Worried about the pink rashes that appear on your child’s neck, face, arms, and legs? They might be suffering from the so-called Sixth Disease or baby measles which is characterized by a high fever followed by a pink-red raised or flat rash. Know all the symptoms and signs, causes, and how to prevent it for your child’s health.

Did you know that Rubeola, also known as ​measles, is a fatal disease that is caused by a virus—paramyxovirus? It is a highly contagious respiratory infection that spreads from person to person through the air when the infected person sneezed or coughed.

Symptoms
The first symptoms of being infected by this virus are usually hacking cough, extreme runny nose, high fever and red eyes. After two to four days of having these symptoms, the child may develop spots within the mouth called ​Koplik's spots which looks like little grains of white sand surrounded by a red ring and are usually found inside the cheek toward the back of the mouth (opposite the first and second upper molars). A couple of days after, a measles rash appears on your child’s face and neck down to his back and trunk, then to his arms and hands, and finally to his legs and feetcoinciding with a high fever of 104℉ or 40℃. The rash will slowly go away after a few days as it turns into a brownish color leaving the skin dry and flaky.

Who are at Risk?
The most at risk for getting measles are young children who are unvaccinated and poorly nourished, especially those who aren’t getting vitamin A. Since measles is highly contagious and spreads into the air when people breathe in or have direct contact with virus-infected fluid, those who have crowded living conditions can also put people at high risk because of measles.

Prevention
Routing measles vaccination for children is a must. Have them vaccinated according to the immunization schedule prescribed by your doctor. It is said that measles protection is part of the ​measles-mumps-rubella vaccine (MMR) or measles-mumps-rubella-varicella vaccine (MMRV) that is given when the child is at 12 to 15 months old and get vaccinated again when they’re 4 to 6 years old. Immunization schedules should always be followed in order to provide protection for your child.

Treatment
Having baby measles has no specific medical treatment but there are some tips for to keep the fever, that’s one of the symptoms under controlled:

• Open all the windows and switch on the fan to cool down the temperature of the room.
• Wrap a cool linen cloths around your baby’s legs and arms and change it after a couple of  minutes
• Place a face flannel with ice blocks on your baby’s neck or forehead.
• Bath your baby in warm water—not cold.
• Be sure to increase your baby’s liquid intake like water and juice to prevent dehydration
• Give your child a proper dose of medicine.

Always be smart, aware and protected! Let your doctor give you the best prescription for your child’s safety.