To wonder why people are so ill informed about chicken pox?

[knackeredmother]

I have encountered 2 people in the last 2 days who have allowed their infectious chicken pox children to mix with others.
My ds has respiratory problems and is frequently on steroids so needs to avoid contact. We are just waiting for him to be off steroids for a few weeks so he can be vaccinated (on hospital advice). I am also a health professional so have seen first hand the devastating effects the pox can have on cancer patients and pregnant women for example.
I realise therefore that I am more sensitive than most about this topic.
However, last week a new neighbour invited my ds to play , when I picked him up I saw her dd was covered with weeping ( not healed) chicken pox sores. When I asked her if her dd had chicken pox she just replied 'oh has he not had it?'. I explained about his immune system being suppressed with steroids but she did not seem to get it.
Today I have just met another mother in a soft play with her...yes you've guessed it.....chicken pox laden ds. Again not healed over, spots came out yesterday.
This mum is intelligent and lovely and I think I may have just spoiled a potential friendship with my little rant about the risks. She genuinely did not realise and said she thought as chickenpox was so common that people didn't really bother keeping them inside anymore.
So, AIBU to think the majority of people are ignorant of the quarantine advice re chicken pox and if so WHY is this?
Oh and expect a post from me in a week or so with a ds hospitalised with varicella pneumonia (pessimist, me? Never!)

Somebody on my fb has a dc with the pox and is asking if she can still take her to softplay. First two replies? Cover her up with long sleeves and a hat and go hun or you'll be bored.

I do often wonder why chickenpox vaccine isn't part of the vaccine schedule for children in this country... is it weighed against the shingles risk to older people?

Anyway, YANBU.

I think one reason for it could be that as a new mum ive always been tld its best for children to catch them early as if they catch them when adults its far worse.

With this in mind some people may think that spreading it isnt such a bad thing.

Personally when my DS gets it I will keep him home and check with those I visit that it is ok to bring him or wait for a health professional to tell me when he is no longer infectious.

Its wrong that for some to assume that as a parent you know about health matters and put others at risk.

I can only speak from my experience. I caught c pox from my nephew when I was 19, I went to the docs, he signed me off for 2 weeks from work and I didn't leave the house because I was really ill and then really ugly with black scabby spots. At no point did it occur to me that if I did leave the house I could possibly cause someone to be seriously I'll (or indeed may have done by going to the doctors).
Now, I have a ds and I am on mumsnet, that is how I found out how risky it can be for others and if I suspected c pox in my ds I would not leave the house until all spots were stabbed over.
So I would say ignorance is normally the cause of people taking out poxy dc. You said yourself that one mum didn't know the risks. However if you know the risks and take your dc out then I think you should you should be thoroughly ashamed.

because for the vast majority chickenpox is a mild disease its bestt o ctch and get out of the way in early childhood. Your situation is pretty unusual (and I do sympthise as dd was in hospital on injected steroids for 12 weeks and there was a chickenpox child in the next cubicle) but it is unusual

Stabbed scabbed!

Dd2 still went to the childminder when she had chicken pox. BUT all the children there had had it, that's where she caught it. They didn't go out anywhere that was likely to have anyone at risk, just to the park which is usually pretty empty anyway.
Dd1 didn't go anywhere when she had chicken pox, but she's already given it to most of her friends as it is contagious before the spots come out. We'd never have taken either of them to soft play or sent them to school or anything.
Our childminder also had an older child with chicken pox a few weeks ago, as she knows all her mindees have had it and this child wasn't allowed to go to school but mum had to go to work.

Oh and at no point did my doc tell me not to go out or anything, he just signed me off work so if I hadn't been as ill as I was there would be no way I would have known not to go out. But I don't know if the majority know about c pox or not. How do people find out? I didn't know until I was a mum.

When my DD gets chicken pox, my mum has been instructed to go to hospital. She had a lung transplant 3 years ago and as such the risks for her are so great that her hospital wont take any chances. As it happens, she has just had shingles and when this was diagnosed at the drs, she asked about my DD and me (I'm pregnant). They said that as long as neither DD nor I touch the spots we'd be fine.
I wouldn't take any chances with any infectious ailments, but like you OP I am probably more sensitive than most what with my mum and her suppressed immunity.

I think its weird how its seen as so harmless and people dont seem to think that their children are ill with it - you wouldnt send your child out to play with flu or scarlet fever.

Could go into rant about how society is more selfish and people just dont consider the risk of giving it to others, particularly to strangers if it inconveniences them, but will reign it in.

