Common childhood illnesses

Measles
All children should be immunized against measles.

Measles is a virus which is easily spread. It can be spread to others from one week before the rash appears to one week after it begins.

Symptoms include a rash, which first appears on the face and then spreads to the chest and back, the stomach and finally to the arms and legs. The rash appears as pink blotches and lasts from four to seven days. It causes mild itching.

Other symptoms include a cough and runny nose, swollen glands, conjunctivitis (swelling of the lining of the eyelid) and an elevated temperature. White spots in the mouth go away as the rash develops.

If your child develops measles:

• Give your child acetaminophen (Tylenol or Panadol). But do not give your child aspirin because it has been associated with Reye Syndrome, a rare but serious illness.
• Persuade the child to drink plenty of fluids.
• Encourage rest.
• If the child is coughing, a cool mist vaporizer may help.
• Keep lights dimmed to help with eye discomfort.
• Call your doctor for additional advice.
• Do not allow your child to go to school or come in contact with other children until a week after the rash develops.

Call you doctor immediately if your child:

• Develops dark purple blotches.
• Has convulsions.
• Is being treated for a serious illness and is exposed to someone who has measles.

Mumps
All children should be immunized against mumps.

Mumps is a virus that is easily spread. The most common symptom is a swelling of the glands in front of the ears. It may only affect one side of the face. Other glands in the body also may swell. It is contagious from 2 days before the swelling appears until the swelling disappears (usually 7 to 10 days).

In addition to the swollen glands, symptoms include a headache, fatigue, a fever, pain in the jaw and mouth and difficulty swallowing.

If your child develops mumps:

• Give your child acetaminophen (Tylenol or Panadol). But do not give your child aspirin because it has been associated with Reye Syndrome, a rare but serious illness.
• Persuade the child to drink plenty of fluids.
• Keep your child in the house and away from other children until the swelling is gone.
• Do not give solid food to a child who has trouble swallowing.

Call your doctor immediately if your child:

• Complains of a stiff neck.
• Vomits or has stomach pain.
• Is very sleepy.
• Complains of pain in the testicles.
• Has a high fever.
• Complains of not being able to hear.

Rubella (German Measles)
All children should be immunized against rubella. Rubella is a mild viral infection that is contagious.

Symptoms include mild fatigue, a mild fever, a runny nose, swollen, painful glands at the back of the neck and a rash of small raised spots. These spots spread together to form patches. The rash, which lasts for about three days, is first visible on the face and quickly spreads to the chest, back, stomach, arms and legs.

If your child develops rubella:

• Give your child acetaminophen (Tylenol or Panadol). But do not give your child aspirin because it has been associated with Reye Syndrome, a rare but serious illness.
• Persuade the child to drink plenty of fluids.
• Keep your child in the house and away from other children until the swelling is gone.
• Do not allow the child to be in contact with any woman who might be pregnant.

Call your doctor immediately if your child:

• Complains of ear pain.
• Has chest congestion or chest pain.
• Develops a rash that looks purple.
• Is very sleepy.

Chickenpox
All children should be immunized against chickenpox. Chickenpox is a virus that spreads very easily. A child will show signs of chickenpox within 10 to 21 days of being exposed. It is contagious from 36 hours before the rash appears until all of the sores that develop have scabbed over (usually seven to 10 days).

A rash is the most typical symptom of chickenpox. Small red dots first appear on the scalp and then spread to the rest of the body. The dots quickly become raised and the centers fill with a clear fluid. As the fluid becomes cloudy, the sores will break open and become very itchy. Finally, scabs will form and fall off in one or two weeks. The child also may have a mild fever and complain of tiredness before the rash develops.

If your child develops chickenpox:

• Give your child acetaminophen (Tylenol or Panadol). But do not give your child aspirin because it has been associated with Reye Syndrome, a rare but serious illness.
• Keep your child in the house and away from other children until all of the sores have developed scabs.
• Encourage your child not to scratch.
• Cut fingernails short to minimize damage and scarring that occurs when your child scratches the rash. Also, keep the child's hands clean to prevent infecting the rash.
• Cleanse the skin regularly and gently with soap and water.
• Apply calamine lotion to the rash to help minimize itching.
• Allow the child to soak for 15 minutes in a warm bath with one-half cup of oatmeal to control itching. Do not rinse the skin after the bath. Gently pat the skin dry.
• Rinse the child's mouth with salt water (one-half teaspoon salt to one cup of water) if sores develop in the mouth.

Call your doctor immediately if your child:

• Has extreme itching that cannot be controlled with the steps listed above.
• Develops infected sores.
• Is very sleepy or has difficulty walking.
• Complains of neck pain or a stiff neck.
• Vomits.

Hepatitis B
All children should be immunized against hepatitis B virus (HBV).

Hepatitis B is an incurable liver disease which may cause chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis of the liver, liver failure and death. It also sets up children to develop cancer of the liver later in life.

There are about 300,000 new cases of hepatitis B and at least 5,000 deaths from liver cancer each year in the United States. More than one million people in the U.S. have chronic HBV infection.

Early symptoms include a poor appetite, general discomfort, nausea, vomiting and fever. As the hepatitis B progresses, the urine is dark and jaundice (a condition in which the skin, eyeballs and urine are abnormally yellow) occurs.

If you suspect your child has hepatitis, call your doctor immediately.