Chicken pox and pregnant Childminder

[Cullercoats88]

Hey this may be a long post so please bear with me.

I never had chicken pox as a child, despite my brother and class mates being covered head to toe, behind ears, and in the mouth, I surprisingly, never got it. After 10 yrs of looking after children, and still never getting it, I just sort of assumed I was immune.

This evening I have received two emails from different parents saying they found suspicious spots. From their descriptions I think it's more likely to be teething/nappy rash related spots as they are in the nappy area. However, both children have had high temps (again could be teething) and both have been sent home this week because of it. So it could possibly be the start of chicken pox.

Now I am 6months pregnant, I am ever so slightly concerned. What if im not immune afterall? It does seem quite unlikely considering I have been around the illness enough over the years, but I am beginning to wonder if I should consider excluding, at least for a couple of days?

In the past, when I looked after a much smaller group of children, I was happy to care for them through chicken pox, but now I have over 10 children on my register, some of them are still babies, and I'm not sure those parents would want to be exposed to it, just yet. Plus I'm pregnant.

What would other CMs do? How would parents feel if I excluded for a couple of days, despite always being happy to look after children with chicken pox in the past?

TIA X

You need to see your GP asap (tomorrow morning). They will do an urgent blood test to see if you are immune, if you aren't then you need chickenpox immunoglobulin within a day or so (by the time that is arranged you should know if the kids actually do have chpox or just nappy rash) Get on the phone to the GP at 8am. I would text the parents now and let them know that you can't have their children until you have confirmed your immunity/whether they have chpox.

And if you aren't immune, get yourself vaccinated after this pregnancy.

Good luck with it all

Presumably you have taken children with chickenpox in the past because all parents agree to it. This time not all the parents will agree, so the children need to stay home. It's not just a couple of days either. It's normally 5-10 days. The other children will have already been exposed, but no need to increase their chance of infection.

You need to get to a go to ask your options.

I agree- get GP to check your immunity but I think you need to check with all the other parents to see if they are ok with their children being knowingly exposed to chicken pox before you say it's ok for the poorly ones to come to you.

GP can check for immunity, mine did as standard when I was about 8 weeks pregnant. I too have never had it (so my mum says) and have had plenty of contact with it but it turns out I have immunity (and therefore probably did catch it as a child but was pretty symptomless with it so my mum never realised).
You've had the contact already but keep the children away and discuss with your GP.

Ok thanks all- the only reason why I said few days is because everyone is likely to have already been exposed to it, we have had a couple of ill days from last thurs-yesterday so if it did turn out to be chicken pox I was thinking about excluding for rest of week only.

I also think I probably had it when I was little but in comparison to my friends and brother, it went unnoticed. However my mom is adamant I never did!

Still waiting on parents to see if anymore spots have appeared...with any luck it's just a case of teething rash. Yes when I looked after children with it before, it was a small group of 4 2yr olds, and the parents were all best buds, now I have a couple of 12month olds, and I can't imagine their parents being too happy about it!

If it is chicken pox they need to be kept away until all the spots crust over.

Aren't the guidelines for schools/nurseries to exclude until all spots have crusted over?

Honestly, if I were the parent of a child with CP I'd expect to keep them home (and when DS had it he was really unwell - it's not always mild), and if I were the parent of a non-infected child, I'd want exposure to be minimised - quite apart from the risk to you.

Wouldn't having an ill minded constrain what you can do with the others??

(you sound like a really lovely CM, by the way, and these parents are lucky to have found you.)

Have you had your own immunity checked? Mine was at the start of my pregnancy. You could call midwife to check if you're not sure.

Regardless, I don't think you should take them. If I was the parent of one of the babies I would be furious if the parents sent their children to you with CP (and, I'm sorry, at you for taking them).

CP is one of those things parents know they'll end up taking a week off work or making alternative arrangements for. I don't know of any nursery or CM who would take a poxy child.

I agree with previous poster though - you sound lovely.

IF kids are ill they don't go to their cm. DO you not have a sickness policy?

I tried for 5yrs for my dc I looked after at the time to get cp. Parents wanted them to have it. We never managed it. Saw many children with cp and exchanged kisses etc

On my last day we saw a child with cp who was all crusted over and back at school and yes two weeks later children and new nanny/hk had cp

You are prob imune if never had it by now esp as mindless have had it but get a blood test to be sure

What was ther result of the blood test OP?

Get a check at the gp. My mum is adamant I have never had it (and she was a nurse and im an only child so im sure she's right)so when I was pregnant with a toddler I was nervous. I got checked and oit turns out I am immune somehow

Dd1 had a very mild case of CP. She had tiny pin size spots. Only one or two blistered. Lasted 48hrs. I am sure that it was CP as it came exactly two weeks after dd2 had it. Ds was born later and she didn't catch it from him or any of her classmates. If it wasn't for the circumstances I don't think even a medic would necessarily diagnose it as CP.

I'm immune!!!

The other children have been off but they are just feverish, no spots, (other than bad case of nappy rash), have appeared.

In answer to some ques; yes of course I have a sickness policy but I am always flexible when I can be. I found I could look after children with CP before so I did.

Thanks for all your responses xx

Great :)

Great news.