23 weeks pregnant and 5 year old has slapped cheek syndrome

[L00k4m3x]

Or at least, it’s what it looks like he’s got and it’s apparently going around his school atm so would make sense.

I’m unsure if I’ve had it before when I was a child and everywhere online suggests I get in contact with my midwife asap. I messaged her today asking what do I do from here? Hoping she may want to see me, take bloods etc or give any sort of advice. In stead I got ‘I wouldn’t know what to suggest’ I am shell shocked.

I do have cold like symptoms that have appeared over the last couple of days, runny nose and a super sore throat. I’m just wondering what people would suggest? Hospital? Call GP? I probably wouldn’t get an appointment now and would have to call in the morning. I can’t believe my midwife seems so nonchalant about it when everywhere online including the NHS website says how dangerous it can be for pregnant women.

So poor from your midwife. I'd call 111 for advise. Then I'd be changing midwives and stating why.

They should offer to send a blood test to check if you are concerned. They'll be able to tell if you've had it previously and are immune, or if you've got it now (or have very recently been infected).

Not sure how it works where you are, but protocol in my hospital is: inform the hospital and they can request Parvovirus serology on your original serology bloods taken at booking, so you don't have them taken again. That will show if you have 'old infection' ie immunity. If you do have immunity then you're covered, nothing further.
If you do not have immunity - you should be advised to isolate from your child, however this is not always feasible. And then follow up with bloods in 4-6 weeks to see then if it shows any sign of 'old infection' ie you had it now. Hope this makes sense.

I've recently had slapped cheek at 9 weeks. I called my doctor and explained that I had been in contact with it and had symptoms and they arranged for me to have a blood test to check antibodies, which unfortunately came back positive. I'm now waiting for contact from fetal medicine so I can have monitoring. From what I understand, slapped cheek is more likely to cause problems if you have it before 20 weeks, and even then the liklihood is that the baby would be fine. Speak to your midwife or your GP and they can arrange the antibody test for you. Good luck!

Hi there, I’m 17 weeks pregnant and caught slapped cheek around 12 weeks. I called the triage number at the maternity hospital for advice. They told me to contact my GP to arrange a parvovirus IgM and IgG blood test to check if I had recently been infected, or to see if I had prior immunity.

The practice did my blood test the same day. It took around 10 days to get my result. It showed I had recently had the virus and I am now under the care of an obstetrician who is doing weekly scans to check the baby is still viable and looking for signs of hydrops. This is because I caught the virus in the window with the most risk to the baby, which is 9-20 weeks’ gestation.

The fact that you are beyond the window of greatest risk is a good thing, but you should still be offered testing. If your midwife doesn’t know this, please contact your maternity hospital which should have a number for advice. My hospital has a parvovirus protocol that the midwives and obstetricians were able to refer to. Failing that, contact your GP practice and ask for the blood test. Your booking bloods should still be held in the lab and can also be retrospectively tested to see if you have prior immunity. Around 60% of adults do, so there is a good chance that you haven’t had the virus despite being exposed.

I hope that is helpful.