Roseola

Roseola is a common illness in children between the ages of 4 months and 2 years. It is caused by a virus, Herpes virus 6, which is related to but different from other Herpes viruses. Roseola begins with a high fever (103-104° F) for 3-5 days.

After the temperature drops to normal the child develops rash that consists of small pink spots mostly over the neck, chest, and body. The rash is usually very faint but can get heavy; it lasts about one day. The diagnosis of Roseola is often not made until after the characteristic rash appears.

The most important way to make your child feel better is keeping the fever down. Please see the fever section of this website for advice about lowering fever. Please call the office if your child has excessive sleepiness or irritability, persistent vomiting, diarrhea, cough, pain on urination, if the fever lasts for more than 5 days, or a sore throat is associated with the rash.