ROSEOLA

Roseola is a viral infection that is common in the summer. It has a very characteristic course. A child with roseola generally has a high fever with no other symptoms for three to four days. Then, the fever breaks and the child gets a red bumpy rash all over.

Treat the fever with acetaminophen or ibuprofen. The rash is not itchy and requires no treatment. By the time the rash breaks out, the child is no longer contagious.

As a physician, I always worry when a child, especially a young one that connote tell me what is bothering him, has a fever with no clear source. Don’t assume you child has roseola if he has a high fever. Be seen by your doctor so that he can make sure nothing else is going on that requires treatment.