Fifths Disease

My daughter got Fifths when I was pregnant with my Third Child. I was laying in bed with her when she had the fever and was the most contagious, and nothing happened. I let the OB know and they did an early ultrasound, but I was told that they really don't worry about Fifths and early pregnancy as much as they have in the past, so you should be fine!

Fifths ran rampid in our school this SPring too. The nurse would send the child home when the rash came out to have it confirmed by the doctor, then they could go back to school. Once the rash is out, they are no longer contagious!

Congratulations! :)

There's a simple test your OB should have performed with your first pregnancy to see if you had Fifths Disease when you were a child. If you had it when you were a child, then you're immune to what's now going around. If not - you should not be near the children in your class until it has run its course.

Since you're a teacher and around kids, you've probably already had it and are immune.

Unfortunately, I'd never had it before when I was infected in my first trimester. Sadly, I lost my baby at 35 weeks. I'm horrified to hear some doctors are saying it's not harmful to the fetus. It obviously is, or I'd still have my little boy.

Chances are strong that you and your baby are fine. It is rare for a fetus to actually die from this, but it DOES happen. For your own peace of mind and for your child's health, I'd get tested right away.

Your doctor should have already run a test to determine your immunity to fifth's disease. If not, try to have it done soon. I'm a school teacher as well and our school nurse keeps records of any pregnant teacher's immunity status. In cases where the pregnant teacher is not immune, they are sent to district office to do some administrative work while a student in the building is affected. I hope this helps!

Hi A.,
I was in the same situation last year when I was pregnant. There was only ONE student who had Fifth's Disease but my OB/GYN said I had to be out of the building for 2-3 weeks. The school district had to find another place for me to work since it wasn't "my choice" to be out. I ended up working in the central office and was out for 3 weeks. It is more dangerous if you have had direct contact and it sounds like there are many kids in your schoolwith it. I would be VERY careful...it can cause birth defects! The chance of you getting it are dramatically less if you have had chicken pox yourself at any point. Call your OB and go with what they tellyou. I am not sure what the official policy was in my district but they were soooo acommodating and helpful. Good luck to you and be safe!

Its my understanding that you are only in danger in your 1st trimester. I was exposed to it when I was in my second trimester and I freaked but my Doctor said it was nothing to worry about that late in my pregnancy. Call your OB if you have any doubts. As far as school policies go, can't help you there. I'm completely ignorant to all that.
Hope I was a little helpful.

First, go to your OB to see if you're immune to Fifths. If you are there is nothing to worry about. I am a teacher too and have gone through this with 2 pregnancies. In my district they relocate you to district office.
My OB said there is no evidence that Fifths is harmful to a fetus, but if you're not immune, you may want to speak to your union rep to see what can be done. It's not worth the risk.
Good Luck!

I too was pregnant this past summer, working at a camp with a child that had 5th's. I called my doctor and he checked my file. Fortunatetly I was immune, BECAUSE I am a teacher and probably had it already without knowing it....Also, i think once the child develops the rash ot is not contagious. Call your OB. Good luck.

Call your OB right away and find out. Some "childhood" illness can be harmful to the unborn! Chickenpocks is one of the but I can't remember about 5th's! A.

I agree with Mary - check with your doctor. I know it can be very harmful if your pregnant. My very good friend lost her baby at 5 months and the Doctor said it was exposure to fifths disease.

Take caution and take care. Congratulations also!

Fifth Disease and Pregnancy
Exposure to fifth disease during pregnancy may cause worry to some women. Here are the facts that you need to know about this common illness when you are pregnant.

What is It?
Fifth disease is a virus caused by the parvovirus B19. Although it can affect any one of any age, children under the age of 15 are most often infected with it. (Read more about fifth disease of children.) Symptoms of fifth disease usually start off as a mild cold. However, a few days after the cold goes away, a rash develops on the face that looks as though a person’s cheeks have been slapped. This rash then spreads to the rest of the body before clearing up within one to three weeks.

Fifth Disease in Pregnant Women
Generally, most pregnant women experience no serious complications if they are exposed to the parvovirus B19. In fact, about half of all women are already immune to the virus (although they may not know it) due to a previous exposure. Those women who do get sick usually experience only mild symptoms with no ill effects on their baby.

