[Tash]

I don't know much about Fifths disease but I was at a middle school the yesterday to pick up the kids that I work for and I was using the bathroom and I came out and there was a little girl and her mom. Her mom said Oh your pregnant!
I was so excited someone noticed! And I was like Yah, I am!!!
And she was like my daughter just got over 5th's disease. I was like O. Then I left the office. I had no idea what it was so didn't know what to say or how to react.
She was across the room so that shouldn't be a problem, but I don't know if she used the bathroom ,and if she did if I should worry. I just looked it up b/c I can't get it off my mind and this is what it said:

Note: This virus can be especially dangerous to fetuses. If you are pregnant and have been exposed to this virus, alert your obstetrician so they can adequately monitor your pregnancy.

So I guess I will tell my dr. tomarrow and hope they can do a blood test but reading that makes me want to cry. That is scary!!!

Does anyone know more about this to help me not worry?

Butter?

[kenziesmommie]

Poppping in from September. I just picked up my daughter today from pre school and there have been three kids in her class that were sent home yesterday with confirmed cases of Fifths. I called my doctor right away. The nurse put me pretty much on Bed Rest until my appointment on friday. She said usually in the 1st trimester if you have Fifths it is usually all or nothing and most women (in the 1st trimester) will miscarry (I am 11 weeks). She tried to tell me not to freak out but how do you not?

I know that it is kind of like Chicken Pox you most likely had it as a kid and your body has developed antibodies against it but if you have never had it there could be a problem. I don't want to freak you out as I have been all day. I have cried and cried about this. I do have a doppler and picked up a very strong heart beat.

Call your doctor as soon as you can. My nurse only told me about what could happen in the 1st trimester. She said I would most likely have to go through a series of blood tests about every 2 weeks. She told me that I am not to cook, clean, etc.... (pretty much bed rest) until I get the blood work done and my doctor sees me.

There is no medication that can cure fifths and you really don't know that your kids have it until they develope the slap cheek syndrome. And once you see that then that means that they are no longer contagious. I wish you luck and my thoughts are with you.

[Julia0406]

I haven't heard of it but I hope that you are ok.

Hugs honey, both my kids have had slapped cheek (5th disease), it is a very mild childhood illness. Most adults are immune to it because we've had it as kids, however if you aren't sure you need to tell your doctor and make sure you are tested. From what I have read there is a 10% chance of miscarriage under 20 weeks if you contract it, but that 10% is of women who never had it as children and caught it while pregnant, not 10% of all pregnant women exposed to it IYKWIM, therefore the risks really are quite low. I'm sure your baby will be fine.

[Kimchi]

I agree with what everyone else is saying. I am a teacher and I have been tested for it twice now. The reason I was tested twice is because my first test came back negative-that I have never had it before. I told them to test me again. The second test came back negative as well. I can’t believe I have never been exposed to it considering I have been teaching for over 10 years, and I come into contact with about 300 kids a week. It just didn’t seem possible. There have been a few kids in my building with it recently as well, though my understanding is that they are most contagious before they have the “slapped cheek” look to them. Now my nurse notifies me of kids with it and I stay away from the m the best I can. I would have your doctor test you for it. It is a simple blood tests and the results are back really quickly.

[Butter]

The good news is you are almost definitely immune and don't even know you had it. Most people never realize they had it. I was exposed by a little girl at church when I was pregnant with Cameron and I told the OB and she said it's almost never something to worry about but they would do a blood test just to be sure. So they did the blood test and it came back immune so nothing to worry about. The OB said almost every pregnant woman is immune but it is a good idea just to have the blood test to put your mind at ease since most people never realized they had it or were exposed. Oh, and I was exposed around 25 or 26 weeks and the OB said that after week 20 is much better than before if I had happened to not be immune.

[Admin-Twinkle]

I think everyone has offered you some great advice. I hope everything works out and please let us know how it turns out!!

[babyformel]

I hope all is OK.

Your OB may have already tested for it. They tested me in the first trimester (just part of the bloodwork they did) and found that I had already been exposed to it so was in the clear if I came into contact with it while pregnant. I hope that is the same case with you.

Melissa

[lizzy27]

Hi, I've never heard of this but I just looked it up online after reading your post, and I don't think you have much cause for worry. Here's the link: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/parvovirus/B19.htm

Here's why you probably don't need to worry. The article by the CDC says by the time a child has developed the characteristic red mark on her cheek, she probably isn't contagious anymore. So the child you ran into probably was WAY past the time of being contagious, since she was back in school already.

I hope everything is ok. It also sounds like it is more of a worry earlier on in pregnancy, and that they should be able to monitor you okay for now.

Just take good care of yourself this weekend, and try to remain calm! I'm sure everything will be okay.