Any experience with Fifths Disease?

[newmomto1]

Poor 7 year old DD apparently has Fifth's Disease.
She is covered from head to toe with a bright red and ugly rash :(
This just started after school on thursday, and there was no school yesterday so luckily she has just been home.
But since this is not contagious she will need to go back to school on monday.
I am worried about sending her because she looks awful. I am afraid of how the kids will react to her.
I will be contacting her teacher ahead of time so she is prepared.
I know this rash can last a long time.

Anyone have experience with this?
How long did it last?
Anything you do make it better or worse?
How did you deal with reactions from others?
Any other info/advice??

[mom2binsd]

It is contagious and can have serious effects if during the contagious period, which is prior to the rash showing up, for pregnant women. So if she has been around anyone pregnant in the last 10 days or so please let them know......when pregnant with ds one of my students had it, both myself and another pregnant teacher were closely watched and she ended up having blood drawn throughout her pregnancy to watch to see if she got it...just a heads up.

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[PZMommy]

I was going to say what the previous poster did. If she has been around any pregnant ladies you need to notify them right away so they can get checked out as it is very serious for them and their baby.

If her rash looks too bad, I'd probably keep her home on Monday. I know at my school if you show up with a bad rash they will send you home. You would have to provide a doctor's note saying the rash isn't contagious.

[Mikey0709]

Our school actually sent a health alert home a week ago because several first graders had it. Found this very informative!

Fifth disease is a viral infection transmitted by contact with respiratory secretions (nasal mucus, saliva). This disease frequently occurs in childcare and school settings. The signs and symptoms of fifth disease are generally mild. An infected child may initially have a low-grade fever, runny nose, headache and fatigue. These symptoms can last up to one week and may disappear before a red, blotchy rash giving the appearance of a “slapped cheek” develops on the face. The rash quickly spreads to the abdomen, arms, and legs, where it appears as slightly raised, red bumps and looks lacy. The rash may be itchy and typically resolves within one to three weeks. Once the rash appears, the child is probably no longer contagious so it is usually safe for the child to return to school.

If you or someone you know is pregnant and has been in contact with a child with fifth disease, you are encouraged to contact your health care provider.



You can reduce the chance of being infected or infecting others by washing your hands and frequently with soap and water, covering your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing, not touching your eyes, nose or mouth, avoiding close contact with people who are sick and staying home when you are sick. No treatment is necessary for healthy persons who are ill with fifth disease. If your child is suffering from early symptoms, keep him/her at home to prevent the spread of infection.



If you have further questions concerning fifth disease, consult your health care provider or the School Nurse. For more information about fifth disease visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website: http://www.cdc.gov/parvovirusb19/fifth-disease.html

[newmomto1]

I know its contagious prior to the rash...i have already been to the pediatrician with her. And i know about the risk to pregnant women (she has not been around any).
I am also quite familiar with my schools policies.
None if these things addressed the questions i had in my post.
And keeping her home just on monday isn't going to solve much if the rash will be lingering for weeks.....

[jren]

For my DD, the rash was short lived. Maybe three days or so? But hot baths and exercise would bring it out again, and it was slightly itchy. So I'd avoid heat. I remember it coming back a few times but seemed to be gone for good after a couple of week. It was so long ago, I don't remember the timing much. If kids asked, she knew what it was and just told them. No one made fun of her. Most of her rash was on her arms, legs, and torso. So covered. Her face cleared up fastest.


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[Momit]

DS had it a few years ago. He was in daycare at the time. I kept him home for several days because one teacher and several moms were pregnant.

He had the typical slapped cheek rash and a low grade fever but was otherwise ok.

[Momit]

Adding to my PP since you seem to feel you have not received helpful info. DS's rash lasted for about 10 days and would also be aggravated by sweating or getting warm.

The school asked that I keep him home for maybe 3 days while the rash was especially angry looking, so I complied with their request even though I had read that it was no longer contagious.

He took a bath to help relieve the itching but other than that we did not do anything. Maybe some ibuprofen at night if he was especially uncomfortable.

[elephantmeg]

DS went to a new after school summer program with healing fiths disease the summer after K. He is now in 2nd grade and still talks about the teasing he got. They called him scabby all.summer.long and it continued into after shool program the following year. I'd keep her home. But that's just my $0.02!