Fifths or parvovirus b19 is the 5th childhood disease after measles, mumps, rubella and chicken pox. It is a harmless disease that happens to kids under 17 or so and is almost impossible to predict. The kids with fifths are contagious even before a single symptom occurs. Once the symptoms show, there is no danger of transference.
I know that my odds are really low but I was exposed around 19/20 weeks and the blood work shows that there is something going on. I know 5% chance is in my favor but it looks like I am the 5 %. I was hoping someone in the third trimester had some experience with this since it looks like I have had current exposure and seem to be infected.
can someone tell me what fifths disease is? parvovirus is something dogs can get isnt it?
short term parvo?
i have never heard of anyone having these thats all... so im a bit confused
lana
I specialised in Virology for my Ph.D. and from what I know about Parvovirus B19 is that the risk of anything occurring to your baby is quite low after the 20th week. There are some worst case scnearios which I won't go into but it poses the greatest risk to a woman in her first trimester and a slight risk until the end of the 20th week. After that, then it is quite uncommon that anything should happen.
A friend of mine is also pregnant, around around 23 weeks. Her children had fifth disease and she was at the end of the 20th week of her pregnancy. She just has to get it controlled and the Obstet. will closely via ultrasound to observe if there are signs of infection. She also is scheduled to have an extensive ultrasound again to check all the organs during the 30th week (perhaps in the US it is called a level 2 ultrasound).
Hope that helps a bit, but the risk of something occurring is quite low.