Fifths Disease?????

[mejoje]

My best friend is about 9 weeks pg or so and I had my 5 month old's babtism party last Sunday and one of the children there (we found out yesterday) has Fifths Disease. My nieghbor (the girls Mom) asked about other kids and pg women and the doctor said for my friend to call her OB to see cause there could be problems for my friend and/or the baby. Has anyone ever heard of this or know what kinds of problems they are talking of? Myfriend was not directly around the child (did not hold her or kiss her or anything) would that matter? I'm just worried because my friend just m/c'ed back at the beginning of the year.

[navywife41305]

hi everyone im a teacher at a preschool and we have had a few incidences of fifths disease. I dont know of any risk to a preg. woman, but there arent any risks to adults. it is highly contagious but there is no "cure" except to let it run its course. it usually starts with a mild fever and headache...there is usually a bright red rash to signify that it has run through. the rash looks more like someone slapped the child very hard. the only childhood disease i know for sure that affects an unborn child is chicken pox, i dont know how closely related, if at all fifths and chicken pox are.

[nel06]

Chicken pox and 5th disease are related, in a way.  Sometimes with 5th disease there can be no symptoms which is why it can go unnoticed, a fever only shows up in about 15-25 percent of cases, a lot of the times just a rash will appear.  The way that effects pregnant women (which is rare) but if a pregnant woman does contract it, it can cause fetal anemia (swelling of the fetus).  There is a very real danger if a pregnant woman does contract it, the thing is that isn't very common because by the time you are an adult you have become immune to it, but it does happen.

[nel06]

Ok, fifth disease is basically a sister disease to chicken pox. Ususally she wouldn't have a great risk just by casually being around another person with it, especially since the wasn't in direct contact.  Recently fifth disease has been linked to a very slightly increased risk of miscarriage in women who contract it.  Most women of chilbearing age are already immune because they were infected as children, infection of pregnant women is not common.  Very rarely fifth disease may lead to an unusual form of fetal anemia, similar to RH disease, if a pregnant woman contracted it.  Your friend should talk to her doctor about it.  And if by a rare chance that she did get it her doctor would probably do ultrasounds to make sure the baby is ok.  I read this when I was pregnant with my son.  Also if there is a miscarriage caused from fifth disease it is not likely to happen again because of the same thing.  Fifth disease is not widely known because it's symptoms are mild and can go unnoticed or be totally absent.  I hope that helped, good luck to your friend and I hope she's well.

[mejoje]

Thank you so much, yes it did help and put my mind at ease. I just got off the phone with her and she said that her doc. is not real woried about it because she was not in direct contact with the little girl. Thank you so much for getting back to me and please feel free to use this as an open forum.

[nel06]

Your welcome, I'm glad it helped.  It's nice to get on here and see if people have the answers to questions, or atleast have advice about things.  I do have a question for anyone who could give me some advice... I have a 19 month son with eczema, I swear I have tried everything... nothing makes it go away, but I am lucky enough that it has been under control for a couple months now.  But when it breaks out it is HORRIBLE!  So I was wondering if anyone knew of another remedy that can relieve eczema for the next time he breaks out real bad???

[lmroswell]

When I was pregnant, I was exposed to a neighbor's kid who had Fifth's disease.  This child was out and about the neighborhood exposing all kinds of kids and people.  That irks me when parents do that!  I had never even heard about it before this, but I looked it up and discovered there is a small threat to pregnant women exposed to the virus.  I called my OB, he ordered a blood test to see if I had the antibodies, which I did, so there was no need to worry.  I believe it can cause still born births, but it is not common.  Bottom line, if you are prego and exposed talk to your doctor about it.