Rubella in children: What you need to know

The article is professionally consulted by Master, Doctor Nguyen Minh Tuan - Pediatrician - Department of Pediatrics - Neonatology - Vinmec Danang International General Hospital.

Rubella (a type of typhus) in children tends to be mild and can be cared for at home. This disease will usually clear up on its own within a week's time.

Rubella is a fairly common condition in children under 2 years of age. The disease causes a high fever for 3-5 days, then a rash. Sometimes it scares parents with a very high fever. Rubella goes by many names such as: sixth disease, pseudo-rubella, 3-day fever...
The most common cause is Human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) found in most cases.

Fever: can have a high fever of 40 - over 40 degrees Celsius, lasting 3-5 days. Rash: The rash appears when the fever begins to subside. It first appears on the neck, chest, and abdomen, then spreads to the face and extremities. The red or pink rash is usually not itchy, and the rash may be smooth or slightly raised. The rash usually lasts 1-2 days and then goes away. However, there are also cases where the rash goes away on its own after 2-4 hours.
Despite fever and rash, most babies are in good condition. In addition to fever and rash, some accompanying symptoms may include:
Seemingly tired Irritability Anorexia Swollen glands in the neck or behind the ears Sore throat Cough Mild diarrhea Loss of appetite, loss of appetite Swollen and swollen eyelids gland

Currently, there is no specific treatment for the disease. However, some of the following ways can help reduce the rash in children.
Let the child rest if he or she is not feeling well. They will feel more comfortable if they are given bed rest until the condition gets better.
Give your child plenty of water to drink. If you're breastfeeding or bottle-feeding, try to feed your baby as often as possible.
You should keep the child's room always cool, when the child sleeps you can use a thin blanket on the bed, should not use a thick blanket when the baby sleeps will make the child uncomfortable.
In addition, you can use some antipyretic drugs when the child feels uncomfortable such as paracetamol, but in the case of fever in children, you should limit the use of antipyretic because fever is the body's response to fight off fever. foreign invaders.

Rubella is spread in the same way as the common cold. They can be spread when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or comes in contact with objects or surfaces that are contaminated with the virus.
However, rubella does not spread too easily and you do not need to isolate your child if he is at school and he is healthy enough to go to school.
In case your baby feels tired and unwell, you leave him at home until he feels better. However, it is not necessary to wait until the last rash site has disappeared.
The following measures can help you prevent the infection from spreading to others:
Frequent hand washing is a preventative measure for both mother and baby. Have your child use a tissue when he sneezes or coughs and throws the used tissue away immediately and washes his hands afterwards. You should keep the surface of the rash area clean on a regular basis. Do not let children share cups, plates, cutlery and kitchen utensils and personal items with others.
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