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Original poster

WWYD? Letting DD play with other children when she might have chicken pox

13 replies

Ruth1234 · 02/12/2011 11:49

My DD saw a little friend just under 2 weeks ago, and 2 days later the little friend developed chicken pox. DD and little friend are 15 months so at the age where they are chewing the same toys etc, they were both eating the same apple at one point.
I understand chicken pox has a 2 week incubation period, so if DD caught it, she is likely to start showing symptoms in the next few days. I also understand it is most infectious a couple of days before the spots appear.
We are due to meet up with friends today and others over the weekend, all of whom have young children who I don't think have had chicken pox before. I'd really like to go and DD will enjoy it, but I'm having a moral dilemma now... Am I being selfish by potentially exposing their DCs to chicken pox knowingly? Or should I assume DD does have it and is infectious, and cancel our plans?

OP posts:
WowOoo · 02/12/2011 11:51

Tell your friends and let them decide whether to cancel or not.

leftmymistletoeatthedoor · 02/12/2011 13:14

I was in a similar position with dd 14m a couple of weeks ago. Ds had had cpox, she hadn't. I avoided meeting with people and/or going to toddler groups tbh. I didn't stay in just avoided close contact iyswim.

Dd got it almost exactly 2 weeks later - it can be anything from 10-21 days. Incidentally dd and ds spent a whole day with our friends wee boy in july, really really close contact including sharing juice (yuck) and he came out in spots that night! Dd and ds didn't get it then.

Get some biacrbanate of soda in, it really helped dd. Ds wasn't so itchy.

neolara · 02/12/2011 13:19

The first five or so times I was in your situation, I avoided playdates. After that I decided putting my kids in quarantine was a complete waste of time. When my dd eventually got chicken pox, I had no idea whom she had caught it from. Unless it's a sibling who has CP, in which case it is almost guaranteed that child no.2 will catch it, I would carry on as normal.

wannaBe · 02/12/2011 13:20

I would do nothing.

She doesn't have chicken pox.

She may develop it but as yet she doesn't have chicken pox.

These children probably come into contact with chicken pox every day, in shops/the park/at nursery where as yet non poxy children are incubating the virus.

This idea that we should isolate children who have been in contact with chicken pox "just in case" is madness. It's far better for children to catch cp early anyway and develop immunity - as long as the child doesn't actually have cp yet I wouldn't even mention it.

The only exception to this would be if you were coming into contact with a child who was going through chemo, for instance. but otherwise I would just go and play and have fun.

Original poster
Ruth1234 · 02/12/2011 16:44

Many thanks, my conscience is now eased! Can I just ask what one does with the bicarbonate of soda? Do you mix it into a paste?

OP posts:
WowOoo · 02/12/2011 16:56

I think it's for putting on the blisters to ease the itchiness.
Fingers crossed she doesn't get it or gets it mildly.

NoMoreWasabi · 02/12/2011 16:57

I would tell your friends and let them decide.

ZhenTheHallsWithBoughsOfHolly · 02/12/2011 17:01

Tell your friends and let them decide, if it were me I would be bringing DD round just so she could catch it and get it out of the way, but some may find it an inconvenient time for their DC's to catch CP given that 10-21 days takes us very close to Christmas.

leftmymistletoeatthedoor · 02/12/2011 19:05

You can make a paste or put it in the bath.

Thinking about it dd only avoided others when ds had been the one with cpox 'cause she was guaranteed but I think due to the proximity to christmas you should tell people.

For example, had my kids not had it and we met up with you and your dd came out in spots then I'd have to cancel our xmas plans as I couldn't risk my dad catching it as he is immuno compromised.

CocktailQueen · 02/12/2011 20:34

Incubation period is up to 23 days I think so you can't really keep your dd in for that time! She may not get it anyway - when ds had CP recently we asked some friends round to play who wanted to get CP and they didn't, even tho they were hugging and kissing ds....

sneezecakesmum · 02/12/2011 20:39

Let your friends decide, after all one of them may be in early pregnancy, and cp is dangerous for pregnant women.

Pagwatch · 02/12/2011 20:42

Yes. I agree with others. Tell your friends so they can tell you if they have any particular concerns, like pregnancy.

WhoIsThatMaskedWoman · 02/12/2011 20:43

Warn your friends - there may be something you don't know about that means they should minimise all risk.

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