Is It Roseola?

Best advise - when in doubt take him to the Emergency Department (Children's Branch would be best). If nothing else they will give you piece of mind and him IV fluids to help keep him hydrated.

I would take him to the Hospital. He could get Dehydrated. I never take chances with my children.My Dr. says if you can't get into me right away go to the hospital.
G.

I think strep sounds more likely - a close cousin of Strep throat is Scarlet Fever (just like it sounds) and Strep can be very serious if not treated. Is he still running the fever? Roseola is very common and viral (aka - you can just treat the symptoms for comfort sake). I would take them in - the vomiting and fever with the cough points toward strep in my opinion (I am not a doctor but I am a seasoned mother and had two cases of strep in my daughter a few months back) and that requires attention and treatment - If he's not gotten better by now I would request an appointment sooner rather than later.

He may have a viral infection which can also cause all of the above symptoms that you have listed. I would keep an eye on him and go ahead and bring him to the doctor Tuesday. I don't think it is measles or roseola. Viral infections can cause the bumps on the skin and the vomiting and diarrhea etc. that you said. There is nothing they can do about viral infections except to let them run their course. You can give him infant tylenol to help with the fever. With his stomach being upset infant motrin would further upset it as would aspirin. Try to get him to drink lots of water and get him some pedialyte to help keep him hydrated.
D.

I am 31 and have been married for almost 12 yrs. My husband and I have 3 boys ages 10,7, and 4.

if the fever was high enough and lasted for a few days then some kids can get roseola after the fever goes away, but generally the other symptoms go away too and it's just a little rash that's left. my son had the measles when he was 2, and it started under his arms & in the groin area first then spread like wild fire every where else. his doc did a simple skin test & it was positive for measles. good luck & try to keep pushing fluids, they're more important than the food right now. when he does get hungry offer bananas, plain rice:toast:mashed potatoes. God bless.

Both my boys had rosella as a baby. So it could be that, but my guess is that he has Strep Throat. My youngest who is 2 has had strep 4 times and every time he gets the rash with it. All of the other symptons you have described coincides with Strep. Hope this helps. Good luck and i hope your little one starts feeling better soon.

M.,I don't have any advice about your son's symptoms, but being a mother of three children, I have been in your situation hundreds of times! I know you don't want to overreact and run them in for every little thing, but it sounds like you're very concerned and you need some reassurance from a doctor. I wouldn't feel intimidated by them brushing it off as nothing. If it is strep, that is really miserable. I would not wait another day because he could be feeling better by tomorrow with an antibiotic. In my experience, every time I tried to "wait it out" I ended taking my kids in at some point and then I got the "why didn't you bring them in sooner?" lecture. My point is, God gave us mother's intuition for a reason, if you are that worried, than there's probably a good reason!

Hi M.
My daughter had roseola this exact time last year, she would have been 18 mos. old. She had an pretty high temperature and vomited once, I took her to the doctor and she said it was a virus of some sort b/c there were no signs of infection anywhere. She continued to have the fever for two more days, again pretty high temperature. Then once the temperature broke, she started with the rash, it was roseola. She did have four to five days of dirreaha, but it was just when she would have a BM not mutliple times a day. So her signs and symptoms were somewhat different than your son's. Don't worry about overreacting, it is better to error on the caution side than wait too long and he gets worse. Take care, I know how hard it is to see your baby sick. Good Luck!

My daughter had roseola not too long ago. Did his fever spike up pretty high before it went away? I had taken her to an urgent care clinic & the doctor there told me it was bronchitis because of her coughing. I had a mommy gut feeling that it was something else going on since she has had bronchitis before and never spiked such a fever with it before. Sure enough, when I go her into see her regular doctor she told me it was roseola. She did mention she had been seeing more of it recently. Her spots didn't last too long either maybe a day or 2. Hopfully your little guy is feeling better already

I doubt it's roseola, but I would definetly take him in to see what's going on. There is no price for your piece of mind especially when it comes to your baby!

No, I really don't think it is roseola. With Roseola, once the fever is gone the rash appears. After that you don't see any other complications. At least that was the case in my 3 kids and my 2 nieces. I would take your son to the doctor ASAP. Better safe than sorry! Good luck!

If I were you, I'd call the doctor's office this morning and just explain to them that you're very worried and would rather just go ahead and bring him in today. I'm sure they'd be happy to schedule him in. Plus, while you're on the phone, you could ask to speak with a nurse and explain to her all the things you told us in your post. She'd be able to give you better specifics than us on your questions.

Hi M. I don't remember our kids being sick or having loose bowels with Roseola. I do remember they were red all over their body but that is about it. If it were me I would make an appointment just to make sure. Good luck

I'm no expert, but I thought roseola was really red cheeks along with a rash...

Anyway, I'm in no way trying to alarm you, but I'd have him seen today. Here's why... When my 13 yr. old was 2 years old he had a severe case of the flu... for 11 days!! If that WAS the flu! I'll never know because the dr. never checked him out. He kept saying "he has the flu, nothing we can do"

I look back on those days as if it were yesterday and just cringe! After 3 days of not feeling well, the dr. should ALWAYS suggest seeing them.

I'd have him looked at today, why wait? My kids almost always get a rash when they are sick. So there's probably nothing to be concerned about, but I still take my kids in after 3 days of illness. Its a general rule for me.

Hi,

I have twins too. Once girl and one boy. My daughter has roseola too. It is rare but does happen. I don't think you can be too cautious or worry about overreacting as a parent. We are their advocates.

