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Causes of rubella in children
Rubella is one of the most common childhood infectious diseases. Its causative agent is a member of the togavirus family. The virus is quite stable – it is well preserved on surfaces, tolerates low temperatures and is afraid only of ultraviolet radiation.
It is very easy to get rubella – it is enough to be in contact with a sick person. The fact is that rubella has an incubation period – before the acute course of the disease, the patient may not experience any unpleasant symptoms, but at the same time be contagious to others. Infection occurs by airborne droplets: in close contact with the sick person, especially when he coughs or sneezes, when using common utensils. Also, a mother, having contracted rubella during pregnancy, can transmit the virus to her child through the placental bloodstream – this form of the disease will be considered congenital. Also, the baby can become infected from a sick mother through breast milk.
As statistics show, most often rubella occurs in children aged three to nine years, but in babies under six months (with the exception of the congenital form), the disease is extremely rare. It is also noted that most cases of the disease are recorded in the cold season, and after that, a person who has been ill with rubella develops lifelong immunity to it.
Rubella symptoms in children
As a rule, the symptoms of rubella are quite pronounced: a rash, general malaise, enlargement and soreness of the cervical lymph nodes, sometimes fever and sore throat.
The acute phase of the disease is preceded by a long (2-3 weeks) incubation period. Then the child begins to complain of malaise: his temperature may rise to 38 degrees, headaches and muscle pains occur, cervical and occipital lymph nodes increase and become painful, the baby becomes lethargic and drowsy. However, sometimes there may be no fever, and the general condition of the little patient hardly worsens. The throat is also often inflamed, a runny nose and dry cough may appear.
The main symptom, of course, is a rash – small, pink, spotted or in the form of papules. The first elements of the rash appear on the face and almost immediately spread throughout the body, except for the palms and feet. Most of the rash is on the buttocks, elbows and knees, on the chest and back. A rash may also appear on the soft palate. At the same time, there is no pronounced itching (as, for example, with chickenpox), and the rashes themselves do not merge with each other. After about 3-4 days, the rash begins to turn white and decrease, and on the 5-7th day it completely disappears, leaving no traces behind.
- Spotted pink rash;
- Headache;
- Temperature up to 38C;
- Enlarged and painful cervical and occipital lymph nodes;
- sore throat, runny nose;
- Drowsiness, lethargy.
Rubella treatment in children
If you suspect rubella in your child, immediately limit his contact with other children (and especially pregnant women!), Then call the doctor at home. The doctor will examine the child, prescribe the necessary treatment and give recommendations for care.
Diagnostics
The diagnosis is made by a pediatrician during the examination of the child, sometimes laboratory confirmation of rubella may be required. The first option is a virological diagnostic method: the causative agent of the disease is detected in the blood, urine or swabs from the nasopharynx. There is also a serological diagnostic method that allows you to determine the presence / absence of antibodies to the rubella virus. Blood from a vein is taken on the 5th-10th day of the disease. If class M immunoglobulins are found in the blood, this indicates that the disease is occurring right now. If class G immunoglobulins are detected, this means that the child has already had rubella and has developed immunity to it (or has been vaccinated).
Modern methods of treating rubella in children
Usually, rubella in children (unlike adults and, especially, pregnant women, in whom the virus can cause fetal deformities) proceeds quite easily. Hospitalization is rarely required, for example, if the child is very young, he has concomitant chronic diseases, or the disease proceeds with complications.
Doctors do not prescribe antibiotics or antivirals to treat rubella in children. For a speedy recovery, the child is strongly recommended to observe bed rest, drink plenty of water (water, compotes, fruit drinks, herbal tea), if the temperature rises, the doctor may prescribe an antipyretic based on ibuprofen or paracetamol. Also, the child should get enough sleep, but the TV and gadgets should be limited as much as possible.
In the presence of rashes in the mouth, a therapeutic diet should be followed. Firstly, no salty, smoked, spicy foods, exclude all fried foods. It is better to boil, stew or bake products, the main thing is that they do not injure the oral mucosa. Broths, soups, cereals, mashed potatoes are well suited. Make sure that food and drinks are not too hot or vice versa cold.
Also try to clean the room where the sick child is located more often – ventilate it, do wet cleaning, disinfect surfaces and toys. If possible, purchase or borrow a quartz or germicidal lamp to decontaminate the room.
– With a complicated form of rubella, the child is hospitalized, but most often in childhood the disease proceeds in a mild form, and the child can be treated on an outpatient basis. As for drug treatment: no drug has proven effectiveness, but we can prescribe symptomatic treatment. If there is a fever, give drugs based on paracetamol or ibuprofen. If dehydration – the child should be soldered. If a bacterial layer has occurred – only then carry out antibiotic therapy. Still, you need to remember that rubella is a virus, and doctors have not yet come up with anything against the virus, except for vaccines, explains pediatrician Dilya Aisuvakova.
Prevention of rubella in children at home
To prevent the spread of infection, the sick child is isolated until 7 days after the onset of the rash. However, the most important way to protect against rubella today is vaccination – it can be a combined vaccine against measles, mumps and rubella, which is given to children as part of the National Immunization Schedule, or a single vaccine. Vaccination is carried out in two stages: the first time at 12-16 months, then there is a revaccination at 6 years. It is also possible to get vaccinated in adulthood if the vaccination was not carried out in childhood. This is especially true for girls and young women who have not had rubella and are preparing for motherhood.
The advantages of the vaccine include the fact that it creates long-term stable immunity to the virus (protection is almost 100%), prevents rubella during pregnancy, and therefore protects the fetus from intrauterine death and the development of severe malformations. The vaccine itself is well tolerated by children, without causing complications.
Emergency prophylaxis is also possible, when rubella immunoglobulin is administered to contact children and pregnant women.
– Vaccination against rubella helps in almost 95 percent of cases, after vaccination, people receive strong immunity and do not get rubella, and even if they suddenly get sick, the disease will be mild and without complications. Vaccination according to our National Immunization Schedule is carried out at 12 months (together with vaccination against measles and mumps), and revaccination is carried out later at 6 years, the specialist clarifies.
Popular questions and answers
Pediatrician Dilya Aisuvakova will help answer questions.