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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think if your children have chicken pox you should keep them away from the general public?

59 replies

Maryann1975 · 27/06/2013 14:23

Just that really, just seen a friend out in town, buying non essentials (sun cream, it's raining outside, a birthday card and present for someone for next week and other things like that). She had a tesco delivery this morning and said she didn't need any food stuff (which I would understand her having to go out) just fancied getting out and about. I know it's hard staying in with poorly children but really, why does she think non immune people want to catch the illness?? AIBU?

OP posts:
inabeautifulplace · 27/06/2013 19:27

Our dd has chicken pox. We took her to the doctor 3-4 days after spots appeared. She said that the infectious stage was already over. Not so?

TabithaMcKitten · 27/06/2013 19:33

YANBU.

This makes me wildly angry and also terrified. My son is having treatment for leukaemia and could die if he catches chickenpox. I take all the precautions I can, but can't prevent people's stupidity. He has had a relatively mild dose of it whilst on treatment and it was hideous. He was so unwell :-(

It is contagious until all the spots have crusted over. Toddlers in buggies in shops/crowded places etc are still an infection risk. Please please don't take infected children out.

5madthings · 27/06/2013 19:35

Yanbu and i get amazed at the crap attitude of people who seemingly just dont care at the risk they are causing.

Wolfiefan · 27/06/2013 19:39

Hoping everyone on MN reads what Crazy and Tabitha have said.
My DS had chicken pox while immunocompromised. He could have died. You don't know who your child could come into contact with.
I took DD for a walk in the buggy whilst she had chicken pox. (Quiet and rural area.) I saw a pregnant woman with a toddler. The toddler made a beeline for me and I sort of ran in the opposite direction yelling that she had CP. Sure the woman thought I was a nutter!

lola88 · 27/06/2013 19:44

I heard someone in toddlers talking about their child wouldn't stop scratching chicken pox at the soft play to then realise the little kid was sitting right next to DS, the girl had lots of new spots on her arms and was about 2 so at quite a touchy age was really annoyed as DS is 16mo and would be a nightmare with chicken pox.

I was surprised they let her in tbh if she was just in a buggy or at a café in a high chair fair enough but at the soft play where they are all crawling around and squeezing past each other.

crazykat · 27/06/2013 19:51

It's a shame that some people can't see past their own inconvenience. None of mine have had it and since my mum started treatment I've been terrified of them catching it.

It's one thing to unknowingly pass cp on as its contagious before spots appear but another to knowingly risk the health and in some cases lives of other people.

AFAIK even if you've had cp so don't get it yourself you can still pass it on to others though not as easily.

LittleprincessinGOLDrocks · 27/06/2013 19:57

YANBU.
I managed to stay in side for a full week with each of my children when they had the chicken pox (DD was 5 and DS was 2).
I don't even think taking them for a stroll in their pram is a good idea, you never know who you might come in to contact with, you can't always tell by looking who is immuno supressed.
Yes it is boring staying in for a week (or 2 in my case as DS started straight after DD), yes the children get stroppy.
But better that than potentially causing serious problems for other people.

lillibet1 · 27/06/2013 22:08

really this is very strange I had to take my poxy son to the GP's toady as he had chicken pox spots in his eyes very painful and can be dangerous. both the GP's who saw him (its rare apparently and they all wanted to see what it looks like) stated that the spots do not all need to be dried up to be non infectious but that 7 days after the first spot has appeared they are no longer infectious even if some are not dried up.

sashh · 28/06/2013 01:50

I cant wait until my 2 have had them as we will all finally be able to stop worrying every time a child from their school has had it!

You might meet the criteria for the vaccine for your children, ask your GP.

Can I just add that it isn't just cancer/transplant patients who are immunocompromised, chemo is used to treat arthritis as well.

megsmouse · 28/06/2013 02:16

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

wintersdawn · 28/06/2013 02:28

my friend got really mad at me for asking her to leave a coffee shop when she turned up with her dd two days after she broke out in a really bad case of the pox, my ds was just 2 weeks old at the time! she knew she was infectious she just didn't see why she should have to be bored at home Angry

Emilythornesbff · 28/06/2013 08:58

YANBU.
I can understand that it's hard to stay at home with LOs but the risk for some is too high.
I'm avoiding soft play (hurrah) this week because DS has mosquito bites from hols that look a bit chickenpoxy and I can't find a t shirt that says "I don't have chickenpox, I've just been on holiday somewhere hot"
Too much stress for everyone. Plus, good reason to stay away from soft play Wink

coldwater1 · 28/06/2013 09:04

I had 4 children with chicken pox one after the other in the height of summer! Guess what i did for nearly 2 months? STAYED BLOODY INDOORS! It's not hard.

