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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To wonder why my daughter hasn't caught

41 replies

kappadelta · 28/02/2014 14:09

Chicken pox. That's it really. My two oldest had chicken pox when I was pregnant with my daughter who is now 8. My two youngest 3 and 21 months have just had them. I have no idea why she didn't get them. Any ideas?

OP posts:
moogalicious · 28/02/2014 14:12

Perhaps she had it mildly? My oldest two caught it when my youngest was about 6 weeks old. The youngest had one spot, no symptoms and hasn't caught it since. She may have had some immunity from me, although she wasn't bf, so I can only assume she had chicken pox and is now immune.

wigglesrock · 28/02/2014 14:16

How long ago did your 3 & 21 month old have them? Last year my 8 year old caught them 2 weeks after her two younger sisters.

BumpyGrindy · 28/02/2014 14:17

Neither of mine have and they are 9 and almost 6. Neither have ever had nits either! So odd since there's about one outbreak a term....

ILikeToClean · 28/02/2014 14:19

Neither of my DDs have ever had it and they're 11 and 9. I think some people can be immune or get it so mildly that you don't realise that's what it is, if there are no spots you may think it's a regular virus. So she may have had it! I wish mine had gotten it, it's supposed to be much worse when you're older!

Original poster
kappadelta · 28/02/2014 14:19

Wigglesrock - There is still time then as it was only the beginning of last week ??

OP posts:
LeaveYourSisterBe · 28/02/2014 14:22

My DC2 came out in spots two weeks to the day after DC1 was sent home from school with chicken pox. It was pretty much inevitable that would happen once a sibling had brought it home. Leave it a few days and then if she doesn't get it I think you can be fairly sure she's got immunity (perhaps because she's had it mildly before).

SelfRighteousPrissyPants · 28/02/2014 14:22

I'm 46 and I've never had chicken pox! My son didn't catch it from the neighbours kids so maybe we're all immune.

feetheart · 28/02/2014 14:23

My DD is now 11 and had never had it even though I actively encouraged mingling with spotty friends when she was smaller and DS had it (age 3) when she was 6.
I am assuming that she either has good immunity or is waiting until a really important family event Hmm

Stinklebell · 28/02/2014 14:23

I think it can take up to a couple of weeks from exposure to spots

I've never had it, not even when both my kids had it, sometimes people are immune

OldBeanbagz · 28/02/2014 14:24

Natural immunity?

At least that's what the doctor suggested for my son who didn't catch it off his sister and hasn't caught it at either of the two nuseries he went to or at school (despite there being 24 cases in one of his nursery classes at one point).

He's now 9 years old and i still worry ever single Christmas party season as that's when DD caught it.

HadABadDay2014 · 28/02/2014 14:26

I'm 28 and never had chicken pox, DS had them but dd nearly 5 hasn't.

RiverTam · 28/02/2014 14:26

my aunty, one of 5 children (but none of her own) didn't get chickenpox until she was in her 60s!

Grennie · 28/02/2014 14:26

I didn't catch chicken pox until I was 12, in spite of being exposed to it many times. A strong immune system?

wigglesrock · 28/02/2014 14:27

Yup still time Smile , my dd1 got her first spot 2 weeks to the day after dd2 got hers, dd3 got her first spot 24 hours after dd2. That was a fun month in our house Hmm

exexpat · 28/02/2014 14:28

She may have had it mildly without your noticing, so be immune, or she may come down with it in the next week or so. Or she may just not have caught it this time somehow.

I managed to avoid getting chicken pox during my childhood, despite all sorts of people around me coming down with it; instead I got it when I was 21, living overseas with little access to medical services, and I got it really, really badly - covered in blisters from scalp to soles of my feet, fever, delirious etc. It knocked me out for nearly three weeks. I hope for your DD's sake she gets it soon if she hasn't yet.

squeakytoy · 28/02/2014 14:28

All my peers had it as kids.. I didnt get it until I was 26.

zzzzz · 28/02/2014 14:32

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

jamtoast12 · 28/02/2014 14:33

I never had chicken pox but I know I'm immune from a blood test previously so likely I had a silent infection as a child. Dd8 hasn't had it and never got it when dd6 had it so I guess she had a silent infection too.

Original poster
kappadelta · 28/02/2014 14:33

She was breastfed but they all were so I don't think that it has helped her immunity?

OP posts:
mysteryfairy · 28/02/2014 14:34

I didn't get it when my 3 siblings had it but then got it when I was 17. I assume i caught it from a boy in one of my lessons who had it a couple of weeks before. I was incredibly poorly so obviously no strong immunity or similar at that point.

DeWe · 28/02/2014 14:38

My dsis had it when I was 3yo. My best friends had it. Several caught it from a party I was at. I went through epidemics at school that everyone else who hadn't had it seemed to get it...

I finally had it at 20, at university when no one else had it and I never worked out who I caught it from. Confused

bobblewobble · 28/02/2014 14:46

All 3 of my older siblings had chicken pox when I was a few months old. My friends also had it but I never caught it. That was until I was 17! It was horrendous. I rarely caught illnesses when I was young. Still don't. My two children have still not had chicken pox even though their friends have. They are 5 and 3. The youngest catches all coughs, colds and bugs but so far no chicken pox.

TheWitTank · 28/02/2014 14:48

My 6 and 8 year olds haven't had it either, despite being exposed to it often at school and with friends.

Whathaveiforgottentoday · 28/02/2014 14:50

You would have been exposed to it when you were pregnant so perhaps she's been exposed via you. It may have been enough for to develop the natural immunity.
Does the chicken pox virus cross the placenta?

ClockWatchingLady · 28/02/2014 14:51

Ditto my 7yo. No idea why he's not had it - he's been exposed loads of time, including sharing baths, drinks and lollies with his infected sister.