16 week old with chicken pox - need anti-virals?

[staranise]

My 16 week old DC3 has come out in chicken pox - I knew it would be a possbility as his older DCs have just had it so I asked the GP a couple of weeks ago what to do if he got it. SHe said he would need to go to hospital to get the anti-viral drugs as he's so young. I've rung the hospital and they said that sounded unlikely but the paed. nurse was going to double-check with the consultant and get back to me.

He's exclusively breastfed (and I've had chicken pox) and is otherwise healthy, plus he has no fever etc. Anyone else heard this about the anti-virals?

Thanks

I think they can be given anti-virals if they are a newborn (under 4 weeks) but at 16 weeks your lo will be past the newborn stage. My ds had it at around 6 months and was ok. This is from NHS direct:

Aciclovir

If you develop chickenpox whilst you are pregnant you may have to take an antiviral medicine, known as aciclovir. This ideally needs to be started within 24 hours of your rash appearing. It does not cure chickenpox, but does make the symptoms less severe.

If you are taking aciclovir, you should make sure you drink plenty of fluids.

You will normally have to take this medicine five times a day (at four hourly intervals) for seven days. This medicine may also be prescribed to newborn babies and, people with a weakened immune system who develop chickenpox, as they too are more at risk of developing complications.

Ds had cp at 3 mo - took 5 days of having spots for him to be diagnosed as I was fully bf so people assumed it was something else. When it was eventually diagnosed, recommendation was to watch his temperature and put something soothing on spots - but no mention of antivirals or anything similar - even though ds was 4 wks younger than your ds

Thanks! I'm waiting to hear from the hospital but I think it's unlikely that anti-virals are really necessary...