Chicken Pox question...your wonderful advice please!!

[Bomper]

Dd2 has got chicken pox. Ds and dd1 have both had it and were invited round to my sil's today to play with her daughter, who has also had Chicken pox. However, the invitation has now been withdrawn as she also has a 10 week old baby and doesn't want him to get it.

Now, I don't think that my 2 could pass it on to her baby, but I respect the fact that she would rather not risk it. I was just wondering though, could they pass it on, or is she being overly cautious?

[BROWNY]

oh dear, not sure on this one, but thought I'd just mention that Piriton is very good for stopping the itch! HTH

[OddOneOut]

if they have already had it, they are now immune, so cant catch it, or pass it on, however, they could still effectively contract shingles and pass the virus on to the baby, causing chickenpox, but its pretty unlikely.

[hulababy]

But shingles is not caught from people with chicken pox, so there is no more likelihood of your children getting shingles now as any other time.

I don't think you can carry the chicken pox virus to someone. I would say that her baby was safe and she is being over cautious. But then aren't many of us with a tiny baby?

[OddOneOut]

no shingles develops from the chicken pox virus lying dormant in the body and when in contact with cp, can trigger shingles, but as i say very rare, more likely to catch chicken pox from someone with shingles.
as i said, if your 2 have had chicken pox, then they wont catch it again, so could go over to the house, but i guess as any mum is with a tiny baby, she is being a little overcautious.

[hulababy]

But you can't get shingles from chicken pox contact. That is what I was told, I am sure. Shingles is the dormant virus (from the CP virus originally) brought on by stress, run down, etc. not CP contact. My MIl and DH's grandma both have had shingles in the last few years and neither had any CP contact or where near any local ooutbreaks. They were however run down at the time.

[hulababy]

But yes, you can definitely catch CP from someone with shingles.

[OddOneOut]

no shingles is odd because it can just develop years after chicken pox infection, however, there is always a remote possibility of developing shingles after contact with chicken pox, if you have previously had chicken pox...however, very unusual as i said before..but not likely in young healthy children.

[OddOneOut]

shingles only occurs when a person has previously been infected with chicken pox and is reactivated by stress, illness etc, which may explain why some people develope it after contact with an infected persaon with chicken pox as their body fights it off.
however what i was getting at in my original post was that, although they were immune to chicken pox, they could still develop shingles and pass it on to someone else as cp, but didnt make myself very clear, i wasnt suggesting that they would get shingles..gosh i must go to bed.

[OddOneOut]

so the upshot, is, no the mum didnt need to cancel!!!
but its only normal for her to worry, you will probably be banging your head against a brick wall if you try to explain, wait till your lo is better and arrange another playdate.

[hulababy]

No worries OOO. I just read it as being able to get shingles from CP contact, which is what I was saying isn't possible and no more likely to happen than any other time they are run donwn or tired, etc.

Regardless, it is very rare and really a bit over cautious on the baby's mother's side.

[OddOneOut]

no probs, this is what happens why i try to type comprehensive posts when sleep deprived!

[Bomper]

Thanks for all your comments. I have to admit that I think she is being overly cautious, and am glad you agree, but as you have also said, we are all like that with our young babies, I am sure I'd have been the same!!

[SaintGeorge]

I know this one is now resolved but would still like to point out that previous chicken pox infection does NOT mean life long immunity.

I am living proof of that as I have had it multiple times and I know I am not the only one.