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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To take 2 infectious-poxy children out in public...

346 replies

morecakerequired · 16/01/2013 12:44

My DTs have the pox. (spots still appearing so definitely still infectious) Last week my DD1 had it and we spent the whole week indoors as a result. (DS went to and from school by himself) This week I am having to do the school run as DD1 is too young to go with just DS for supervision due to the 2 busy roads to cross. I am taking DTs up to the school in their buggy with the rain cover over them - standing away from other people and leaving as soon as kids are in/out. (we live a 2 min walk from the school)

SO - WIBU to carry on after the school run and take the DTs out for a walk and maybe even go into the small local supermarket to pick up some essentials? WIABU to perhaps take the rain cover off if there were no other people around on the street at that time?

I am so fed up of being stuck in the house and DTs are too - 2 weeks is just too long - and I really think we would all benefit from some fresh air. I can't let them go out into the garden just now as it is under a foot of snow and I don't think getting cold and wet playing in the snow would really help them.

I don't think I'm being unreasonable, but a few of the mums at school have made pointed remarks about how I had better hope there are no pregnant mums/people with low immune systems in the playground so just wondering if taking them for a walk will be bad too? AIBU to think that in a buggy with a rain cover over them and not actually coming into direct contact with anyone they aren't going to infect anyone?

(perfectly happy to accept if IABU - genuinely curious)

OP posts:
labtest · 20/01/2013 19:06

My six year old daughter has leukaemia. Chicken pox could kill her. I am glad the parents at her school are not as inconsiderate as you are.

GrannyRatOnAScooter · 20/01/2013 20:07

Typed a really long message and then lost the page

Snowy i caught CP when I was 29 wks pregnant and went into hospital for 2 weeks. I had quite a few tests and scans whilst I was in. Drs said my baby would probably be fine but would know more once she was born.

I was induced at 37 weeks and stay in hospital for 12 days in isolation. DD had about 20 spots but was otherwise perfect, feeding well etc.

My DD was seemingly a healthy baby until just after her first birthday that we noticed that one of her eyes was flicking in. GP referred us to hospital and she had MRI and EEG tests etc. The problems, it turned out, are neurological. Her eyes are healthy but the signals from the brain to the eyes do not work properly.

My DD is now 6. Both eyes turn right in, though this is somewhat corrected with her lenses which are 8.5 and 9.

She is my baby, so perfect but by God I wish she didn't has these problems.

Hope that has cleared up any confusion.

Labtest sending you and your little girl my very best wishes Thanks

labtest · 20/01/2013 20:43

Thank you granny. She is doing well so far. So sorry your daughter has these problems. Hope this will make people realise how dangerous chicken pox can be.

MrsDeVere · 20/01/2013 20:54

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Gigondas · 20/01/2013 21:25

It's fucking depressing isn't it mrsdv?

GrannyRatOnAScooter · 20/01/2013 22:00

Mrs DV Thanks

snowybrrr · 20/01/2013 22:41

'Snowy Are you seriously suggesting that the lady who said her daughter now has problems due to CP in pregnancy is lying?'

eh? you are putting words in my mouth there!!!! big time!

IamtheZombie · 20/01/2013 22:45

Is she? Really? Zombie interpreted your posts in the same way.

snowybrrr · 20/01/2013 22:48

So labtest do you not think you are taking a huge risk sending her amongst 30 children in a classroom in the middle of winter? Genuine question.I am interested becayuse there is an 8 yo boy with leukaemia in one of my DCs class.He comes in only a couple of afternoons a week and only that when he is on the low dose part of the cycle.We have had a letter home to let the school know if anyone in our household becomes infected with CP so this child can be vaccinated (in case our DC are infected) But apparently it has to be within 3 days of contact.It seems like a huge risk for the child having chemo.

snowybrrr · 20/01/2013 22:51

granny also I am curious how your DD had chicken pox all that time ie from 29 weeks to 37 weeks.I am doubting your story just I didn't know it was possible.

tiggytape · 20/01/2013 23:01

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

NotSoNervous · 20/01/2013 23:03

YWBVU what about small babies that could catch it and be fatal..

redspottydress · 20/01/2013 23:06

Given the serious nature for some who catch cp, why is it not on the vaccination schedule?

IamtheZombie · 20/01/2013 23:06

snowybrrr Sun 20-Jan-13 22:51:38
Ignore | Favourite

granny also I am curious how your DD had chicken pox all that time ie from 29 weeks to 37 weeks.I am doubting your story just I didn't know it was possible.

"I am doubting your story..."

Enough said.

