How much do you know about roseola infantum?

Roseola infantum, also known as infantile roseola, is a common acute rash infectious disease in infants and young children. It often starts with high fever, which lasts for 3-5 days before the body temperature drops sharply. The main feature of this disease is the rash after the fever. The most susceptible population is infants and young children aged 6 months to 2 years old. Most of them have a good prognosis and complications are rare.

The characteristic of roseola infantum is that after 3-5 days of high fever, the body temperature of infants and young children suddenly drops and a rose-red maculopapular rash appears. The rash starts from the head, face, and neck, and gradually spreads to the trunk, waist, buttocks, and limbs. Generally, the whole body is full within 24 hours, and then gradually fades, disappearing in about 72 hours. The rash is not painful, itchy, flaky, or pigmented.

Roseola infantum has the property of self-healing and has a good prognosis. The treatment principle is mainly symptomatic treatment.

This disease comes on quickly. Children will have persistent high fever in the early stage. Some may even have convulsions due to high fever. Therefore, many parents will be anxious and panic, and take their children to see doctors repeatedly, blindly use antibiotics and unnecessary examinations. Please note that there is no specific medicine for the treatment of roseola infantum, and the main thing is to take care of the rash before and after it appears.

Observe the mental state of the child before the rash appears. In addition to fever, the child has no other symptoms such as cough and runny nose. The general condition is good. You can first take symptomatic treatment and observe at home. While using drugs to reduce fever, strengthen physical cooling. The diet should be light, and let the child drink plenty of water, which can not only avoid dehydration, but also help sweating. If the child continues to have a high fever and has febrile convulsions, seek medical attention in time.

After the child has had a fever for 3-5 days, the body temperature suddenly returns to normal, and a rash appears on the head, face, and body. Usually, the rash is painless and does not itch, and no special treatment is required. If the child has skin damage or itching, it is recommended to use the correct medication under the guidance of a doctor. Wipe the sweat stains on the child's body frequently, keep the skin dry and clean, and do not let the child scratch.

I hope this article can help new parents understand roseola infantum, reduce their anxiety and panic, and avoid blind medical treatment and medication.