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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

11 month old DD exposed to chicken pox - BALLS!

53 replies

Justabitcheesedoff · 13/04/2019 21:29

Just to clarify why I'm so nervous about this (and before anyone tells me to get a massive grip), my uncle had severe complications and very nearly died from catching chicken pox as a baby. He's also still absolutely covered in scars. It's a story my grannie loves to tell me about a lot so it's hard not to be nervous...

Is there anything that I can do except watch and wait? I know I'm probably asking for the moon on a stick but just feeling a bit gutted and anxious about it. And the incubation period is so long too

OP posts:

dementedpixie · 13/04/2019 21:34

Not sure he's old enough for chicken pox vaccine. How long ago was he exposed? Incubation period is 10-21 days but they are only contagious for 1-2 days before spots and until they crust over

TillyTheTiger · 13/04/2019 21:34

When is he 12 months old? The vaccine can apparently prevent illness or reduce severity if it's given within 3-5 days of exposure, but it's recommended for children over 12 months.

doodlejump1980 · 13/04/2019 21:36

How many years ago did he have chicken pox?
Plus the way dna works your DD has a much smaller risk of the same complications your uncle had, as your and your partner’s dna will be a completely different make-up, unless there’s some weird family dynamics going on? Good luck and stock up on Virasoothe and remember NOT to give ibuprofen for the pox.

ILoveMaxiBondi · 13/04/2019 21:36

Well look at it another way- lots of people you know and millions that you don’t know had chickenpox as a child and didnt have any severe complications or bad scarring.

And no, there’s nothing you can do to prevent it if she has already picked up the virus. So stressing about it is entirely pointless other than giving your something to do. But I’m sure there are plenty far more enjoyable things you can do rather than stress about things you can’t change that may or may not happen.

Original poster

Justabitcheesedoff · 13/04/2019 21:37

She was in the same room as the baby who has come down with it yesterday. For an hour or so. So within the window where it's contagious by the sounds of it :(

DD is 1 in 3 weeks time. So not quite old enough for the vaccine and I'm guessing that they wouldn't allow her to have it early, even in this circumstance? It sucks because we were literally about to book the vaccine in for just after she'd turned 1 and now this has happened anyway...

OP posts:

User12879923378 · 13/04/2019 21:37

No guarantee she'll actually get it. My DD is a bit older than yours and has been exposed several times (accidentally, it just happens at this age sadly) and nothing so far.

Magstermay · 13/04/2019 21:38

I don’t know about anything you can do I’m afraid and understand your concerns. I just wanted to say my 2 year old got chicken pox when DS2 was 3-4 months old. He caught it too but it was VERY mild. Few spots and he wasn’t unwell, despite DS1 being quite poorly. Don’t know if that’s vaguely reassuring or not!

cestlavielife · 13/04/2019 21:38

Presumably your uncle was a baby at least two decades ago? Times have changed.
If complications arise then get your child to hospital and there are various ways to treat.
It will be ok.
Speak to your gp or practice nurse or health visitor for advice on what to look out for and when to seek additional help such as at a hospital.

ememem84 · 13/04/2019 21:39

Agree. No guarantee she’ll get it. Ds has been at nursery for almost a year now. And we’ve swerved it three times now.

SosigDog · 13/04/2019 21:40

You could take your DD to be vaccinated within 72 hours of exposure. But I don’t know if they’ll vaccinate a child under 12 months.

AppleKatie · 13/04/2019 21:41

It’s scary OP and obviously you would have avoided it if you could.

BUT worth remembering that complications like your uncles are very rare and it is likely that if your DD does catch it it won’t be as severe as his was.

RiddleyW · 13/04/2019 21:41

Definitely worth calling a GP about the vaccine.

dementedpixie · 13/04/2019 21:41

My ds had it at 6 months old. He wasn't as bad as dd (3 at the time) who gave it to him

AmIRightOrAMeringue · 13/04/2019 21:45

Chicken pox has a very very low risk of serious complications (might be wrong but I think its 1 in 1000 rather than 1 in 1 with something like measles).

It is more dangerous if they get it as a baby but there is a big difference between a 3 month old and an almost 1 year old who should have a much better immune system.

Good luck

AmIRightOrAMeringue · 13/04/2019 21:45

One in 15 not 1 in 1!

PepsiPeach · 13/04/2019 21:47

Presumably you've also had chicken pox and didn't have any severe complications? Chances are your daughter will cope much the same way that you did.

Acorncat · 13/04/2019 21:48

You can vaccinate from 9 months if it's the right vaccine, some pharmacies offer it, I had mine done before 12m. Though I can't remember if that vaccine is the one that can be used after exposure.

Buffymum · 13/04/2019 21:50

Mine got it at about 2/3 months and 14/15 months , it’s horrid but glad they had it as babies as easier to manage ! And treatment now for babies / children who get it severely probably much better now than when your uncle had it .

JurassicGirl · 13/04/2019 21:51

My dd was exposed to CP 3 times before she caught it age 7.

If no signs in 3 weeks get her booked in for the vaccine?

DramaAlpaca · 13/04/2019 21:57

She might not get it. My DS2 aged 13 months managed not to catch it when every other child in the room did - the mother didn't realise her 2 year old had it & accidentally exposed all the rest of our NCT group to it. Every single child (8 of them!) came down with chicken pox two weeks later, except my DS2. But of course he then picked it up from DS1. It's not inevitable.

Mumof1andacat · 13/04/2019 21:57

Ds started nursery at 6 months old and was exposed I would say twice if not 3 times before he got chicken pox at 3.5 yrs old. He wasn't unwell with it and didn't have a great deal of spots. I didn't get it until I was 7 and my brother was 11 yrs old.

Original poster

Justabitcheesedoff · 13/04/2019 22:05

Thanks everyone, I'm really hoping she hasn't got it and I can get the vaccine done instead. I know it's very unusual for chicken pox to have severe complications, I had it as a toddler and I don't think it was anything out of the ordinary according to my mum. But yeah, it's just an experience my family is still a bit haunted by 40 years on I think. Might try to enquire on Monday morning about if I can get the vaccine as a preventative measure, I'm fully expecting that might not be possible though with her not quite 1 years old unfortunately.

OP posts:

givemesteel · 13/04/2019 22:13

I get it OP, I got my two vaccinated privately as I am concerned that a significant minority seem to suffer some form of complications.

It's up to you obviously, but if your baby is only s couple of weeks off 12 months you could book a chicken pox vaccination privately and then 'forget' your red book (or bring the wrong one if you've got an older dc), and hope they do it anyway.

I had my baby done at superdrug recently and I wouldn't swear by it but I'm sure I only gave them the red book after the vaccination was done.

Mamabear12 · 13/04/2019 22:28

My dd got chicken pox during her first bday party (with two other babies there). They spent 3 hours together. She had two spots(and we didn’t know it was chicken pox). Until next day when they became 10 spots and more as time went on! The other babies never caught it and they were sharing things and play and sucking on same toys. That was 6 years ago! The babies eventually got it, but years later from someone else:

mummabubs · 13/04/2019 22:38

I completely understand given your family history why you feel nervous OP. My DS was on holiday with our family when my SiL announced that loads of kids at her DD's nursery had chicken pox at the moment... sure enough the next day niece came out in chicken pox and 3 weeks later so did my 5 month old DS. Staying quarantined for 10 days was really isolating and hard and I felt worried too given how young he was. Thankfully other than a small scar on his back there's been no other consequences. Hopefully your little one will have missed it but if not then try not to worry- as others have pointed out many more people have it as children with no long term consequences than not. X

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