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Original poster

If your child had chicken pox as a baby

60 replies

ChickenPox7 · 09/04/2022 22:54

Came on here to ask a CP question and can't believe how many threads there are! Definitely the illness of the moment.

Anyway DS (4) has it. He has a 6 month old sister and based on the other thread it seems likely she will get it too.

Does anyone have stories of their under 1 having chicken pox? I'm so worried about my baby. I googled and the first 2 stories I read were about a 6 month old that had to be hospitalised and tube fed for a month and another who ended up with encephalitis and never recovered ;(

Would love to read better experiences to calm myself down a bit. Thank you!

OP posts:
WaterBottle123 · 10/04/2022 00:14

DD2 had it at 10 months. Mild case, recovery with no issues

BonjourCrisette · 10/04/2022 00:27

Yep, I think that's why DD got it so mildly at 11 months. I'd had it and was still breastfeeding.

Interested to know if other babies got it at a young age also got it again later or if that was just mine. Her second dose of chicken pox was really awful (she was prescribed morphine for the pain at one point).

BarnacleNora · 10/04/2022 00:29

My youngest had it at I think 7ish months (it all got a bit blurred). He was absolutely fine. Quite spotty, no more grotty than if he had a bit of a cold. I put this down to the fact that he was breastfed and must have had a nice immune system from it.

Nah. He then caught it again when he was three and was absolutely covered in spots. Very miserable and moany for about 36 hours and then just spotty and grumpy because we couldn't go anywhere.

My oldest didn't catch it both times and never caught it whenever it did the rounds at pre school. I ended up getting him vaccinated for it when he started school because I didn't want him missing loads of school and he's also autistic so didn't want to take the risk of what he might do to himself with scratching.

For most children chicken pox is fairly mild thank goodness but with any virus obviously it has the potential to turn nasty in any age. Don't forget that ibuprofen is absolutely NOT recommended for the pox, stick to paracetamol and oaty baths only. There's also an anti itch cream available at the pharmacy called Eurax which I swear works miracles

ThatsGoingToHurt · 10/04/2022 00:46

DD had chicken pox when she was three and have it to 9 month old DS. DS was covered in spots! However, DS didn’t realise he has CP as he had no temp, no itchiness, no symptoms at all. He carried on eating and sleeping as normal.

apapuchi · 10/04/2022 00:48

@BarnacleNora

My youngest had it at I think 7ish months (it all got a bit blurred). He was absolutely fine. Quite spotty, no more grotty than if he had a bit of a cold. I put this down to the fact that he was breastfed and must have had a nice immune system from it.

Nah. He then caught it again when he was three and was absolutely covered in spots. Very miserable and moany for about 36 hours and then just spotty and grumpy because we couldn't go anywhere.

My oldest didn't catch it both times and never caught it whenever it did the rounds at pre school. I ended up getting him vaccinated for it when he started school because I didn't want him missing loads of school and he's also autistic so didn't want to take the risk of what he might do to himself with scratching.

For most children chicken pox is fairly mild thank goodness but with any virus obviously it has the potential to turn nasty in any age. Don't forget that ibuprofen is absolutely NOT recommended for the pox, stick to paracetamol and oaty baths only. There's also an anti itch cream available at the pharmacy called Eurax which I swear works miracles

I wish I'd thought to get my autistic son vaccinated when he still hadn't had it at 8. He got it two months ago and scratched like a demon, it also caused a huge behavioural regression which still hadn't shown any signs of improving. So, really good thinking here!

On topic, my 6 month old then caught it from him. Baby was fine, a day or two with a bit of a fever and generally disgruntled but nothing more. He has the odd little mark now (been recovered about a month) but was OK. Am hoping that it is for him and that round two doesn't happen later as others have said happens.

Notwithittoday · 10/04/2022 07:33

It’s true about immunity. One of mine had a mild case at about 11 months. Only a few spots. Then got it again at 7 worse. I was told if they have it only mildly under one year of age they can get it again.

clarkkentsglasses · 10/04/2022 07:34

Yes, DS was 5 months and had it very mild, got it again 5 years later also very mild

GeneLovesJezebel · 10/04/2022 07:36

One had it under 1, she was fine, just a bit grizzly and snotty.

