Newborn and FIL with shingles.....

[Mrsb999]

FIL has today been diagnosed as having shingles, doc thinks he has probably had it for a week and a half. My DS is 3 weeks old today and has been in contact with FIL on a few occasions, what are the risks of him getting chicken pox?

I'm mostly formula feeding him with a small amount of breastmilk which I have frozen and stocked up the freezer with. Is it worth switching him to the breastmilk to help build up antibodies or is it too late for that now?

If he's been exposed already, it's probably too late to affect whether he is going to get it or not. DD got chicken pox at six/seven months even though she was breast fed, so I'm not sure it would help anyway.

Yes I thought it may be too late, do you know how long it would take for it to show and be obvious that he has got chicken pox?

My dd got chickenpox at 2 weeks despite being bf. It was very mild though (3spots!) so don't worry.

I think even if you are ff your baby will have been born with some of your immunity (?)

I think typical incubation period is 14 days, but it can be a few days shorter/longer. DD came out with the first few blisters precisely 14 days after we'd been to visit friends, and got a call the next day to say their DS had come out in spots.

Fingers crossed for you that he doesn't get it. I think it's usually mild in babies (it was for DD) but he is so little that it wouldn't be nice.

Where is your fils rash?

Your fil can only pass chickenpox to anyone via contact with the rash. If it is covered by clothes this is highly unlikely but not impossible (eg if he had touched rash with hands snd not washed etc.)

Thanks everyone, FIL is 77 and fairly old fashioned, he doesnt usually 'do babies' and didn't hold any of his other grand kids until they were older and a little more sturdy so it's just typical that this time he decided to change his mind and hold mine! Never mind, just need to keep my fingers crossed now!

If you've had chickenpox then your baby should have received immunity from you even if you aren't breastfeeding, but I think chickenpox can be more serious in tiny babies. NHS website advises seeking advice:
www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Chickenpox/Pages/Diagnosis.aspx

Might be worth a phone call to your GP or HV?

What Egwina said - if you have chickenpox, the virus is airborne and therefore very transmittable. With shingles, you have to come into contact with the actual rash to be infected, so it's much more difficult to get the virus. Hope your baby avoids it!

I think the rash is on his legs but I'm not 100% sure. What would be the first signs of CP apart from the obvious rash?

We had this worry recently with my mum having shingles and having held dd. The doctor said as long as the baby wasn't in contact with the sores you can't pass it on.

My ex-FIL had shingles and did not have any contact with my DS, but DS did catch CP from him (and was 5 weeks old when the rash emerged). So, while it is easier to catch it from direct contact, it is possible to catch it without contact (it was on XFIL's torso, and XFIL would not hold a baby - said he hated kids - so contact was not an issue).

DS was very ill with the CP, spent nearly a fortnight in hospital, so it can be quite serious.

Early symptoms, prior to the rash, malaise, low grade fever, lethargy... he was very irritable and did not seem at all himself.