Urgent advice please re. DS, potential chicken pox and pregnant women

[ImpYCelyn]

DS is 16 months.

We noticed a few days ago that he had a couple of small spots on his face, but none anywhere else. He still have the spots on his face, very small, maybe 10, and this morning he has one each on his tummy, neck, back, thigh, and behind his knee.

He also threw up during the night, and was off his food last night and won't eat this morning. He was very quiet and not himself when he got up, although he's brightened up a bit now. He also now seems to have developed diarrhoea.

Temp normal. And he's not scratching anything.

I saw a GP on Tuesday as he'd had a couple of nights where he woke up screaming in pain, I thought it was an ear infection. GP said he was fine, felt his lymph nodes etc, so on Tuesday he wasn't noticeably sickening for anything.

I'm worried that is could be chicken pox, but he's DC1 and I've never seen it before and I have no idea how it comes on/develops. I'd have thought that if it was that he'd have loads of spots after several days.

I'm 33 weeks at the moment, I've had chicken pox twice before, so not convinced about immunity. Also I'm due at an ante-natal pilates class this morning. Is there a risk I could hand it on if that's what it is? Because I absolutely do not want to expose anyone else to it.

Do you think I should just be cautious and not go?

Also, if it doesn't sound like chicken pox, is there anything else you think it might be? Could it just be a huge coincidence that he's a bit spotty and also ill?

Aargh, I have no idea...

If you've had CP twice then it's highly unlikely you'll get it again. With CP, one has to be exposed to the person who has it, not simply someone who has been WITH the person who has it, so you should be fine to go to pilates!

Sounds like it could be a mild case of CP. HAve the first spots blistered and scabbed? BUT afaik D&V are not symptoms of CP. When my DC had it they scratched and were irritabkle but were not off their food and had not other symptoms.

Those symptoms sound exactly like my ds, he was warm yesterday and has little spots, was sick in the night and subdued and clingy this morning but livening up.

I was wondering if it was chickenpox too, although the spots might be a heat rash.

Hopefully someone that has seen chicken pox will be along soon!

Could well be chickenpox. Don't think you need to worry, having had it twice yourself. As you aren't infectious (as far as I'm aware) then I don't think you need to worry about yoga - as long as you don't take ds along.

(What I meant to say was that sounds very like chickenpox, starting with one or two spots then waking up with lots more.)

Thanks PiedWagtail I'm going to go to pilates then and leave him with DH.

I found the NHS symptoms page which suggests they should have blistered and scabbed by now, and they haven't, so hopefully it's not CP! Though they did say that being sick and loss of appetite are symptoms.

IHave I hope your DS feels better soon!

Erm - I would disagree actually (my DCs have each had CP twice. Confirmed by doctor/nurse/blood test etc each time). Rare, but it happens. We were told the following, and have also seen this on the internet somewhere (so it must be true huh?!) -

OP - yes, you could get CP again (I believe that it has been proven that some people get it up to 5 times). However, as you are in the third trimester it shouldn't cause any harm to your baby - but you should check that with your GP. It WILL cause harm to the foetus in expectant mothers in their first 16 weeks of pregnancy if they haven't had CP themselves. It can cause blindness in the baby etc.

So, as you could very possibly be harbouring the virus right now (it takes a couple of weeks post-exposure to actually make itself known, as far as I remember, during which time you are able to pass it on to other people) I would absolutely not go anywhere near a room full of pregnant women.

It does sound to me as though your DS has a mild case of CP but I would get to your GP if I were you. I hope your DS gets better quickly; other childhood "spotty" illnesses are measles and german measles/rubella (although if you google these you'll be able to see pictures of the rash and your DS' rash doesn't sound like either of these), slap cheek .... try googling ...

Thanks edam - I was worried about immunity as I had an MMR fail to cover me for rubella recently, and when I discussed it with the GP they brought up having had CP twice as another example of me being difficult to immunise, so I was worried I still might not be covered.

Fingers crossed anyway...

Ah bugger, that's exactly what I was worried about MrsMcEnroe.

I think I'm going to try to get DS seen by OOHs in that case and not go to pilates until I'm sure that's not what it is.

Hi ImpYCelyn

I would - I know it's a pain but you are so unusual in having had CP more than once that you just shouldn't risk it .... some GPs won't even acknowledge that it is possible to catch it more than once, in fact ours didn't and I had to insist on seeing another one who immediately confirmed it.

On a more positive note though, if your DS' spots are not fluid-filled blisters, and if the first spots are not starting to scab over, it probably isn't CP!

Hope he feels better soon.

Fair point from MrsMc, I'd go with her advice.

Even if it is German measles or measles that ds has, probably best to avoid a roomful of preggers ladies (esp. for German measles/rubella).