Angry
AlfalfaMum · 20/01/2013 23:06

Do you know what would really'reduce the risks associated with chicken pox? CP vaccination for all children. They do it in other countries.

No matter how conscientious we are when we know our dc have CP, the fact remains they are contagious for days before we even know they have it, and that is when they are the biggest risk to pregnant women and other high risk groups.

Perhaps Mumsnet should start one of their campaigns?

AlfalfaMum · 20/01/2013 23:07

IamtheZombie I think that was a typo and snowy meant there to be a 'not' in the sentence!

AlfalfaMum · 20/01/2013 23:09

Cross-posted with you redspottydress Smile wasn't trying to rob your idea and pass of as my own!

tiggytape · 20/01/2013 23:14

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

QOD · 20/01/2013 23:15

My dn was a perfect little girl at 2.2 when my 2 SILs thought it wouldn't be a problem mixing their 3 under 4's when other dn had the pox

Dn who had cp is a trainee nurse, engaged and with her own home
Dn who caught it is severely brain damaged and dependent on her mum

They are in their 20's

Velcropoodle · 20/01/2013 23:19

The vaccine is available privately, and for other indications, but not as part of the routine childhood immunisations. That's based on an economic model of sickness and complication rate of native disease and may not take into account the wider economic implications. It remains a mild disease for the vast majority of children, though I appreciate that that is cold comfort for those affected by it.

AlfalfaMum · 20/01/2013 23:26

Ah, thanks tiggytape. So, in the US for example, are there lots of cases of adult CP once the vaccine has worn off? And the vaccination programme there is more to keep the population in the workforce rather than for their long-term health?

Velcropoodle · 20/01/2013 23:30

The vaccine hasn't been in use routinely long enough to evaluate unintended consequences. Apols to tiggytape for jumping in.

DianaTrent · 21/01/2013 01:34

To the poster who was asking if it isn't too much of a risk to send a child on chemotherapy to school, do you realise that kids with cancer are often on chemo for several years? Our children undergo long periods of intensive chemotherapy on the ward in hospital. Possibly for many months at a time. They are isolated from their friends, frightened, feeling sick and in pain, with only their parents and the medical staff to talk to, except scant precious moments with play staff and the odd trip to a play room if they are lucky enough not to be in total isolation. They go through things no child ever should. Far more than their fair share. Upon emerging from this after a genuinely long period of lost socialisation and education (a year for my DD), they desperately need to get back to as much normality as they can, including school. They need to mix with other children, or after years of isolation they will find it incredibly difficult to do. My DD's beautiful friend who died last summer adored school, any time she could go it put a smile on her precious little face just to do the things a normal child can. Thanks to the other parents in the school minimising the risk to her by not breaking rules and exposing her to infectious diseases for any longer than was unavoidable, she had that chance to do what other kids take for granted and make school friends and laugh with them in the playground. She never got to celebrate her 8th birthday, but at least she had that. It is risky, but the paediatric oncologists weigh it up against the benefits and feel that it is worthwhile during lighter phases of treatment. If more people didn't stick to the rules, that equation would change. One in every 500 children is diagnosed with cancer (excluding teenagers 15+) so a lot more schools hold one of these children than you might think. They deserve a little consideration. Every day a pox infected child is at home is a day when they are less likely to pass it on to someone who has been through more than you can imagine already.

Mimishimi · 21/01/2013 04:30

I have it right now. First noticed spots on Tuesday and haven't been out since. I am 36 and haven't really been exposed to it before as I can't think of a single child who had it in the mountainous area of Australia where I grew up. Yet they say that 9/10 people who have not been vaccinated have caught it by their early teens? Anyway, I caught it off my daughter who was vaccinated in the US as a baby but was apparently due for a booster shot. The doctor confirmed that the vaccine wears off. One of her classmates returned from England with it and half her class caught it. Unfortunately, it was not diagnosed until just after a flight we took on New Years although thankfully that was only two-thirds full. Since she was twelve, we thought she might have the beginnings of an acne breakout ( only few spots at that stage). I really hope she did not infect anyone who is immune compromised ( including my DH but he's fairly sure he had it as a child- still has a scar on his torso).

I don't think it's a good idea to take them out. Apart from infecting others, quite severe complications can occur if they are exposed to strep or staph, admittedly more so with adults though.

Mimishimi · 21/01/2013 04:40

I do have a question though. All my spots stopped coming out on about Thursday. Now most are scabby but there are one or two that look a little bit 'pussy' ( not with the clear liquid that was originally in them). Are these counted as 'crusted over' or do I have to wait until they are scabs as well before going out? It's several very small ones on my torso and one on my forearm near my inner elbow.

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