Chicken pox - should I expose DDs on purpose to reduce severity?

[ArcticLemming]

Chicken pox is currently doing the rounds big time in our village and DD1's pre-school. As neither DD1 or DD2 have had it, it's probably just a matter of time before it heads our way. If I let nature take it's course, I think it's highly likely DD1 will catch it first (as she mixes much more due to pre-school) and then pass it on to DD2. However, there seems to be strong research to suggest that children who contract CP from family members have it much more severely. I'm seriously wondering if I should expose them both to someone outside the family in the hope that both will only get a mild dose. It goes against all my instincts, but have other people done this in recent year (I know all about the "chicken pox parties" years ago)? DDs are 3 and 1. Any thoughts

Do you have references for that research?

Chicken pox has gone round DS's nursery several times over the last three years, but he's never caught it, so I wouldn't assume that your DD1 will catch it from pre-school.

Our ds never caught it, despite my best efforts when he was younger, so we gave him the jab in the end (to reduce severity if he catches it as an adult, which is more awful than catching it as a child). Apparently the chicken pox parties don't always work because the contagious period could already have passed and it also depends on the child's immunity levels - this is what a nurse friend of ours told me anyway.

Only reference I can access from home computer is A household study of chickenpox in Guinea-Bissau: intensity of exposure is a determinant of severity.

Poulsen A, Qureshi K, Lisse I, Kofoed PE, Nielsen J, Vestergaard BF, Aaby P.

J Infect. 2002 Nov;45(4):237-42

The findings are also relevant to developed countries.

Thanks -- I'd seen this suggestion referred to in passing in a few places, but never with any background information.

I know of a man in his late 30s who is suffering at the moment - feeling seriously ill. Definitely try and catch it early, although if it happens, it happens!