I'm sorry but people that go out with infectious illnesses need a high five in the face with a brick

I was at work yesterday, baring in mind i am sick phobic on a grand scale and there were TWO staff members throwing up all day... cheers!

Emilythornesbff · 28/06/2013 09:14

Coldwater you are right. Of course ppl with cp etc need to not mix.
Four in succession. No fun.
All done now for you though hopefully.

largeginandtonic · 28/06/2013 09:14

YANBU

I've been in for weeks with a couple of outbreaks of CP in my parenting time.

Perfectly healthy son3 was incredibly poorly with it and needed antiviral drugs and got a secondary infection on top. He is very badly scared.

It is a MAJOR irritation of mine. Just stay in for fucksake. Yes it's hard and no fun but just get on with it.

coldwater1 · 28/06/2013 09:18

Unfortunately i still have another 4 to go! lol Hopefully not any time soon.

largeginandtonic · 28/06/2013 09:21

Coldwater I also have 8! I had 3 staggered at 2 week intervals once. Then just the v poorly one on his own. Then one of the elder ones got shingles and gave H CP, who gave it to the other 2 boys.

Still 2 to go....< checks for spots > My sis little boy stayed 2 weeks ago and came out with CP last weekend....

coldwater1 · 28/06/2013 09:24

Oh no. My dp hasn't had chicken pox but he didn't catch it from the DC hen they had it a few years ago, i wonder whether he will catch it when the next 4 come down it. Not looking forward to it at all, one of my children was really poorly with it.

Emilythornesbff · 28/06/2013 09:29

8!
[faints]

Graciescotland · 28/06/2013 09:34

To be fair though when my DS was 2 he had Chicken pox and the doctor told us just to stay away from other children and carry on as normal. I've only ever heard that youmust stay in from Mumsnet.

OhTiger · 28/06/2013 09:39

my two had it and I stayed home for a month. It was the longest January of my life, but I wouldn't have dreamed of inflicting it on others.

Youngest DD was only 8mths and very poorly, leading to pneumonia and having lungs drained in hospital.

Does anyone know why the vaccination is not part of standard programme? It is in the US I believe, and it's such a nasty disease.

RoooneyMara · 28/06/2013 09:47

Mine had it last summer...westayed in, or in the car, the entire time. I had to take ds1 up an empty street to stand in the garden of the dentist's, one morning, for two minutes while I picked up a prescription as I had an infected tooth and was in a lot of pain, and mainlining painkillers till I could actually go and get it sorted out (no childcare)

If I could do it, (and it was hard) as a single mother with an acute dental condition, then afaic most other people can do it too. It's 5 days fgs. There was no WAY I was going to be responsible for infecting other people. (unlike the parent who brought her child into school 2 weeks previously, and let him run around the playground and play with all his friends...guess what happened)

hazeyjane · 28/06/2013 10:14

lillibet1 and inabeautifulplace your gp's are wrong to contradict the guidelines which are issued by the NHS which are that

Chickenpox is most infectious from one to two days before the rash starts, until all the blisters have crusted over (usually five to six days after the start of the rash)

The vaccine is available on the nhs to those with underlying health conditions that could be dangerous with chickenpox (eg ds who has problems with swallowing and his lungs) and those who are around people with suppressed immune systems (eg dd2's friend had it when her mum was having treatment for breast cancer).

hazeyjane · 28/06/2013 10:17

stay away from other children and carry on as normal.

Again this ^^ contradicts NHS advice, which is to

keep them away from public areas to avoid contact with people who have not had it, especially people who are at risk of serious problems

ktp693 · 28/06/2013 10:17

YANBU I hate when parents do this, they don't seem to think of the risk that come's with chicken pox. Especially if caught by a pregnant woman...