Her rash kept getting worse and spreading all over. It took a prescription from our pediatrician to clear it up.

Trust your instincts. They are usually always correct.

Susie Rail
____@____.com

My children are grown, so I don't know if the conventional wisdom has changed, but my doctor told me ALWAYS bring them in for a checkup when a rash is involved. My sons and myself were misdiagnosed with measles when it was really Scarlet Fever. The consequences of that mistake are that I have Lupus, an autoimmune disease that could have been prevented if the doc that saw us gave us antibiotics. The upside is that neither of my children were affected.

Since you are so busy raising two boys and working. IF you can afford it I would just take him to the DR for peace of mind. It can't hurt and you'll feel better.

Have they said anything about the possibility of Fifth's Disease? The schools where I am from were overflowing with it this year.

if even in doubt trust your gut feeling you know your son better than any other person including your pediatrician and if you feel there is something wrong even if you cant pinpoint it then take him to be seen..that's exactly what i do with my son..after all what are doctor's for??? to treat people so dont worry about bothering them or pestering them with something silly it's always best to be safe than sorry and there is never a stupid question with babies or first time parents

If you aren't sure, take im in.This is what Drs get paid for, don't let them dismiss you and tell you it is nothing to worry about when they haven't seen the baby. Especially at 11 months, they can't even tell you what the problem is, what hurts or anything.
I would take my baby to the drs.
Jenn.......

How is roseola spread?

Roseola is spread from person to person, most likely by transfer of oral secretions. Roseola is not very contagious. The incubation period between exposure to the virus and onset of symptoms is nine to 10 days.

Is there a rash with roseola?

Yes, but not in the beginning. When the fever disappears, a rash appears. The rash is mainly located on the neck and body, especially, the abdomen, trunk, and back, but it can also be on the arms and legs (extremities).

The rash appears as separate little raised dots (papules) or as a flat (macular) rash. The skin is mildly red in color and temporarily blanches with pressure. The rash is not itchy or painful. It is not contagious. The rash lasts two to four days and does not return.
What is most remarkable characteristic of roseola?

What is most striking is that the child seems so well despite having a high fever.

What is the course of the disease?

The fever of roseola lasts three to five days followed by a rash lasting about one to two days. Roseola usually resolves without any treatment.

Are there any complications of roseola?

Complications are rare with roseola except in children with suppressed immune systems. Individuals with healthy immune systems generally develop lifelong immunity to HHV-6 (or HHV-7).

Should I take my child to the doctor with roseola?

Yes, that is a good idea. A child with a fever and a rash should not go back to child care until evaluated by a health-care provider.

When can the child return to child care?

A child with just the rash of roseola and no fever can usually return to child care.

Are there other names for roseola?

Roseola is referred to by a number of other names. It was formally called roseola infantum or roseola infantilis. Because the rash appears so suddenly (right after the fever dramatically departs), the disease is commonly called exanthem subitum.

To distinguish roseola from other childhood diseases featuring skin rashes, it was once dubbed "sixth disease" (because it was the sixth disease young children typically developed and it lasted about six days), but that name has largely been forgotten.

Roseola At A Glance
Roseola is a mild illness caused by a virus infection, and it affects young children.
A sudden high fever that lasts for three to five days is an early feature of roseola.
When the fever disappears, a rash appears.
Roseola usually goes away without any treatment.
Roseola is a viral illness that most commonly affects young children. Symptoms and signs include a sudden high fever that lasts for three to five days, swollen neck glands, runny nose, puffy eyelids, diarrhea, irritability, and a bulging soft spot on the head.

My son was diagnosed with Roseola so many times that I finally at times think it was just because they didn't know what else it could be. He had the spots and the fever which progressively got worse. He would have excessively high fevers and would vomit when he was diagnosed with it. My guess is, you are probably just dealing with the roseola. They never really did anything for my son, just let it run its course. If he's not better on Tuesday, I would take him in unless he gets the excessively high fever. (my son's would get to 104.5 or higher).

Hi M.,
My daughter had roseola in January. She had a fever of 105 for 3 days, was extremely lethargic, and vomited a couple times (due to her gagging on Tylenol). The fever broke overnight on the 3rd night, and she seemed completely better when she woke up, but she had pink spots on her torso and diaper area. The spots didn't itch or irritate her at all and they faded within 2 days.

I think the key symptoms with roseola (from what I've read on the NIH website) is a very high fever for several days and spots show up after the fever breaks. Here is the link to the government website if you're interested. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000968.htm

I hope your little guy feels better soon!
All my best!
A.

My oldest daughter had something very similar at 1 1/2 yrs. old, and I was determined it was baby measles. She started off with a fever and throwing up, then it went away and 2 days later she had red spots all over her face, back and belly and had a red sore throat. The Dr. diagnosed her with the roto virus and hand, foot & mouth disease. Although she had no spots on her feet or hands. I feel your frustration. To this day I am still determined to this day it was the measles. I hope this is some help to you and remember Dr.'s dont know everything. Good luck!

Hi there. First let me say, you're poor little man. It's awful when our babies are sick. Anyways, I'd definitely have him checked for strep throat asap. My girls started like that this spring with a fever and wouldnt eat. Then the rash started and then the vomiting. The rash was on their belly and armpits and back. I looked up the symptoms onlne and saw these symptoms were that of Scarlet Fever(not sure if you spell it that way)which is basically just strep throat with a rash. I took them to the doctor that day, and that was most certainly what the both of them had. So, I'd take him in to be tested. Hope this helps.