Newborn dd and 2yr old ds has suspected chicken pox

[Candleatmidnight]

DD is 4 days old. Came home from hospital to find 2yr old DS with spots on his torso and back. Also off his food. Done the glass test on the spots - they don't go away.

Going to docs tomorrow but just to ease my mind - is this really bad for as? Or can be dealt with?

[Candleatmidnight]

as = dd

[NewBallsPlease00]

Um spots not going can be meningitis pls cross check symptoms and call 111 to check with ooh advice

[WellyMummy]

Poxclin, wonderful stuff, get it ASAP. Good luck.

[cudbywestrangers]

We had this earlier in the year. Ds2 born 2 days after ds1 came out in spots. If you are immune to it then you will have passed some immunity to your baby. We were advised to limit contact as much as possible and if baby comes down with it then do see a doctor asap as it can be nasty in newborns. Ds2 didn't get it and hope your bby escapes it too...

[Candleatmidnight]

It's not meningitis. Have cross checked all symptoms, there is no rash, just a few spots far apart from each other. DS also had a meningitis scare a few months ago which we went to A & E for so I am hyper aware of all symptoms and stages.

My worry is for newborn. What will happen if it's CP and she gets it at only a few days old. Will BF-ing protect her?

[Candleatmidnight]

Thank you cudbywestrangers!

[GiddyOnZackHunt]

We visited relatives with a bf newborn about 3 days before dd came out with cp spots. I was mortified. We'd been in the same room for a couple of hours.
The newborn didn't get cp.
I think if the mother is immune and the baby is ebf there's a good degree of immunity.

[chattygranny]

I had exactly this situation. Our 2 year old DS went to friends when I went into hospital to give birth. The next morning the friend's 3 boys woke up with chickenpox. Our DS developed it (as expected) a couple of weeks later. I was worried too especially as we weren't sure I'd had it (had a couple of spots only apparently so no proper diagnosis). Anyway though her brother was covered in spots our DD1 did not get it from him due to having my immunity from birth and I was BF her too, but I think it was more born with immunity from me. I obvs had had it as never got it from my 4 DC. Hope that helps and don't worry! Incubation is usually 2-3 weeks I think so new born won't be as tiny. Hope it's mild for your 2 year old.

[Mirandawest]

My DS got chicken pox when DD was 4 weeks Old. Many people said that as I'd had chicken pox and DD was breast fed that she wouldn't get it.

Two weeks later she got it, was fairly spotty and mostly slept more. Was all right as far as chicken pox went.

[mrsplum2015]

It can be really bad for newborns but obviously your situ is quite common. I had this with dc1 and dc2. I wasn't bf dc2 but he didn't get it. The paed said my immunity that carries over from birth was more relevant than bf so don't worry too much about that. Same principal as giving pg women the whooping cough vaccination to transfer immunity to baby.

My best friends newborn did get it in the same situation and she was ebf her but wasn't sure she (mum) was immune from cpox as her mum couldn't remember her having it. The baby was fine though.

[NotSoLankyNancy]

Ds1 was exposed by a friends ds at about 10days old. Did not catch thankfully and will be immunised soon

[Glitterkitten24]

Newborn should still have your immunity as she's so new. Ebf will also be helping.

I feel your pain- my DC developed chicken pox in the days before my ELCS, so we were in the same boat. The doctor/ midwifed were much less concerned about it than I was, not that that's much help to you now.

Congrats on your baby!

[SweepTheHalls]

We had the same, but my EBF baby did get it, but very mildly. With hindsight I'm glad we got it all over with!

[Witchend]

Chickenpox should go away with the glass test. If it's not going away it may be a viral rash, but you probably should take him for a blood test at A&E just to check. Ds used to get viral rashes that failed the glass test a lot and the GP usually wanted to get him checked.

However if it is chicken pox then don't rely on immunity. Dd2 was still ebf and got chicken pox very badly from dd1, who had it mildly.
I'd had chicken pox badly about 5 years previously, so it wasn't that I didn't have immunity.