SLAPPED CHEEK SYNDROME

What is it?

Slapped cheek syndrome is an infection caused by a virus called a parvovirus.

Who gets it?

Your child is most likely to catch slapped cheek syndrome between the ages of six and ten years old. You are at higher risk of getting the condition if your immune system is not working properly - because of illnesses or taking high dose steroids, for instance. Although you are not at higher risk of catching the disease in the early stages of pregnancy, your baby is especially vulnerable if you catch it in the first 20 weeks of your pregnancy.

What are the symptoms

If your child gets slapped cheek syndrome, he or she will not usually be very unwell with it. To begin with your child may have a mild fever and feel generally under the weather. Later a red rash will appear on the cheeks, which gives the disease its name.

If you get the condition as an adult, especially if you are a woman, you may develop painful swollen joints that can cause problems for two or more months.

If you get slapped cheek syndrome in the early stages of pregnancy, there is a risk your baby may die. This risk is quite small - less than one in 100 if you come into close contact with someone who is infectious. It does mean, however, that you should seek help if you think there is any risk of you catching the disease in the first half of pregnancy.

When should I go to my doctor?

Since your child will probably not be that unwell with this condition, you may not need to take him or her to the doctor at all. If you are pregnant, however, you should make an appointment with your doctor as soon as you think there is any risk that you have come into contact with someone who has slapped cheek syndrome.

What tests will my Doctor want to do?

If you are pregnant, your doctor will be able to take a blood test which will tell if you are immune to the disease - you cannot catch it twice. If you are not immune, you will need to have another blood test later to see if you have caught it. If you have, you will need to have regular ultrasound scans of your baby for several weeks.

How can I reduce my risk?

Slapped cheek syndrome is caught by close contact - for example, sleeping in the same home, sharing meals or being in close contact for more than an hour. You can reduce the risk by regular hand washing. By the time the characteristic rash of slapped cheek syndrome has appeared the condition is no longer infectious, so staying away from children who have the rash will not necessarily reduce your risk of catching it.