For some women, though, parvovirus B19 can lead to severe anemia in the baby and may even cause a miscarriage. The risk of this happening is higher for those women in the early stages of pregnancy. However, this occurs in less than 5% of pregnant women who have been exposed to fifths disease. There is no evidence to support the idea that the virus can lead to birth defects or mental retardation in a child.

I’ve Been Exposed, Now What?
If you suspect or know you’ve been exposed to the virus, contact your health care provider. She can perform a blood test to see whether or not the parvovirus is present in your blood system. If the virus is present, your health care provider may decide to monitor you more closely.

There is no vaccine or preventive medicine available for fifth disease. In fact, there is very little you can do to avoid being infected with the virus other than washing your hands frequently. Since people are contagious before they develop the characteristic rash of fifth disease, it is difficult to evade exposure. However, if you know that there is an outbreak in your work place, you may choose to steer clear until the outbreak has died down. This is entirely a personal choice, though.

Hi there,
My son had fifths disease when I was 13 wks pregnant with twins. I was told that I need not worry unless I was in my first trimester. However, since I was just starting my second trimester I was tested for the antibody and of course I insisted that my obgyn did a sonogram and I heard their heartbeats. Thankfully all was fine. Good Luck
T.

I was pregnant with my first and 5th's spread through my Kindergarten classroom. Since it is harmful to the fetus in the 1st trimester I freaked. But then I talked to my mom & she said that I had 5th's when I was a child and the dr. confirmed that I was immune and my baby was fine. You are out of the 1st trimester so if you do get it your baby should be just fine - still discuss it with your OB.

A.

Hi A.
I had fifth disease during my last pregnancy which was 4 years ago. I got it around May/June of that year and I was due in late Sept. My middle child has contracted it from her preschool and passed it onto me. Well, let me rephrase, I'm not even sure if I exactly had it but from the time I realized my daughter had it until I delivered, I had to go to the hospital weekly to have the baby checked. Everything was good and the positive to it was that I was able to see the baby growing weekly! From what I understand, it's more dangerous in the first few months of the pregnancy. I remember the dr. telling me that they had to check for fluit buildup and all. Sorry if this doesn't help much but I wish you the best. Also, with fifth disease, it's only contagious when you have the fever that goes with it. Your not contagious when you have the rash (which looks like you were slapped in the face). Your school should have a policy on this because the only people that can really get affected by this disease is pregnant people. Good luck.

Hi A.,

I was in my first trimester when I found out that I could potentially have been exposed to Fifths Disease. I, too, am a teacher. At the time, I traveled between two different buildings, and worked with close to 300 students. I called both my primary care doc & my OB. They had conflicting views. The main concern they both had was the fact that I was only 8-9 weeks. I chose to play it safe, and stayed home. I was out of the building for 3 1/2 days due to the weekend & my teaching schedule (along with the day off). My understanding is that once the rash appears - which is the point that most kids are diagnosed - the risk of exposure is over.

I would consult with your OB - like most mamas said, you can opt or demand for the blood test.

Congrats on your pregnancy, and best of luck!

My son had Fifths Disease while I was pregnant. My OB/GYN did a blood test on me to see whether or not I had already had it and therefore had the antibodies. I had, in fact, had it sometime as a child, although my mom had no recollection of my having the disease. It is worth the blood test! You might luck out!

My son was just diagonosed with it, but other than being a bit rashy, he was OK. Here's a website for more info. http://www.kidshealth.org/parent/infections/bacterial_vir...

It said that by the time that the child is showing symtoms, it is usually not contagious, and it is not a serious illness.

A.....DO NOT GO TO WORK !!!!

When I was pregnant with my daughter around christmas time. Fifths disease with rash all over and her Dr asked if they knew anyone who was pregnant and to tell them to stay away!!!!! let me know what you decide but I would be scared if I were you to step foot in that school.
D.

My daughter got it when I was 19 weeks pregnant and I was told that it can cause miscarriage up until 20 weeks. My OB sent me for bloodwork to see if I was immune to it (which most of us are) and I was, so no worries. See if you can get the bloodwork done.

