Among the standard colds, flus and skin complaints that are par for the course when children are young, there are also a few relatively common illnesses that you may not even be aware of until they strike. These are five of the more common ailments that affect children, along with the signs and symptoms that signal their arrival.
1. Coxsackie – Coxsackie A virus is the culprit behind hand, foot and mouth disease. Though the names are similar, hand, foot and mouth disease is not related to hoof and mouth disease, which is a potentially-lethal viral disease that affects cloven-hoofed animals exclusively. Hand, foot and mouth disease is a relatively common illness that usually strikes children five years of age or younger and is usually produced by Coxsackie A16. While it can be completely asymptomatic in many cases or only present with very mild symptoms, more severe cases can cause a fever lasting seven to 10 days, painful blisters on the soles of a child’s feet, the palms and fingers of his hands and the inside of his mouth. There is no specific treatment, but pain from blisters and fever may be treated with over-the-counter analgesics. For the most part, doctors will not prescribe medication, and only a very small percentage of patients with hand, foot and mouth disease will require hospitalization.
2. Fifth Disease – Erythema infectiosum, more commonly known as fifth disease, is one possible manifestation of infection by erythrovirus, formerly known as parvovirus B19. Fifth disease presents with a low-grade fever at the outset of infection, headache and cold-like symptoms such as a stuffy or runny nose. A few days after these symptoms resolve, a bright red rash appears. Lacy and red, the rash generally covers most of a child’s body but is most pronounced on the cheeks, which is why the malady is colloquially known as “slapped cheek disease.” Once the rash appears, patients are generally no longer contagious. The rash generally lasts for two to three days, but can persist for several weeks in severe cases.
3. Roseola – Roseola, also known as exanthem subitum or sixth disease, is a viral infection that causes a pink or red skin rash and high fever, and is most commonly found among infants and young children. The earliest symptoms include eye redness, sore throat, runny nose, irritability and a high fever that appears suddenly and rises as high as 105° Fahrenheit. The fever can last between three and seven days, but usually abates within two to four days. Lowering of the fever is generally accompanied by the appearance of a rash that begins at the trunk and spreads to the arms, legs, neck and face with a pink or rosy color. Small, slightly-raised sores also present, but the rash generally does not itch. The incubation period for roseola is between five and 15 days from the date of exposure.
4. Scarlet Fever – Scarlet fever, or scarletina as it was once called, is a disease caused by group A Streptococcus bacteria, which is the same family of bacteria that causes strep throat. Once a very serious and potentially-lethal childhood disease, scarlet fever is now easily treated. The incubation period for scarlet fever is very short, with symptoms appearing one to two days after exposure. Fever and sore throat are usually the first symptoms to appear, later presenting with a rash that appears on the neck and chest before spreading over the rest of the body. Abdominal pain, Pastia’s lines, chills, headache, muscle aches, swollen tongue and vomiting are amongst the common symptoms of scarlet fever, which must be treated with antibiotics promptly to prevent rheumatic fever.
5. Whooping Cough – Pertussis, also known as whooping cough, causes uncontrollable, violent coughing that can make it difficult for the sufferer to breathe. Coughing is often accompanied by a deep “whooping” sound when the sufferer attempts to breathe. Pertussis is a very serious upper respiratory infection that can cause infants to become permanently disabled or even die if not properly treated. The earliest symptoms generally appear about one week after exposure, initially presenting with cold-like symptoms. Severe coughing generally begins 10 to 12 days later, with coughs that end in a “whooping” noise. For babies under six months of age, that telltale sound typically is not present.
While it’s impossible to keep kids in a sterile environment, many bacterial and viral illnesses can be prevented by encouraging good hygiene and hand-washing habits. Curiosity is a hallmark of childhood, but it can leave your little one’s hands in places that aren’t particularly clean, so make sure that good hand-washing habits are instilled early and emphasized often to prevent the spread of illnesses.
Submitted by Tina Marconi, who blogs at Babysitters.net.
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