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Children's health

Please talk to me about chicken pox.

12 replies

soon2befamilyof4 · 31/03/2009 09:14

Hello. It is possibly DD came into contact with chicken pox yesterday. She is 15 months old and seems to catch everything going (and did even when I waas BFing her).

I think the child who definatly had chicken pox had gone home before DD got there (at MILS who is a CM). But there were other children there all day. Would the chicken pox germs (not very good wording I know but I am very tired and being climbed over!). be all over the playroom anyway?

DD does actually hae some spots and I had to wake her at 820 this morning to do the school run - she usually wakes up at 7ish. But surely it is too soon for the spots to come out?

I wouldn't usually be so worried but I am 37 weeks pregnant and know this baby might be early. My main concern is that DD won't be able to come to the hospital at all and also that she could give it to the newborn?

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Buda · 31/03/2009 09:20

The incubation period is 14 to 21 days I think.

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soon2befamilyof4 · 31/03/2009 09:33

Have just read on NHS that the spots don't come out till 10-21days after coming into contact with the chicken pox so the spots are obviously irrelevant. I think I am being paranoid! (And partially looking for an excuse not to leave the house today! ).

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Niecie · 31/03/2009 09:37

She would also have had to have contact with the child who did have chickenpox. AFAIK you can't get it from children who have only just come in contact with it themselves, even if they go on to get it 14 days later. I am pretty sure they are only contagious when they start to appear poorly, which is 2 or 3 days before the spots come out.

Fingers crossed you will all be fine.

Good luck with the new baby.

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soon2befamilyof4 · 31/03/2009 09:52

But would the virus not be all over the toys etc? I know when I worked in a nursery and they had a chicken pox outbreak they sterilized everything to try and kill off all the bugs?

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Niecie · 31/03/2009 10:04

Sorry, I lifted this straight from a website as I have to go out.

"It is passed through the saliva, coughing secretions, and direct touch. In general, you must either be living in the same house, or play indoors in close face-to-face contact for more than 5 minutes, or have close face-to-face or physical contact outdoors in order to catch the illness."

The site did say it was highly contagious but only through direct contact.

Your DD may well get it but it won't be from yesterday, it may be from contact she had last week, if she was with the infected child then.

Try not to worry - silly thing to say to a 37 weeks pregnant mother I know but it would be a shame to get stressed about this when you should be looking forward to a new baby.

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Umlellala · 31/03/2009 10:16

I think you're better off if she HAS got it now as she will only be infectious for 5-6 days (she could have caught it ages ago from someone else of course)... It's a hard one though, have a friend in exactly your position. Think I would be trying to get them chicken poxed asap personally (your baby will be immune for approx. 2 weeks apparantly - though no, I don't expect they will be happy for her to come to hospital)

Good luck (and congrats on imminent baby). We have just had the chicken pox epic (ten days after the first one got it, the second one got spots. Wasn't too bad - though obv without the worry here).

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soon2befamilyof4 · 31/03/2009 10:28

She hasn't been in contact with the child last week, she was only at MILS as a one off while I had a hospital appointment and it just happened to be the day the child got struck off with CP! She doesn't go there unless really needed TBH. BUT I don't know if the other 2 children that were there had it or not, they didn't have spots but they would have been with the infected child all of last week?

We will have to wait and see I guess! It is annoying that I won't know till next week or later!

I guess if the newborn gets it, at least she will still be at the BF stage where a boob will comfort her most of the time! I miss being able to use a boob to solve everything! Lol.

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Buda · 31/03/2009 10:56

TBH my DS has just had it - he is 7 - and we have no idea where he came in contact with it as we don't know anyone else that had it! There have been times that I have know other children get it and he has been in contact but not had it then. It's a tricky one. Hopefully you will be lucky and she won't get it this time. Fingers crossed for you!

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Musukebba · 31/03/2009 13:52

soon2befamilyof4: As many have said above, chickenpox is infectious for the 48 hours before the rash appears, and guidance for assessing exposure of adults is 5 mins face-to-face anywhere, or 15 mins in the same room.

Small children are different though, and from contact with objects such as the toys it's certainly possible your DD has had a significant exposure to chickenpox. However it is also possible that the spots she has now are chickenpox acquired from a previous significant contact 14-21 days ago. It's hard to say and you'll have to see how the rash progresses and whether it starts to look like chickenpox.

For your pregnancy concerns; if you have previously had chickenpox yourself, then your new baby will have acquired maternal antibodies that will protect both you and him/her from serious infection. These should last for more than six months in the new baby - probably longer; by which time they are well-equipped to deal with the infection themselves.

If you definitely haven't had chickenpox yourself, then it would seem like a good time to find out by getting a booking blood tested, because you getting chickenpox around the time of birth would certainly be a big problem.

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soon2befamilyof4 · 31/03/2009 16:28

No, I am not worried about me, I had it as a child. She didn't have exposure other than yesterday (unless from a completely different situation and place with a different child).

Spots don't seem to be spreading or getting worse. DD not quite herself but is also getting her back teeth so not really surprised. Oh well!

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Musukebba · 31/03/2009 16:41

Glad to hear you've had it already, so you and new baby should be fine.

It would be a real shame if your 15m DD did get it though, and the timing meant she couldn't go to visit in hospital

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soon2befamilyof4 · 31/03/2009 17:56

Exactly. If I am in and out within 24 hours then it isn't too bad but if I have to stay in for any reason (and I am anemic so might well need to) then I wouldn't get to see her and she is so young and doesn't know what is going on.