Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Children's health

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

Flip

Original poster

Intentional chicken pox exposure?

9 replies

Hayley0773 · 03/08/2011 09:41

Hi All
My friends son has got chicken pox and she has asked me if I want to take my son over to get it early. Know us as mums don't want to intentionally make our children ill but is it the best thing to do in hope that he picks it up early (hes 11 months.)

OP posts:

frazzled2mummy · 03/08/2011 11:22

Personally I think 11 months is a little young and also, why not just let them catch it naturally? If your ds is at nursery or has interaction with other children he is likely to pick it up at some point anyway. My ds was about 15 months when he got it and he had it everywhere, but seemed to handle it quite well. I would wait. My dd is 10.5 months and i certainlly wouldnt want her ill at the moment. Hope this helps

LIZS · 03/08/2011 11:24

foolish imho . It can be quite nasty as well as mild. Also he could still get it again if he catches it relatively young.

DuchessEm · 03/08/2011 17:15

I wouldn't personally. My 2 DC have just had it a couple of months a go and they both had a bad dose of it. I always thought it was just an itchy rash and they would be a bit off colour, but both of mine were really hot, sick, tummy ache, absolutely covered in spots (they were everywhere, even in their bottoms and mouths) and it took them both well over a week to start to feel better. I know some children get a mild case of CP, but you never know how bad your DC might get it. It is miserable having to stay inside with ill children and you can't take them out until the last spot has crusted over.

Also, if your son has been playing with this child before the rash came out, my GP said that they can be contagious for up to a week before the spots show, so he may have already contracted it.

Imnotaslimjim · 03/08/2011 17:31

please don't do it. I was of the mind of get it out the way. DS (5.4)caught it through school and started with spots on Christmas day. Was completely unfazed and a week later you would barely know it happened

DD(3.4) came out with them 2 weeks later. She was close to hospitalisation, was just one big spot and we had to force feed her tablets cos we couldn't get the medication to calm it down in liquid form. The next 2 weeks were hell on earth and I wouldn't wish it on anyone.

IF he catches in day to day life that can't be helped but please don't expose him on purpose

CrosswordAddict · 03/08/2011 17:40

Be very careful! I've had it twice. Once as a child (still got the scars to prove it) and again as an adult. The second dose was truly dreadful.
I still get the odd outbreak (ten years afterwards). For example, in the past few weeks I've had one or two chickenpox type spots on my face. It is usually in the summer. I think the sun activates the virus or weakens the immune system or whatever. They are unmistakable (pus-filled) and not just acne type spots. I would think very carefully before you do anything so rash (excuse the pun)

mrsravelstein · 03/08/2011 17:44

ds1 and ds2 had it very mildly at ages 5 and 3. dd had it a few months ago at just over a year old and she had it very badly... i wouldn't have an issue with intentionally exposing a child to it as i would definitely want to get these things over with, but i wouldn't do it with a baby, would wait til they're 4 or 5. but to be honest it seems to be one of those things that you just get when you're ready to get it.... it went through ds2's nursery in the Spring and many of the kids who'd been exposed every day still didn't get it this time round.

Seona1973 · 04/08/2011 08:43

I wouldnt especially if your lo is under the age of 1. Having it that young means you may get it again but also puts them at more risk for childhood shingles. Ds got chicken pox from his sister at 5 1/2 months and had shingles at age 3 which was not pleasant for him at all. I would leave him till he is older and catches it by accident from other children.

worldgonecrazy · 04/08/2011 08:55

There's no guarantee your LO will get chicken pox. I went around all the members of the family who had chicken pox either about to arrive or very much in situ, so at the very contagious stage, and we didn't even get a spot. I really wanted DD to get it whilst she was still being breastfed, but unfortunately it didn't happen, despite our best efforts.

Original poster

Hayley0773 · 07/08/2011 20:30

Thanks guys. We decided not too and everyones comments were helpful. Not going to expose intentionally. :-)

OP posts:

Flip