Fifth's Disease
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Fifth's Disease
June 2005
I'm wondering if anyone has gotten advice from their obgyn
regarding exposure to Fifth's Disease while pregnant. Much
of what I read on the net says it's dangerous to the fetus no
matter where in your pregnancy you are. Some say early
exposure is worse...it's all mixed advice. My obgyn says
there's nothing to worry about. There's been no proven
problems to the fetus. Anyone out there have any advice
from their doctor?
I was exposed to Fifth's Disease when I was about 12 weeks pregnant (a friend's
toddler had it, and his red-cheek rash wasn't diagnosed until the day after I had
spent a day with him). My OB gave me a blood test to see if I had picked up an
active infection with the virus. She said that what little evidence there is on this
suggests that exposure at 18-20 weeks gestation is the worst in terms of negative
outcomes for the fetus. She also said we could order an ultrasound to check for any
developmental problems if the blood test indicated an active case. As it turns out
my blood test was negative so I didn't have to worry about that. But as I understood
it from my doctor, there was nothing they would be able to do treatment-wise,
would only be able to watch and wait, if I had been infected. That's why it's so
important to avoid exposure while pregnant if at all possible. That said, my OB did
also reassure me that most people who are exposed don't actually develop any
problems.
Good luck to you.
Katie
I work in healthcare and was exposed to fifths disease during my
3rd pregnancy. I contacted my physician and he ordered a simple
blood test to check if I have had previous exposure that would
have created antibodies. I did. If you haven't had previous
exposure it has been linked with spontaneous abortions and
anemia in the fetus. I pasted the CDC website below. Print out
this fact sheet and ask you physician to address each point of
concern with you. You have a right to have your concerns
addressed by the facts not the blanket statement ''there's
nothing to worry about''. You are obviously worried about it so
s/he need to address your concerns. I hope this helps.
http://www.cdc.gov/
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