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Expert Q&A

	By Michael F. Wasserman General Pediatrician

What is Roseola, and could my 6-week-old baby be at risk?

Roseola infantum (the full name) is a viral illness caused by human herpes virus. It commonly causes elevated temperature (even as high as 105 degrees Fahrenheit) for three to five days, and then the child breaks out with a rash, which is underneath the skin. This is a disease typically seen between 9 and 18 months of age.

The temperature rise can be such that it may trigger a febrile seizure in children, which is oftentimes the beginning of the outward signs of the illness, and most disconcerting to the parents. Fortunately, Roseola is not usually a serious illness, but again, concerning to the parent, as the child has ?high fever? and a lack of other signs or symptoms, until the rash breaks out, marking the end of the illness.

It would be most unlikely to see this illness in a child 6 weeks of age, as most adults have already had this illness earlier in their lives, the mother of the child would have transferred her own immunity against the human herpes virus via blood to her fetus. This immunity (passive in nature) wanes by approximately 6 months of age, and hence, we usually see Roseola in slightly older children."

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