My daughter had fifths disease when I was at the end of my last trimester with my son. The doctor told me it wasn't a concern at that point. But I do know that in the first trimester it can be dangerous. Definately check with your doctor.

i cant read all the other responses, so im sure i am repeating, sorry. it is probably fine, but you should get out of there and get tested asap. first call your doc, if he is anything like mine, you might have already been tested during that onslaught of bloodwork at the beginning. being an elementary teacher, you have probably had it already and then its fine. and by the way, your school should absolutely have a policy and a procedure in place to protect you and others.

call your ob, they test for that...they should know if you've evr been exposed...if you have you are in the clear...if not ask them...I know there are dangers for the baby but I can't remember off hand what they are...odds are you've been exposed already.

I contracted fifth disease from my son when I was in my second trimester and had to have ultrasounds every week to make sure the baby did not get hydrops fetalis which is caused by the baby becoming anemic. From what I understand you are most at risk in your first trimester, but if I were you I'd stay away from school for awhile if you could - it is highly contagious - the problem is by the time you know a kid has it the contagious stage is over. I was very sick for a month when I caught it - it is much worse in the adult form.
talk to your ob. Not sure about any policies . .

hi - i was teaching 1st grade and was just 3 months pregnant when there was an outbreak in my school. i got a blood test from the doctor which showed that i was not immune to it. my doctor recommended that i should stop teaching. if i got 5th disease while pregnant it would have elevated my pregnancy to high risk because they would have to monitor me a lot. however, the chance that something could have gone wrong was small, but, the doctor wanted to be cautious. since you are later in your pregnancy, i think the risk is much less. i'm curious what your doctor will advice you to do.

also, when i went i left teaching, the school set me up with a job in the district office for awhile and then i went on disability.

i wish you lots of luck and congratulations! debbie

Hi A.,

I went through the same thing - I am a speech pathologist and freaked out a little when all my kids came down with out. All of my doctors agreed that if I had been working around kids this long, I probably already had the immunity. There is a simple blood test you can have done to look for the antibodies, but chances are, you are just fine. Good luck!

Hi A.,
I just went through this. I am currently 29 weeks pregnant and was exposed to Fifth's Disease at 12 weeks. It was running through my daughters Nursery school. I had the blood test to see if I was immune and I wasn't and it actually showed that I contracted the disease. In my previous life I was a teacher as well, so it was pretty shocking. I have been seeing a perinatoligist for weekly scans of the baby. They check the baby for anemia, signs are usually fluid around the brain or heart and excess amniotic fluid. They also look at the blood flow through the brain and placenta. Thankfully so far the baby doesn't seem to have contracted the disease. I believe it is a 1 in 3 chance it passes through the placenta. I read some of the other posts and to ease your mind - it does NOT cause birth defects!! It can cause anemia in the baby which may or may not result in a miscarriage or stillborn. If anemia is detected they are able to do a intrauterine blood transfussion (sounds scarier than it is). But it works.
My advice to you is to get tested because you may be worrying about something that you don't need to. But know that if it comes back that you have been exposed - make sure you get the extra care you need - the weekly ultrasounds are very reassuring. I know it's scary, trust me - I was a basket case for a while. Good luck!

My daughter had this when I was pregnant with my second (I'm now pregnant with number 3). I think I was about 14 or 15 weeks along at the time. The doctor sent me to the lab to have a blood test done to see if I had the antibody already in my system for it. I think if you've been exposed before or had it before, then you're fine. But if you haven't, then they might give you something (antibiotic) as it could be dangerous. Definitely call you doctor and see what they suggest - it's not worth risking it...

Good luck!

- K. :)

Hi A.-
Congratulations!
There are conflicting studies on Fifth disease. If you are a teacher, you were probably exposed to it already without even knowing it. You may also be immune to it as well. You should ask your physician to do a blood test to check for exposure.

By all means, contact your OB about this.

Congrats on baby #2!

I also believe that the risk is for 1st trimester, but you should definitely talk to your OB about it and see if they have already tested you for the antibodies. If not, like the others said, GO NOW!