Filed in Category Pediatric Diseases
My 20 month old daughter has had cold symptoms for over a week. Her cheeks have seemed chapped also which I attributed to the colder weather. A few days ago I took her to the doctor to have her checked for an ear infection. Her ears were fine. The doctor commented that her cheeks were red and I told her she had just been crying (she had been really angry). Nothing more was said about her cheeks. Anyway, yesterday I noticed she has a rash all over her body. I thought maybe heat rash from wearing warm pajamas. Then the thought struck me that it might be fifth disease. My daughter has a tendency to be anemic and I read that fifth disease can make it worse. I am 8 months pregnant and I’ve read it can cause anemia in the fetus. Are there blood tests we can have done to find out if this was fifth disease, and if it is causing any problems? The pediatric clinic is closed since it is Sunday, and I’m getting worried.
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Fifth disease can cause aplastic anemia (your body stops making red blood cells) in kids with sickle cell anemia, but doesn’t usually cause problems in normal kiddos, even if they’re a little anemic. If she is very lethargic and not responsive, running high fevers, or has any symptoms that worry you, feel free to take her to the ER.
Pregnancy problems with exposure to fifth’s disease can happen, but are rare, and usually are more problematic in your first trimester. Notify your OB that you may have been exposed and let her decide how to handle it. She can do a blood test to see if you were exposed, or she can do an ultrasound to check on the baby.
Here’s the CDC webpage for more info:http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/revb/resp…
According to what I read on this website, your daughter has the classic symptoms for fifth disease. http://www.kidshealth.org/parent/infecti…
But according to the site, this is just a mild viral illness which will go away on its own. It’s not an inherited disease. So don’t worry for the weekend and just call your doc on Monday to see if he thinks you need any tests on your coming baby.
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