Chickenpox and young baby..

[tholeon]

We have just taken ds, 2.7, to the out of hours doctor who has confirmed that his spotty back is indeed likely to be chickenpox. We also have a three week old baby, and I'm very worried about her getting it. Anyone have any experience of cp and a very young baby? He us currently feeling well and playing, is this likely to last or will he get worse? Hate this, crap timing. Am keeping him away from others of course.

Did you ask the doctor?

One of mine caught chicken pox from her sibling at four months and she was fine.

If you are breastfeeding, your baby will have your immunity for a while.

I got chicken pox when i was 6 weeks old i was fine although i did go on to have it again. Baby should be fine and like cotton said if your BF then will have your immunity

If you are breastfeeding and have had chickenpox yourself, the baby may be protected. DD got it when she was a baby - not that young, about six or seven months, but still breastfed, and she had a very, very mild case. But there is not much you can do now to stop her getting it, as she will have been exposed at the peak time (just before/after the spots first appear). Incubation is about two weeks, so keep an eye on her then.

Your DS may carry on feeling fine, it varies. When DS had it (aged 3), he was a bit hot and grumpy for a couple of days but then was running around as usual - but of course was still infectious, so that was the really difficult time as most places were off-limits.

Thanks yes am breastfeeding and I had it as a child so hopefully she will have some immunity. We all had the norovirus last week and amazingly she seemed hardly affected by it, much less than the rest of us. Am wondering though if I should have just kept him in while she's tiny..

My 4m Ds is just recovering from an awful bout of pox. He is ebf so I don't buy the immunity argument! My gp said to watch him for raised temperature, cough, difficulty breathing and to go straight to AandE If there are any problems.

Ds1 was born with chicken pox, even though I'd had it as a child. I hadn't even been aware of being in contact with anyone with it. He was very ill for the first few days of his life, but thankfully pulled through with no lasting effects.

It would have been a lot worse without your immunity, pinx.

Some people do have an absolutely wretched experience with CP, even as children.

You might want to think about vaccinating any future children you have.

DS got chicken pox when DD was 4 weeks old. Was told by lots of people that as I was breast feeding and had had chicken pox when younger that she would have my immunity.

She got it at 6 weeks and was covered in spots. Wasn't at all ill with it though - was just slightly sleepier than normal which was fine. I am prepared for her having it again at some point, and think she is at higher risk of getting shingles, but nothing I can do about that. Hopefully your DD will either not get it, or will have it lightly.

Tbh I'm not sure how it could have been worse without having any complications. The poor chap is absolutely plastered head to toe and has been really out of sorts. He can't sleep for more than 10 mins at a time day and night because he can't find a comfortable position to put his head as it is completely covered.