News Moms Need

Well, it’s spring time, and along with the flower blossoms, sunshine and coat-less days comes viruses. One virus that is often seen is Fifth Disease.  It is also known as slapped cheek syndrome or Parvovirus B19. It is called Fifth Disease because when it was classified many years ago, it was the fifth in a list of childhood illnesses involving rashes.
 
Even though Fifth Disease is primarily known as a childhood illness, adults can get it, too. Once you are exposed to the virus, it takes 4 – 14 days for symptoms to begin, sometimes longer. Typically, the first symptoms are mistaken for a cold – runny nose, headache, mild fever and/or sore throat and sometimes itching. This is the time when you are contagious. However, at this stage, some people do not have any noticeable symptoms at all. But, then a rash usually appears, typically on the cheeks (hence the name “slapped cheek” disease). It is a lace-like, bright red rash. The rash can appear on other parts of the body, such as the feet, hands, thighs chest and/or back. To see photos of the rash, visit the CDC’s website.  The rash may come and go for days and generally fades after one or two weeks. A person is no longer contagious when the rash appears.

Usually most people just experience the above symptoms – they are annoying but not too uncomfortable. But, in other cases, you may experience fever and pain in your joints, as well. This is more common in adults than in children. For example, a friend of mine and I had Fifth Disease at the same time, as adults, and it was not fun. We both experienced pain in our joints. My friend had trouble holding a coffee cup. Ouch! I had swelling and pain in my hands and feet, and pain in my lower spine. This aspect of the disease can last for weeks (and did for us). But, as with most viruses, time, rest and comfort measures for pain (such as acetaminophen) help quite a bit.

Since an infected person spreads the disease before she even knows she has it (from coughing, sneezing, etc.), it can be hard to avoid it. The best way to protect yourself is to wash your hands frequently and try to keep your distance from people with cold and flu-like symptoms.
If you have a fragile immune system or if you are pregnant, you should seek medical attention if you think you have been exposed to Fifth Disease. 

The good news about Fifth Disease is that once you get it, you should not get it again.  And, as far as diseases go, this one is on the mild side of the spectrum. You can read more about it in another NMN post.

We get questions about fifth disease from time to time. It’s a common childhood illness that’s usually pretty mild, but if you get infected during pregnancy, it may hurt your baby. The good news is that about 6 in 10 adults (60 percent) had the infection as children and if you’ve already had fifth disease, you can’t get it again.  Nonetheless, about 1 in 400 women in the United States gets infected with fifth disease during pregnancy.

Fifth disease is caused by a virus called parvovirus B19. (It’s called fifth disease because many years ago, it appeared fifth in a list of common causes of childhood rash and fever.) It usually spreads through the air from an infected person’s cough or sneeze. People with young children and who work with children (such as child care providers and teachers) are most likely to come in contact with fifth disease and get infected. You can read about symptoms in children and adults at this link.

Most unborn babies are not harmed if their mother gets fifth disease. But some babies do become infected. The virus can make it hard for babies to make red blood cells, which can lead to a dangerous form of anemia, heart failure, miscarriage, or stillbirth.

You can protect yourself from getting infected by washing your hands well after being around children. Be sure to carefully throw away tissues used by children, and don’t share drinking glasses, cups, forks or other utensils with anyone who has fifth disease or who is in contact with someone who has fifth disease.

If you’re pregnant and become infected, your health care provider monitors your pregnancy carefully for problems with your baby. He may recommend that you have an ultrasound once a week or every other week for 8 to 12 weeks. If ultrasound doesn’t show any problems, you don’t need any more testing.  If an ultrasound shows that your baby is having problems, your provider may recommend amniocentesis to confirm the infection. If your baby has fifth disease, chances are the infection will go away on its own. Your provider may monitor your baby’s health during routine prenatal care visits.

While there is no treatment for fifth disease, there may be treatment options for problems caused in a developing baby. In rare cases of severe anemia, sometimes a provider can treat it by giving the baby a blood transfusion through the umbilical cord. If hydrops, a build up of fluid in the baby’s body, forms in the third trimester, the baby is sometimes induced and born early to receive treatment.

Again, the majority of pregnant women do not get fifth disease and, if they do, their babies are not harmed. But if you work in a day care center or are around school aged children a lot, it’s good to know about fifth disease and how to protect yourself.

Fifth disease is a childhood illness that about half of us come down with when we’re kids, making us immune to it as adults.  It’s caused by parvovirus B19.  It got its odd name many years ago when it appeared fifth in a list of what were considered the common causes of childhood rash and fever.  Most often, it’s not a big deal in childhood, but it might be to a developing fetus if the mother contracts it during pregnancy.

Fifth disease  is a common, usually mild illness spread through the air from an infected person’s cough or sneeze. In children, it causes a distinctive “slapped cheek” rash and, less commonly, a low-grade fever, headache, sore throat and joint pain. Infected adults are less likely to develop a rash, but often experience joint pain and swelling, sometimes with mild flu-like symptoms. Symptoms generally appear between 4 and 14 days after exposure. 

Fetal infection is rare. However, when a fetus does become infected, the virus can disrupt its ability to produce red blood cells, sometimes leading to a dangerous form of anemia and heart problems.  Serious consequences are more likely when a pregnant woman contracts the infection in the first 20 weeks of pregnancy.

To reduce the risk of infection, pregnant women should wash their hands thoroughly after touching tissues used by infected children and dispose of these tissues promptly. They also should avoid sharing drinking glasses or utensils with anyone who has or was exposed to the illness.

A pregnant woman who has been exposed to fifth disease should consult her provider promptly.  Blood tests can determine susceptibility or help diagnose the illness. If she is infected, her provider monitors the pregnancy carefully for signs of fetal problems.  There is no drug to treat the disease. The provider will most likely recommend repeated ultrasound examinations (weekly or every other week) for 8-12 weeks after the mother was infected. If ultrasound does not show any problems during this time, no further treatment is needed.

You can read questions and answers about this in the fact sheet written by the Organization of Teratology Information Specialists (OTIS).