To take my baby into a chicken pox quarantine house?

[BettyButterknife]

I have a 3yo DS and a 6mo DS. We spent Friday with a family with a son and daughter of similar ages, got a call from their mother Friday night saying the 3yo son has chicken pox - spotted when they were getting ready for bath/bed.

My DS had already been hanging out with a different friend on New Year's Eve who then went on to develop CP 5 days later - they did a lot of hugging, so I am anticipating CP is on its way (think incubation is 10-21 days). So if he doesn't get it by this Friday he didn't pick it up then, but may get it as a result of last Friday's play and would get it by 4 February.

Anyway, I'd planned to do something today with my friend with the 6mo DD but that would mean taking my 6mo DS to their house with the 3yo home from nursery with CP.

So, AIBU to do that, given DS2 may well not pick CP up from friend's DS but may get it from DS1 anyway? Also, friend has said a few people are wary of going round because they're worried not about their DC getting CP but them getting shingles. I hadn't even thought of that! WWYD? Just want to get out really, as otherwise it'll be yet another day indoors in the rain for me and the baby.

Not all children are the same but my 6 month old had a horrible experience with CP, open sores in his groin and under armpits and so inconsolable, and his sleep wrecked for weeks if not months... well, you get the picture, so I would be reluctant to hurry the onset with any other baby, even if it seemed like they probably already had it.

I can understand why you would go round, like you say with the amount of exposure it would be pretty miraculous if your pair avoided it, so I don't think you are being unreasonable.

Sorry, didn't want to depress you with my first paragraph there, it does at least pass quickly and he's always been a rubbish sleeper :)

you cant get shingles from exposure to chicken pox. Shingles is a reactivation of the chicken pox virus and it is brought on by being run down, stress, etc and nothing to do with being in contact with someone with chicken pox. DS had CP at 5 1/2 months and shingles at the age of 3 (poor sod!)

I really wouldn't if I were you, sorry. True, they may get it anyway from the exposure they've already had, but it's by no means definite.

Chicken pox can be utterly awful for babies - my DSD had it at around that age, and the spots spread to inside her throat and eyelids - she was lucky to survive, she ended up in ICU because she couldn't breathe well.

It's not worth the risk IMO.

I agree with the others, I wouldn't do it. My DS4 developed them on Christmas day, and sailed through it. DD2 got them 2 weeks later and is just recovering. She's on Aciclovir to stop it developing any further as she has them on her eyeball, in her vagina and her mouth and throat. We were very close to having her in hospital for treatment.

Up until this I was of the idea of get it over and done with early, and purposefully visited SIL when she had them in the hope that the DC's got them. If I'd known it would get this bad, I would have protected her better

It can be awful but it isnt always, I had one DD who was seriously ill and the others that you would barely know they had it.

These posts could end up terrifying the OP over something she cant control!

Given that they spent the day with the child before the spots came out then i think more time with them wont make much difference. It is what? Day 4? So chances are the spots will have crusted over and therefore not be contagious anymore. Your DC are far more likely to have picked it up before now if they are going to, so i wouldnt worry about a couple of hours today.

Gen up on the pre spot symptoms so you know what you are looking for, get your supplies in now so you dont have a panic run to the chemist and relax.

there isnt much you can do about it, and dont worry too much about the scare stories. Whilst some kids do get very ill, most dont so try not to get too worried.

As your DSes have been exposed the very day another child became symptomatic, I really don't see that spending a bit more time together is going to make much difference - especially as the lurgied one may well be droopy and not coming close to your DS.

The is no telling whether they will have a mild or serious case whenever they catch it.

As you say, they have both already been exposed to it so it probably won't make that much difference.

DD had CP aged about 4 months (caught from her older brother), she wasn't that bad. It was no different really her having it to DS1, who was 4, having it. DS2, who was 2, managed to get away with only having 3 spots but as he has never caught it again since I can only assume that it was enough to give him immunity!

A friend's DD however had it when she was a baby (caught from her older sister) and had it very badly, and later went on to have shingles aged about 6 months and was very ill in hospital.

The thing is, you don't know how severe it will be if they do catch it. If your baby hadn't been exposed at all I would say you should keep away, but as he has already spent time with people who are infectious then it probably won't make that much difference.

YWBU to this.

My DD1 was exposed about 4 times pre school in the way your 3 yo has- been to play with someone who has come down with CP next day, yet didn't actually contract CP herself until she was 14 yo. There is no guarantee your 3 yo will get it.

All my 4 had CP at the same time, caught from DS3's school (all his classmates came down with it at the same time over Xmas one year). DD1, DS2 and DS3 were covered in spots. DD was really ill, DS2 had spots in his eyes and down his throat, DS4 was fine but spotty, and DS1 got one spot in the middle of his chest and hardly noticed it.

I wouldn't do it TBH.

Ok I have changed my plans and am not going. Although probable mine are incubating it it's not certain so it's not fair to knowingly expose them again.

Thanks for your tips. What are the pre-spot symptoms? Hope if mine do get it they don't get a bad case.

well done good call. I dont remember any pre spot sympoms tbh. Once you see a few you can littleraly just watch them spring up. my dd was about half way through spots coming out when she became ill on the first day of spots, fever, listless etc. she had somany spots come up over following 3 days. she was very very poorly indeed for a week.

One of my friends dds (5) has come out in spots today. She had a temperature last week and was vomiting on Saturday - not sure if that's usual in the run up to CP but that's what happened in her case....

I had it at 25 so remember the pre spots signs.
Mainly huge exhaustion (walking was a chore), sore throat (but like imnotas DD's I had it all over and was also on aciclovir after 2 weeks of it not getting better).
DD1 had it at 3, and became really clingy and crying the days before the spots (spots and fever at the same time). But she had it quite badly as well.

It's been interesting to read this, as I know alot of people (including family) who feel that they need to expose children and get CP over and done with. I've always thought, however, if I can avoid my DS getting ill then I will do my best. I think I'd rather have a toddler with CP who at least I may be able to explain things too, rather than a young baby. Also it really can be very nasty, so why purposefully expose your child to the risk?
I know he'll get it at some point, I just don't see the need for it to be now. If it happens, it happens.

OP I hope you don't have too bad a time of it.

I had Cp before the age of one and got it again at 24 which was nasty and i was pg I would try to avoid your baby getting cp until he is older.

My dd got cp aged 7 and my dd2 got cp under one which I tryed to avoid and gp told me babies under one can't get cp anyway - that was until i took her into gp with cp and he changed his mind

re: symptoms, my DS (2.5) has it but hasn't had any fever or other signs of being poorly. Just lots of spots.
I think he's getting at a "good" age. For a baby, I'd definitely take precautions.