchy or uncomfortable, and contact with the rash itself doesn’t spread the illness. It’s usually seen on the trunk and neck, but it can extend to the arms, legs, and face. It lasts for about 24-48 hours.  Once you see the rash, the worst is over with.

There’s no specific treatment for roseola. Like most viral illnesses, roseola just needs to run its course. The most important thing you can do is make sure your baby rests and gets plenty of liquids.  Watch the fever and make sure it doesn’t get dangerously high, and be sure to let other moms or caregivers your child has contact with know so they can keep an eye on their little ones.

Here are some pictures of the rash Cameron had on his left and right legs. It looks a little scary but it didn’t last long!

Cameron's Right Leg - Roseola rash

Cameron's Left leg - Roseola rash

As if a cold, then diarrhea, then another cold, and an ear infection didn’t make for an eventful enough fall already, this past weekend while we were in Chicago visiting family Cameron came down with Roseola.  Thankfully another mom friend had just encountered it and told me about it before we left – so even though I was stranded miles away from my pediatrician and my trusty copy of Baby 411, I figured out quickly what I was dealing with, and we all made it through.  So, here’s a little about roseola so you can be on the look out:

Roseola is sometimes called “baby measles” or the “sixth disease.”  It is a form of herpes.  Roseola is highly contagious, being spread through contact with saliva or being breathed on by another baby with roseola.  It usually starts with a sudden high fever with sometimes no other symptoms (in Cameron’s case he had some “cold like symptoms” as well).  During this phase of the illness just give your child ibuprofen to try and keep him comfortable.  I didn’t notice Cameron’s fever as being especially high, but he was already being dosed with ibuprofen for his ear infection, so I think this helped keep it down.  FYI – About 10 to 15 percent of children with roseola have a seizure. If this happens, your baby may become unconscious and jerk his arms, legs, or facial muscles for two or three minutes.

I didn’t realize what  I was dealing with until Cameron got the telltale rash.  The rash isn’t itchy or uncomfortable, and contact with the rash itself doesn’t spread the illness. It’s usually seen on the trunk and neck, but it can extend to the arms, legs, and face.  It usually lasts for about 24-48 hours.

There’s no specific treatment for roseola. Like most viral illnesses, roseola just needs to run its course. The most important thing you can do is make sure your baby rests and gets plenty of liquids.

Here are some pictures of the rash Cameron had on his left and right legs.  It looks a little scary but it didn’t last long!

Cameron's Right Leg - Roseola rash

Cameron's Left leg - Roseola rash

This past weekend Cameron came down with his first really bad cold – cough, runny nose, fever, and all around cabbyness.  And to make matters worse, my husband had to work all weekend so we were stuck fending for ourselves.  Two things helped us through it – 1) Baby 411, and 2)my fellow mommies and daddies.

Here’s what I learned:

1) A fever is a good thing.  It means Cameron’s body was busy fighting the intruder.  Also, fevers are naturally higher in the evening than the morning – so don’t be surprised if your baby is 100 in the AM and 102 at night.  Once the fever was gone, I knew Cameron was going to be out of the woods and recovery was on the way.

2) Baby Ibuprofen lasts longer than Baby Acetaminophen (6-8 hours vs 4 hours) so if your baby is over 6 months, give it a try – especially for overnight.  It will give your baby (and you) longer relief.

3) Get yourself a cool mist humidifier.  I don’t recommend the one they sell at Walgreens – it is kind of noisy.

4) Before bath time, run the shower to really steam up the bathroom.  This is good for helping the baby breathe.  Don’t give your baby a cool bath if they have a fever – this is only something you do if the baby is SUPER hot – like 107.  Would you like taking a cold bath when you were sick?

5) Use a Saline Mist to help loosen up all the snot that your poor sick baby is producing.  Then, if you feel comfortable with the idea, use a booger sucker (nasal aspirator) to suck out the snot.  Both of these things will make your baby hate you for a minute, so be prepared for tears and protest.  Also keep a kleenex at the ready to wipe up the snot, and tears.

6) Give your baby extra opportunities to sleep – try putting them to bed 30 minutes early for bed times and nap times.  When you’re sick, doesn’t extra sleep make you feel better too?

Baby 411 - my savior

Check out Baby 411 for more info on colds and other viruses, and don’t forget to ask your fellow parents for help.  I used facebook, and got some really great info as well as support!  Good luck mommies!