to take a chickenpoxy child away for trip, partially on public transport?

[dappply]

since yesterday DS has chickenpox. Doesn't seem to be feeling very bad, but is very spotty. we had plans to go and visit friends this weekend. It's a four hour trip, an hour of it by public transport (boat trip as they live on an island).
Am I meant to isolate him? Should he not be going on public transport? WIBU to go?

I think everyone is aware that chickenpox is contagious, (hence the reason some people have chicken pox parties) and you should avoid contact with other people. However, I don't think everyone is aware of the potential huge health risks for some people, they probably just think it would not be very nice to pass on chickenpox to someone ifyswim.

When ds had CP the doctor just told me to avoid contact with pregnant women and people with suppressed immune systems (if that is the right phrase), I certainly wasn't told to in effect quarantine my child. I could have interpreted that to mean as long as we didn't have close contact with someone at risk it would be ok. I would like to say we did keep our ds in the house/garden until he was better.

The OP could have just accepted the doctor's advice, instead she has asked for more advice and that has got to be a good thing

can you drive, if so could you just hire a car

Yes a lot of people are not aware. someone said to me, take him to the doctor's. I told them I wouldn't, in case anyone else caught it. They said so? I said no, you don't understand, it could kill someone.

They went red, I could hear it over the phone, and said oh alright then.

YABU - if he came into contact with a pregnant woman who was not immune the consequences could be a birth defect.

Thanks everybody for your responses, you're all good to provide food for thought and links to info to explore. Forgive me if I'm still trying to figure it out and asking questions when people volunteer opinions , as trusting people on a message board over a doctor is not really in my nature. i was being genuine Mrs Devere. thanks for the apology.

For those that are passionate about this, for the obvious good reasons that you have, I think you should put your energy into campaigning for more public awareness about chickenpox, as the info out there is conflicting and ambiguous, and the majority of people i have spoken to today have been very relaxed and blase about the illness.

igggi, like i said my doctor and midwife has both told me i've nothing to worry about in contracting CP myself. i am not worrying about what to do over the weekend, i am just asking questions, because nearly everybody i know and every health proffessional i've spoken to ha said not to worry about going outside.

anyway, i've not been caught in an AiBU bunfight before. and i'm tired, hormonal and fed up about other things so probably not in the best place to be carrying on posting on this thread. wish you all well. thank you for your time in posting. Maybe this thread will be good to have on mumsnet, as if it wasn't for people here i migh have been inclined to follow my doctor's advice. well that's what you normally do eh? so perhaps will make people think twice.

cheers!

Chicken pox can make children feel very Ill.
Would you want to do all that feeling lousy?

Apologies if I'm repeating anyone as I haven't read the entire 6 pages but haven't we have EXACTLY this thread before? I'm having wicked deja-vu reading this.

if a woman in the first third of pregnancy gets it[i.e. poss when unaware is preg]
there's a HIGH chance of SEVERE MULTIABNORMALITIES like blind AND deaf this is a medical fact

I always have to mention that ism but my just turned 21 yr old niece caught chicken pox "intentionally" by her mum and my other sis in law getting together.

She is severely disabled with cereballar ataxia and brain damage with serious learning disabilities, she can't tell the time, read or write.

She's a happy thing but the rest of her family aren't, mum is an alcoholic, brother who is 18mths older lost his "twin" and an awful lot of his childhood.

It's the intentional exposure bit that eats away at my 2 sis in laws. They haven't ever got over it.... It's been nearly 19 years

The chicken pox argument has been done many times on mumsnet.
Many many many.

Usually in the spring.

The only reason there isn't a chicken pox vaccination programme in the uk is cost. In Canada and the US the facts are well understood and the vaccinations given alongside MMR.

QOD that's really sad.....but they didn't know the facts so it's not their fault . But to knowingly expose a foetus (esp first trimester , tho' can affect up till about 18wks too)- and remember you dont always know you're preg V.early on-is TOTALLY IRRESPONSIBLE as it put's them at great risk of SEVERE/MULTI abnormalities.......even if preg women isn't particularly unwell.....likewise Rubella(german measles).
If mum is immune that's okay, but immunity levels (of Rubella anyway) can lower after time,as happened to me.