I think some of the confusion is also about "wait until all the spots scab over". I had it as an adult and DD had it three weeks ago and not all the spots do get to scab over. DD's scabbed spots are now gone, but the ones that didnt quite come out are still there.

I do think it's sensible to ask/warn in advance if you are bringing your poxy child to someone's house. Our school is quite careful because one of the pupils has been having chemo, and the playgroup always puts up a warning when it's around because there are usually several pregnant mums coming and going.
However, it does become hard to completely isolate your child when you have more than one - dd1 had to walk to playgroup with me to drop off her sister when she had it because I had no-one else to leave her with; I also popped into the supermarket with her because I needed to get some calamine lotion. But I wouldn't take her to soft play or anywhere she as likely to have come into close contact with other children.
It's also worth remembering that the incubation period starts before the spots appear so unfortunately it's impossible to always tell who is and isn't infectious.

yanbu. My late sister had a a double transplant and someone took their toddler who had chickenpox in to see her ffs on a ward full of people who had just had transplants! They were asked to leave the ward, thank god, but imagine the devastation such a naive action could of had. I do wish people were more informed about it. My youngest had it recently and it was a matter of days before his spots scabbed over. Our life didn't end, but somebody elses could have

My DD is 13 and came down with CP at half term. She has been having problems at school anyway and we have an Ed Welfare Officer involved in her attendance - so I phoned her to tell her DD would not be able to attend til all scabbed over - she had no idea this was rule or how long this was likely to take. Surely in her job she should know this?

DD is also seeing a psychologist and had an appointment 2weeks after she came down with CP - she was all scabby by then so we went. Her psychol. was horrified (think she may be pg so fair enough) but went to check with the Paed to see if DD was 'safe' Again if you work with kids surely this is something you should know?

Actually think DD may have caught CP at the clinic on her previous appoint as this was the only time she had come anywhere near small children - wasn't going round her high school - funny she got to 13 without catching it despite her best friend getting it in Yr1 and it going all round her primary several times. So I hope psychol. hasn't caught it from one of those kids and DD get blame. I know she wasn't contagious - I followed advice on NHS websites (assuming they ate correct of course).

I hope your DS is OK knackered, will cross fingers for you :)

Ds is like your Ds knackered and regulary on steroids for his chest it is frustrating when people don't think outside their immediate bubble.

Although for most it is a mild illness there are quite large groups of society for whom it is risky and people need to be more aware of that.

It surprises me too, DS1 got it last week and we haven't left the house..... DS2 has health issues so I'm feeling very anxious about him catching it, added to that we're meant to be going on holiday in 2.5 weeks! We would cancel if we needed to but so many friends have just said "cover him up, no one will notice", "you don't need to stay in, that's ridiculous"

I know firsthand how a so-called common non serious illness can affect a child with health issues I'm not taking any risks at all.

I really hope your DS is ok

So it sounds like a failing on a public health level then? There is clearly a great need to educate both public and health professionals.

I think people do know it's a risk, but because they don't want life disrupting and to be stuck inside they take the risk - they aren't the ones who will have to deal with the consequences anyway!

I suffered a miscarriage as a result of getting Chicken Pox - DS1 had it, not anyone's fault. It is a seriously nasty illness.

Thanks JoandMax, that's really kind to think of ds.

The advice varies in different countries though. I'm in Holland and they are not nearly as bothered by it as in the UK - the general feeling is that it's a childhood disease that will do the rounds anyway, most people will have had it, so quarantine is of no value. So you'd avoid actually cuddling a kid with spots of pregnant but nobody would bat an eye at a kid in the shops if that makes sense.

There was a notice about it at my daughter's creche in Decemeber - two kinds had it, they advised parents to keep an eye open but unless the kid was really poorly not to worry about bringing them. They also had a case of impetigo and in that one they said to stay home until the spoys were dry AND antibiotics and been prescribed, same for scarlet fever so it's not just a case of the Dutch being laid back about illness.

How is anyone supposed to know what to do when advice varies like this?

It is generally a mild illness. Yes you should avoid passing it on and I'd be fuming if someone with active chickenpox was at soft play for example but it's not something I would feel the need to vaccinate against in childhood.

The US and Japan vaccinate all children as standard.

YANBU. There are approximately 10,000 children and teenagers currently undergoing treatment for cancer in the UK. One in every 500 kids gets it before they are 14, so it could be anyone's child. Chickenpox is incredibly dangerous for them and the thought that even one has died that may well have lived because of chickenpox is heartbreaking but sadly it has happened.

You cant catch Shingles from Chickenpox, but you can catch Chickenpox from someone with Shingles

I have seen a child with chicken pox encephalitis so YANBU.