Fifth disease is usually mild, and both children and adults get better without any problems. Some people have no symptoms and never even feel sick. Other people get very sick from fifth disease, but this is rare. Fifth disease is not known to cause birth defects. However, a few women who got fifth disease while they were pregnant had miscarriages or stillbirths.
Recent research suggests that the risk of problems during pregnancy is extremely low.
Even so, women who get fifth disease while they are pregnant should be closely watched by their doctors or midwives. The virus that causes fifth disease lives in the nose and throat and is sprayed into the air when an infected person sneezes, coughs or talks. Other people nearby can then inhale the virus. Children with fifth disease are diagnosed by their symptoms, especially the rash on their cheeks. There is a blood test for fifth disease, but it is usually only used for pregnant women and people who have blood disorders or weakened immune systems.