It is sad, and I fell out with them over the exposure, I warned them befor hand

Am reading this while DC2 naps in my arms. She was 3 months prem, and is still frail and tiny at 7 months. She's 3 weks into a viral chest infection and still struggling to shift it. People like the OP and her dr, scare the living shite out of me...

Actually madwoman I think you'll find that the risks of CP are wildly exaggerated in those countries and people are terrified of their children catching it. One of the campaigns for vaccination compared the cost of the vaccine to the cost of a parent having to take the time of work. I think we're much better off in the UK tbh.

off* work

My friend is paediatrician and he expressed surprise at need to isolate CP DC. ie same response as dappply's doctor. Plus he said coming into contact with CP is booster for shingles for older person so also good. And most infectious (airbourne) before the spots came out. I would go.

DOH guidelines is ok to go back to school by day 5-6, no need to wait until spots all crusted over.

That being said, I'd go by car, only on boat if child could sit in buggy with cover (or in car) for boat journey.

I suspect your paediatrician friend hasnt spent a lot of time on an oncology ward.
How can getting an infectious disease be good for an old person?

Just when you feel like you might be getting the message across someone comes along and posts something like that.

My brother sadly died as a child when he was undergoing chemo as he caught chickenpox. Which is why my pox ridden child will not be going out till 24 hours after all blisters crusting over.
It's different if there is no rash and you have no idea they have it yet. But as soon as you know, they should be kept away from contact with others, especially vulnerable people.

I am so sorry about your brother stripy. Something similar happened to my DD.
I really hope that for everyone that posts some nonsense about it being 'fine' to take CP kids out, there are those that have their eyes opened to how dangerous it is.

Because I am getting sick of going over what happened to us and seeing others share their heartbreaking stories, only to be ignored.

I am so sorry mrsdevere, I found it devastating when it was my brother, and I saw the horrendous time his mother (we were "half" siblings) struggled through, and still does. I cannot imagine what I would do if it were my dd. I am terrified that she has the pox, and she is healthy and healing.

I hope people come to realise that chicken pox should be taken seriously. All it takes is staying in while you know your child is contagious. It's not hard.

Hey MrsDeVere, I honestly, truly didn't know how dangerous CP could be till I read your story here a while ago but it has definitely changed my view and I've told as many people as I can in RL too. So please don't think no-one listens, because I did.

And to be fair, I think the OP listened too, fair play to her.

I agree wilson, I think the OP has been reasonable and has explored the advice given to her.

I knew CP was horrible, but didn't realise it could be fatal until my DH's friend's little boy died. Initially they thought cot death but the PM showed he had CP lesions on his heart :( He had no other illnesses, was on no medication and there just seemed to be no plausible reason why he was taken.

I still hear people talking about Pox Parties, I can only hope that people listen when I explain why I would never host or attend one.

DV - im glad you posted on here about the dangers of CP. my ds as some issue with his immune system, hes under investigation so i dread him getting ill, i'm hoping CP is something that won't hit him hard.

for some reason i just cant get my head around a dr saying that, that they weren't concerned but you said you'd had a blood test to confirm your immunity? so they must have been a bit concerned to do that?

anyhows YABU to think about taking a contagious child anywhere in public

I am glad you did wilson thanks for telling me.

I have no problem with the OP. She was asking a question that needed to be asked. She changed her plans accordingly.
Cant ask for more than that.

Its the other posters that drop in little nuggets that would be just enough to sway someone the other way that do my head in.

There is this widely held belief that if you are concerned about CP you are being all PFB. There is also an odd assumption that everyone wants their DC to get it over and done with.

We are not like this with any other illness. We do not deliberately expose our children to any other illness. The fact that people think its ok for CP is utterly bizarre.

The fact that people think its ok to expose other people to CP is criminal.

If people do not know why - fine, lets educate them. Let them understand.
If once they do know they carry on - they are vile. It simply wouldnt happen with any other disease.

Scarlet Fever for example. Thats a 'childhood illness'. It has similar complications, it behaves in a similar way to CP.
But if we hear about a child with SF do we arrange to infect our kids to 'get it out the way whilst they are young'?
Do we take them to the shops because 'its just a bit of scarlet fever'?

I know I should stay away from these threads but its too important. I just cant sit back and watch whilst people tell others 'its fine'.