Rubella and roseola in children

What are the symptoms of rubella?

For rubella, it all starts with two or three days of fever (Approximately 38-39 ° C), accompanied by sore throat, mild cough, muscle aches and sometimes conjunctivitis. Then from small pink spots (called macules) appear on the face initially. In less than 24 hours, the rash spreads to the chest, then to the stomach and legs before disappearing two or three days later.

What is the difference between rubella and measles?

Rubella can be similar in many ways to measles. However, rubella has this symptom which is that of the appearance of many lymph nodes that form behind the neck, as well as in the groin and under the armpits. They can persist for several weeks. Benign in children, rubella is very dangerous in pregnant women, because it can cause serious malformations of the fetus.

Fever, pimples… What are the symptoms of roseola?

De small pale pink spots or red, sometimes barely visible, erupt on the stomach or trunk, after three days of fever at 39-40 ° C. This rash, which some doctors also call sudden exanthema, or 6th disease, particularly affects children between 6 months and 2 years old.

Contagion: how does a baby get roseola and rubella?

Both are viral diseases. The rubivirus, responsible for rubella, like the human herpes virus 6, involved in roseola, are probably transmitted by sneezing, coughing, saliva and postilions, which explains why they spread very quickly. And the contagion is all the more rapid as a child who has rubella is contagious for at least a week before the rash, that is, before we even know he is sick. It remains so as long as the pimples persist, that is to say for about another 7 days.

How to make roseola leave?

There is no specific treatment. Doctors only advise keeping the child calm and giving him paracetamol or ibuprofen to reduce the fever and thus prevent the risk of febrile seizures. As for the spots, they will fade on their own.

Rubella: a vaccine against this childhood disease

The only way to guard against rubellais the vaccine: MMR, for Measles-Mumps-Rubella. It has been mandatory since January 1, 2018.

Can these diseases cause complications?

Never for roseola, and rarely for rubella in children. On the other hand, rubella can have serious consequences for the fetus when the expectant mother contracts the infection during her pregnancy. The risk of an infection of the embryo is indeed 90% during the first eight to ten weeks of pregnancy with the key to irreversible sequelae (miscarriages or major malformations). The potential danger then decreases, and reaches 25% around the 23rd week, but no one can say that the baby will not have any consequences.

How to protect yourself?

Roseola is so benign that no preventive treatment is helpful. Rubella, on the other hand, warrants MMR vaccination. This vaccination is now compulsory, as part of the new vaccination schedule implemented on January 1, 2018. This vaccine protects children against both rubella, measles and mumps.

The first injection is done at 12 months, with a second injection between 16 and 18 months. This vaccine, compulsory, is covered 100% by health insurance.