Rubella is an illness caused by a virus. With rubella, your child will have:
The rash is not distinctive. Many other viral rashes look like it. It is difficult for health care providers to diagnosis rubella even after examining your child. This diagnosis usually can't be made unless there is an epidemic of it in your community.
Rubella is caused by a virus. The symptoms usually appear 14 to 21 days after your child was exposed to the virus.
The disease is mild. The rash will be gone and your child should be completely recovered in 3 or 4 days. Complications in general are very rare.
However, pregnant women should avoid anyone who may have rubella. Complications to the unborn child of a pregnant woman with rubella are disastrous and include deafness, cataracts, heart defects, growth retardation, and encephalitis.
If your health care provider has determined that your child probably has rubella, the following may be helpful:
No treatment is usually necessary. Give acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil) for fever over 102°F (38.9°C), sore throat, or other pains.
If your child might have rubella, keep him away from any pregnant women. He is contagious for 5 days after the start of the rash.
A nonpregnant woman exposed to rubella should avoid getting pregnant during the next 3 months.
A pregnant woman exposed to rubella should see her obstetrician. If she has already received the rubella vaccine, she and her unborn child are probably protected. Even if she thinks she had German measles as a child and the recent exposure was minor or brief, she should have a blood test to determine her immunity against rubella.
Get your children immunized against rubella at 12 to 15 months of age so you don't have to worry about pregnant women being exposed to rubella when a child gets a pink or red rash. It's safe to immunize a child who has a pregnant mother.
Call IMMEDIATELY if:
Call during office hours if: