Rubella is an acute disease that most often affects preschool children. Among the most common infections are the "Group of Five". It includes diseases caused by similar pathogens. These include rubella in children, the symptoms of which are characterized by high fever and rash. To treat a disease, you need to understand what causes and signs it manifests itself.
What is rubella?
The disease is infectious and is accompanied by rashes. The causative agent is the Rubella virus, discovered in Japan in the 1930s. After recovery, a person develops lifelong immunity, so rubella does not get sick more often than once.
There are both single cases of infection and massive ones. It was previously believed that rubella symptoms in children occur cyclically once every 8-12 years, but due to the refusal of vaccination, cases of the disease have become more frequent.
The risk group includes children aged 1 to 7 years, older children are less likely to be diagnosed with the disease.
How does infection happen?
The rubella virus is viable for a long time frozen. In a normal environment, it is transmitted through contact from one child to another. Therefore, outbreaks of the disease are recorded in preschool institutions. If at least one baby has been ill with rubella, then all children in the group will be infected.
Infection occurs by airborne droplets. The virus that enters the body through the respiratory tract is fixed in the lymph nodes and provokes the disease.
The incubation period for rubella is 10 to 21 days. Even if you isolate the kids in the event of a rash for 5 days from the team, then this measure is ineffective. Infection occurs one week before the onset of symptoms of measles rubella in children and 14 days after the onset of the disease. During this period, they are dangerous to others. On the 12-14th day, the virus leaves the lymph nodes completely.
Specialists are confident that children with mild symptoms of the disease are a stronger source of the virus than babies with a pronounced manifestation of the infection.
Stages of disease
Rubella overcomes three periods:
- incubation;
- prodromal;
- spicy.
The incubation period lasts from 10 to 21 days. When the virus enters the bloodstream, the child begins to secrete infectious agents. With completely absent symptoms of rubella in a baby, he stillposes a threat to others.
The lymphatic system takes the first hit. Then a rash appears that spreads throughout the body. The rash begins with the ears and neck, then affects the trunk, thighs and buttocks. The rash can be pronounced or almost invisible, depending on the baby's immune system. After a few days, it decreases, but the child remains infectious for another 7 days.
Recovery occurs a week after the first signs of rubella. The child becomes active and vigorous. The increase in lymph nodes persists for 15-21 days.
Types of diseases
There are the following types of disease:
- congenital;
- acquired.
Infection of a pregnant woman is a dangerous species, especially in the first trimester.
Babies are infected in utero and are born with congenital rubella syndrome. Up to 20% of newborns die at the age of 3 due to various complications.
Symptoms of measles rubella in children may appear with additional external influences (teething, hypothermia, SARS). Sometimes there is a birth of a deaf baby and with heart or brain defects. Many children have speech problems and mental retardation.
Acquired rubella can occur in children older than 3 years and includes the following forms:
- Easy. It is typical for children with a good immune system. Fever and signs of generalintoxication of the body is not observed. The rash disappears in 2-3 days.
- Medium heavy. It is characterized by a temperature of more than 38 degrees. The symptoms are similar to those of a cold (cough, runny nose). Sometimes conjunctivitis occurs.
- Heavy. The disease is characterized by high fever (39-40). Symptoms of intoxication are pronounced. In some cases, a bacterial infection occurs.
Mild to moderate rubella is most easily tolerated.
Symptoms of disease
Infection proceeds with some peculiarities. What are the symptoms of rubella in children? It begins, like most of these infections, with an indisposition of the body. It is these signs that occur in the child first of all. Common signs of rubella include:
- increase in body temperature, which manifests itself for a short time;
- headache;
- chills and joint pain.
The child has a dry cough and swelling of the nose. Some parents mistake signs of rubella for symptoms of a cold.
They can be present from 12 hours and last up to three days. After the end of this period, specific ones are added to the general infectious signs.
Babies under one year of age may experience mild symptoms.
Specific features
The second cycle of the disease occurs 3 days after the symptoms of the initial stage of rubella in children. These include a rash on the child's body. Initially, it has a pink color, and withchanges to dark red over time.
A distinctive feature of rubella in children is the characteristic of individual elements of the rash. They spread over the surface of the body, but, like measles, they do not merge into single formations. The main symptoms of rubella in children are rash and redness. They do not leave peeling, scarring and pigmentation on the skin, as with chickenpox.
What does rubella look like in a child? Primary symptoms appear on the face, then go to the neck area, after a few minutes the rash appears on the back, abdomen and buttocks.
The rash lasts for a short time in one place, and it can soon be noticed on other parts of the body.
Other symptoms of the disease include enlarged lymph nodes in the neck, as well as submandibular and cervical lymph nodes. They cause sharp pain in the neck.
Features of the disease in children under one year old
Rubella in infants is very rare. They have specific immunity to this disease. The exception is children whose mothers had rubella during pregnancy. Such an infection is congenital and leads to many complications.
In other cases, the symptoms of rubella in children under one year old are no different from the course of the disease at an older age.
Special attention to the well-being of the baby will reveal the pathology and alleviate his condition.
Diagnosis of disease
It is important for specialists to distinguish the symptoms of measles and rubella in children. For mild symptoms, prescribeadditional research.
These include:
- blood and urine tests;
- RTGA;
- lung x-ray;
- ECG in rare cases;
- serological and enzyme immunoassays.
According to the results of the examination, the doctor establishes an accurate diagnosis. The sick child will be isolated from he althy children for up to 3 weeks.
How to treat pathology
Treatment of rubella symptoms in children, and rarely in adults, is done at home. Follow these guidelines:
- Provide the patient with favorable conditions while in a separate room, diet and plenty of fluids.
- Give the baby to drink plain and mineral water without gas, compotes, fruit drinks and juices. It is important that the body receives more than 1 liter of fluid per day. It allows you to cope with intoxication and fight viruses.
- Follow exactly all doctor's instructions and stay in bed for 5-7 days.
- Children with rubella can be photophobic, so close windows indoors with blackout curtains.
- In the room where the patient is, it is necessary to create a calm atmosphere and silence. Parents should find time not only to take care of the child, but also to read books to him and play.
Following all the tips for proper treatment will speed up the recovery of the baby and relieve complications.
Forecastfavorable disease. Complications can develop only when the immune system is weakened or a bacterial infection is added. In these cases, you may experience:
- angina;
- pneumonia;
- bronchitis;
- encephalitis;
- meningitis.
The disease will require effective treatment, which is prescribed by a specialist, taking into account the existing symptoms.
Drug therapy
Treatment of symptoms of measles rubella in children and adults is carried out with drugs only as prescribed by a specialist.
Drug therapy includes:
- "Ascorutin". The drug is prescribed to prevent disseminated intravascular coagulation.
- Antihistamines. Helps relieve swelling and reduce inflammation.
In case of secondary infection (tonsillitis, pneumonia), the specialist prescribes antibiotics.
For symptomatic treatment, the doctor prescribes non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. They relieve pain, intoxication and reduce fever.
With nasal congestion, vasodilating drops are used - "Nazivin", "Otrivin" and others.
Folk remedies
To relieve the symptoms of rubella, decoctions and infusions of medicines are used. They are completely suitable for babies, as well as teas and drinks made from dried fruits that increase immunity.
It is useful to drink a decoction of the following plants: chamomile, rosehip and echinacea purpurea.
Anytimedrinks add fresh berries (raspberries), lemon, currant leaves and honey.
General recommendations
When treating symptoms of rubella in children, follow these guidelines:
- Diet. Meals should be carried out in small portions. Children should be fed sour-milk products, steamed and baked dishes. The main thing is to completely remove fried, fatty and spicy foods from the diet. Dishes that can irritate the gastric mucosa and burden the intestines are prohibited.
- The required level of humidity and temperature must be observed in the room. You need to ventilate the child's room 1 time in 1.5 hours and do wet cleaning daily.
- During the period of illness, taking a bath is not recommended. Washing a child in the shower is not prohibited, because if this is not done, the sweat can cause irritation.
- Walking with a baby with rubella. it does not follow. With a weakened immune system, he can become infected with SARS, as well as infect other children and adults.
If you follow these tips, your baby's recovery will be much faster.
Prevention
Immunity to the virus that causes rubella develops after a single illness. Despite the ease in the course of the disease, it can cause serious complications in the child. Treatment of rubella symptoms in children and prevention includes several points.
For this, a vaccine against the disease is included in the vaccination calendar.
It is done when the baby is 1 and 6 years old. Until the age of one year, the child is protected by innate immunity. Forvaccination use preparations of both domestic and foreign manufacturers. Moreover, all of them are made on the basis of attenuated rubella viruses.
Drugs contribute to the creation of a stable protective immune response against such infections. The vaccine is injected subcutaneously into the deltoid muscle of the shoulder or under the shoulder blade.
In most cases, the rubella vaccine can cause some reactions in babies, which are expressed in slight swelling of the injection site. 10% of patients experience:
- increased body temperature;
- sore throat;
- runny nose.
A similar reaction to the vaccine develops 12-14 days after vaccination. These symptoms usually resolve within a few days.
If the infection was not vaccinated at the required age, then vaccination is allowed at any time up to 18 years, which is especially important for girls.
Besides vaccination, there is a second method of protection against infection. This is teaching the child to the basic rules of personal hygiene, as well as stopping visiting an institution where an infection is present.
Children's rubella is an infection that affects children under the age of seven. Correct diagnosis and timely treatment will quickly relieve its symptoms. Timely vaccination will allow the child to have mild rubella and will not cause any complications.
