9 month old and chicken pox

[samanthajayne17]

My 5 and 6 year old daughters have had chicken pox from school. They been off school with it. I didn't take them to the doctors because I knew what it was and how to deal with it. But Now I've just found one spot on my baby boys chest so I think this is the start of chicken pox as this is how my girls started. I'm just so worried about him having it as a baby. Because my 6 year old had a bad headache and temp with hers and worried how my 9 month old will cope with it. He's breastfed so I thought he wouldn't get it ( I read somewhere babies get immunity from mother if they are breastfed don't know how true it is)
What can I do to make it better for him once the chicken pox is full blown? Shall I take him to the doctors with him being a baby? Can you use camomile lotion from the shop on a baby. Just want to be prepared.

[beautifulgirls]

DD1 was 2 when she had chickenpox and gave it to her 9 month old sister. DD1 was reasonably poorly with it, infected spots and very under the weather. DD2 caught it 3 weeks later and had a relatively easy time. She had a moderate amount of spots but remained pretty bright and well in herself overall. Unfortunately she had shingles when she was 5 which may or not have been linked to her having chickenpox so young, I don't know?

I would see how it goes and obviously contact the GP if you have any specific worries. Hope he remains reasonably ok through it all.

[samanthajayne17]

Thank your beautifulgirls.

That must have been awful having shingles at 5! It's a worrying time when kids are ill and sleepless nights to. I just hope he gets through it pretty fine

[Vinorosso74]

DD had it at 9 months old and I had it at tge same time as her. Despite being very spotty she was ok. Poxclin was fab really cooled any itching on us both with no need for antihistamines.

[CPtart]

DS2 was a week old when he caught chicken pox from his toddler brother, (despite me bf). He had a very mild dose, is now almost 12 and has never had it again!

[bookworm14]

My DD had it about 8 months (I had shingles and passed chicken pox on to her). She was fine - spotty and uncomfortable but no serious side effects. Get some calamine (the cream, not lotion) and use calpol for temperature. In some ways it's a good thing to get it out of the way early!

[Lindy2]

My DD had it at around the same age. She was actually fine with it. I think being too young to really know what was going on helped. I just dressed her in a loose comfy babygro and we went for lots of walks in the countryside to distract and pass the time. The only problem area was where the nappy elastic rubbed spots on the top of her legs a little bit.
I'm pretty sure she gained full immunity despite being young as she is nearly 9 years old now and has not caught it again. I think breast feeding immunity only works for the first 3 months or so.

[Shootingstar2289]

My daughter had chicken pox at 7 months. She caught it from her older brother. I didn't take her to the doctors as I knew what it was. She did have a fever/cold symptoms before the spots but when the spots came out she seemed better that way.

My daughter got better in no time. Calpol, calamine cream (easier than lotion), virasoothe and baths in Aveeno bath oil worked a treat!

[Hoviscats]

My DS had it a couple of weeks ago at 7months having caught it from his older brother. He was very spotty and didn't have the temperature that my older DS had but did instead have a dodgy tummy with it.

He was scabbed over within the week though and on the positive side he didn't try to scratch at all! I used virasoothe gel and plenty of oat baths for both. Good luck!

[samanthajayne17]

Thank you everyone 😀

He has come out in a load of spots today. He has softer stools than usual but doesn't have a temp which is good. He's just very spotty poor bugger

[dementedpixie]

My ds had it around 6 months and shingles age 3. Childhood shingles is more likely if they have chicken pox under age 1

[samanthajayne17]

Dementedpixie

Really??? What's shingles like in a child? How was your DS

[Nodney]

My DS2 had it at four months. He wasn't as ill as his older brother (4). Quite a few spots but he didn't appear to feel ill

[dementedpixie]

Ds was a bit sore and itchy but his rash was misdiagnosed at first as eczema and they gave us cream to rub on . Second gp asked if he'd had chicken pox already and that's when it clicked it was shingles. He still has scars around one side of his rib cage but no other lasting effects

[85lou85]

Glad to have found this thread... My 3 year old DS has just got over chicken pox and my 9 month old DS has just started with it today. His spots have blistered straight away though where as DS1's blistered, mainly, the day after the spot arrived. Did anyone else find this difference with a younger one? Or is it just different for different kids? I was hoping since DS2 is still breast fed, he'd be covered! Here's to a few more sleepless nights!

[samanthajayne17]

85lou85

Aww I hope your baby is ok.

My baby is covered in them all over his face. A tiny amount of them have scabbed over already but a lot haven't. I feel sorry for him.

[Sittinginthesun]

DS2 caught it at 4 months, and was covered in spots. He also got shingles when he was 7, which was interesting.

[85lou85]

Thanks Samanthajayne, so far he's just very clingy... Even more so than usual with his constant teething! No temp but a bit off his food. How is your DS coping with it? Is it affecting his sleep much?
I felt heartbroken for my 3 year old when he was covered in stops and feeling down with it, I'm dreading the same or worse with DS2! Hoping he'll be like some of the PP's kids and not be as bad as the older ones... Hope the same for your DS too!

[samanthajayne17]

Thank you 85lou85

He does seem to be irritated at night because he has been getting up a lot but he's not too bad. I just see his tiny hand itching his head every so often. My baby didn't get a temperature either so maybe it's just older kids who get temp??

Hope your DS recovers soon

The only one thing I'm concerned about is there seems to be a pattern on this thread of children getting shingles if they had chicken pox below 1 year?

[HomeFree55]

DD2 (10 months) has just had chicken pox, caught from older sister (5). She had a much easier time and whilst she did at times appear uncomfortable she was largly well with it and had a much easier time than her sister

I have been told numerous times that children under 1 don't necessarily develop an immunity so can catch it again. As shingles is a strand of chicken pox maybe that's the explanation?

[85lou85]

Oh dear, no, the shingles/repeat of chicken pox really doesn't sound good... Poor babies!

[samanthajayne17]

I know it's horrible that our poor babies have to have chicken pox as babies and then again as they get older. Just be horrible having shingles as a child, hope all your children came through it though without too much illness . I just hope my baby doesn't get it again 🙁

[Sittinginthesun]

By the way, shingles as a child was fine. DS just had a series of patches of spots. Anti viral gel from the GP, no swimming for a few weeks, but otherwise carried on as normal. They didn't hurt him.

[Witchend]

The not getting immunity if they're under 1yo is a myth.

And you can only get shingles if you have had chicken pox first, so those would counteract.

I don't think they're any more likely to get shingles if you've had chickenpox early. However there is a question mark over the chicken pox vaccine (one reason why it isn't given standardly in the UK) that there does seem to be an increase in getting shingles if you've had that. And as shingles can be often more of an issue than chicken pox -as well as if you've had shingles, I believe you're more likely to have it again.

Dd1 had chickenpox at 3yo and kindly gave it to dd1 who was 6 months old, fully breast fed and had it really badly. At one point she only had one spot... it just happened to cover all of her.

[dementedpixie]

From online:

If a pregnantt* woman gets chickenpox, her baby has a high risk for shingles during his or her first 2 years of life. And if a baby gets chickenpox in the first year of life, he or she has a higher risk for shingles during childhood.11*

[85lou85]

Samanthajayne my little one has it really bad, he can't sleep, he's off his food, he's running a temp and really resists calpol, he's covered head to toe in the things! How's your son getting on?