Saisong · 10/04/2022 07:44

Both of mine must have had it as babies, but so mildly that I wasn't able to distinguish it from any of the random non threatening viruses that they occasionally picked up from childcare. No blatant spots or anything. Only realised this when DS got shingles at 18 months - medics were a bit concerned about this, but he was fine actually. DD despite being exposed many times at nursery/ school never picked it up, so figure she also had it as a baby.

tuliparcher · 10/04/2022 07:45

Mine at a mild dose at 8 weeks & hasn't had it again. They had a massive out break in Yr1, where the majority of the year got it & mine didn't get it.

dementedpixie · 10/04/2022 08:16

Getting CP under 1 year puts them at a higher risk if childhood shingles. Ds had shingles at 3 after chicken pox at 6 months

funtimesahead100 · 10/04/2022 08:21

When my 3 yr old had it, my then 6 month old DD had it really mildly no more 15 spots. When chicken pox was doing the rounds at preschool she got shingles. No lasting effects from either bouts.

IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads · 10/04/2022 08:21

DD caught it off her brother at 9 months old.
She was completely covered in spots, and had a high temp. She slept a lot, and was really not very well for a week, but not hospitalised. It was high summer too, she drank loads of water and juice, but ate very little.

BrambleyHedge · 10/04/2022 08:23

My daughter had it at 5 weeks. Six spots and nothing else.

icelollycraving · 10/04/2022 08:25

Ds caught it on my first day back from Mat leave when he was 1, actually day before his first birthday. Was ok with it, few spots, not too unwell. He had it again when he was about 5. On Christmas Day. Chicken pox killed a few celebrations in our house but he wasn’t too bad at all.

cptartapp · 10/04/2022 08:25

DS2 caught CP at one week old when his two year old brother had it. I was bf but he still caught it, albeit a very mild dose. Don't remember him even being unwell.
He's almost 17 now and never had it again.

lljkk · 10/04/2022 08:29

DD was 15 weeks when she had CP. Never had it again although plenty exposed: siblings & at school. Hers was mild, one ugly spot near her eye was worst of it. Her sleep got worse maybe because of it. She's 20yo now - vision fine.

Original poster
ChickenPox7 · 10/04/2022 08:30

Thank you all it's reassuring to know she won't be the only one to have caught it so young. Sounds like she might not be too unwell with it but that they tend to have lots of spots at that age.

Sounds trivial, but the thought of her beautiful face being covered in spots is so upsetting to me!

I have had CP and am breastfeeding so glad to hear it might help.

Good to know they can get shingles later, I'll see if the vaccine can help with that and if so I might get her the vaccine when she's a bit older.

Sorry to hear about PP's DH, a bit worried as my DH also doesn't know if he's already had it as a child. His mum passed away and his dad doesn't remember. I hope he'll be OK.

OP posts:
anewway · 10/04/2022 10:39

My DS had it when 3, DD was under 1 and she didn't catch it. So it really just depends. They had baths together and everything.

MargaritasOnMe · 10/04/2022 11:15

Mine had it at 10 weeks when his 4yo brother had it. He had a grand total of 5 spots and was totally unbothered! I was worried but it was absolutely fine.

Artich0ke · 12/04/2022 14:42

People don’t tend to come on here to start a thread about the mildness of their baby’s chicken pox, which is why you usually see negative stories.

My dd caught it at 6 months old but her GP said it was eczema and she was prescribed steroid cream. Steroid cream is the worst thing to put near chicken pox as it then spreads like wildfire. This happened. She was covered in thousands of spots. She ended up hospitalised and put on antivirals. She had a recurrence of spots a month later which seemed strange. A nurse gave her a bath and scrubbed off all her scans leaving her absolutely covered in tiny scars. Ever bit of medical advice and care we received was bad. Sad

Original poster
ChickenPox7 · 12/04/2022 15:16

Oh my god @Artich0ke, that's awful. Really dreadful. I hope your DD is OK now and her scars aren't bad.

OP posts:
zafferana · 12/04/2022 15:18

DS2 caught it as a baby from DS1. Because he was EBF at the time and I've had CP I think I must've given him some of my immunity, because he had a very mild case indeed. Poor DS1 had about 200 spots and felt really poorly for a few days, whereas baby DS2 had about 4 spots and seemed fine.

MirandaWest · 12/04/2022 15:24

DS had it when he was nearly 2 and DD was 4 weeks old.

I was breastfeeding and had chicken pox when I was younger - a lot of people said DD wouldn't get it.

2 weeks later she got it. She was very spotty but didn't really seem itchy and her main symptom was sleeping a bit more which tbh was quite good.

They are 18 and 16 now and neither has had it again.

Hope your DD is OK.

SillyDoriswithaDangler · 12/04/2022 15:34

My 5 week old had a terrible case and unfortunately, we had to stay in hospital for a week or so as he developed a very high fever. He is a strapping 6ft tall, 15 year old now. I think he got it so severely because I never had chickenpox (although I did have the vaccine before I got pregnant with him) and I wasn't able to pass any natural immunity on to him.