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Original poster

Baby exposed to chicken pox

16 replies

francesrivis · 29/12/2011 19:07

Hi, my dd aged almost 3 has come out in spots this evening, and it looks like chicken pox which has apparently been going around locally. I'm concerned as we spent Christmas with my brother and his wife who have a three month old baby (last saw them yesterday afternoon). She is fully breast fed - will this give her some protection against the virus? And if she gets it, is it serious in such a little baby? Would be grateful for any info/experience before I panic my brother!

OP posts:
Seona1973 · 29/12/2011 19:19

chicken pox can be more dangerous for newborns rather than slightly older babies. The baby may or may not get chicken pox and you wont really know for between 10 and 21 days whether she has caught it.

chickenpox

goingtoofast · 29/12/2011 19:23

My dd1 had cp three weeks after dd2 was born. DD2 had it at 5 weeks, she was fine - she was bf but was ill as a newborn so that probably affected her immunity.

Skippy5 · 29/12/2011 19:27

Hi, My little girl caught chicken pox when she was three months old. Although she was covered in spots, she wasn't in any danger and made a quick recovery.

south345 · 29/12/2011 19:31

Ds2 got it at 3 months but was only tiny (4lb 14 at birth) so probably had a low immune system his friend got it worse at 7 months but wasn't poorly just covered from head to toe in spots!

warthog · 29/12/2011 19:33

well the day i brought dd2 home from the hospital ie. 1 DAY OLD my 2.5 yo dd1 came out in spots. dd2 had about 3 spots when she was 21 days old and apart from that was absolutely fine.

paddyclamp · 29/12/2011 19:53

I'm pretty sure that the breast feeding will give her some immunity!... My DD got it at 9 months old, she caught it off DS! She was VERY spotty, far more so than DS was but she wasn't ill with it!

canyou · 29/12/2011 19:58

My 2.6 yro niece had chicken pox Christmas week and ended up in hospital for 3 days when she also got flu and D&V bug, her baby sis is a BF 6 week old baba and DR asked sil did she have chicken pox as a child which she had and he told her that it was a safe bet the baby would be fine and get none of the above. Two and a half weeks on baba is still fine. HTH's

sneezecakesmum · 30/12/2011 10:51

bfing gives immunity for at least a month, probably longer so if the baby gets it she may get an extra mild CP as she has some immunity floating around still from mum. Obviously mum should discuss this with her GP if the baby gets unwell as she is still v young.

Chrysanthemum5 · 30/12/2011 11:01

DS came out in spots when DD was a few days old I went to the gp because CP can be very dangerous in new borne. He said shed have some residual immunity from me (she wasn't bf) but to go to the hospital if she got more than 10 spots. Anyway spots came out on her a couple of weeks later but less than 10 and she was ok. Apparently that's not enough to give her immunity so she will probably get it again at some point.

QED · 30/12/2011 11:07

DS got chicken pox when DD was 4 weeks - I was told by many people that as I was bf her she wouldn't get it. At 6 weeks she was an amazingly spotty baby. Was completely fine - just a bit more sleepy than usual which was quite good. I think it is more of a worry if they get it when they are very little although I think if they have it very younger it can mean they will get it again later in life.

Seona1973 · 30/12/2011 12:09

getting it under 1 year also puts them at risk of getting childhood shingles. Ds had CP at 5 1/2 months and then shingles at the age of 3

notveryinventive · 30/12/2011 12:15

Chicken Pox was going round DD1's nursery class for a couple of weeks. DD1 never showed any signs, but DD2 (was 12 weeks at the time) did come out in spots. She never showed any signs of illness, just had spots. Not many and wasnt covered, but the senior nurse we took her to see said that they were definately pox. She also said to me that I FF her as she would be immune if I BF (way to make me feel guilty). She's fine now though Im a bit worried about what Seona1973 has just said as Ive not heard that before, but will keep an eye out now.

QED · 30/12/2011 13:31

Believe me notveryinventive DD couldn't have had more spots and was totally BF. I am very sure you FF didn't make any difference.

I have also heard about chicken pox under a year increasing chance of childhood shingles but as there isn't anything I can do about it I will just keep an eye on DD.

notveryinventive · 30/12/2011 13:34

Oh I do believe you QED its just what she said at the time and I didnt have any reason to not believe her, till now anyway Smile

Original poster
francesrivis · 30/12/2011 17:33

Many thanks, will let my brother know now and should be able to reassure him!

OP posts:
Seona1973 · 30/12/2011 19:49

www.vaxa.com/shingles-in-children.cfm

pediatrics.about.com/od/weeklyquestion/a/1108_shingles.htm

both these links mention the increased childhood shingles risk when a child has CP under 1 year

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