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Original poster

Chicken pox Help needed

29 replies

lilymolly · 15/12/2009 20:58

Hi dd 4 came down with chicken pox on friday evening, and she has widespread spots on her torso but only a few on her arms and legs and only one on her face (thank goodness) Anyhow, she is well in herself and her spots have crusted over apart from a few red dots which have no head/fluid in them and are not like the other spots iyswim, they are more like red dots on her skin. The true chicken pox spots are all dried.

It is her nursery childrens party tommorrow and after speaking to the health visitor and nursery teacher they are of the opinion that as long as the spots are dry then she will be ok, but I am really worried that I am putting the other children at risk. I know that the evidence shows that she was more infectious before the rash appeared, but I am also worried about what the other mums will say

What if I have missed the one spot that has not yet scabbed over and she infects another child??

Please advise me

OP posts:
Original poster
lilymolly · 15/12/2009 21:05
OP posts:
BlueBumedFly · 15/12/2009 21:06

Lily, trying to get a 4 year old to sit still to check every spot is a challenge!

I popped her in the bath which gave me enough time to examine each and every spot. Like you said, if she was going to give it to the other kids chances are she has already done so before her spots erupted.

Original poster
lilymolly · 15/12/2009 21:14

I cant put my finger on what I am really worried about to be honest.

Prob a little bit of guilt that if it was not her xmas party I would probably not be too bothered about sending her back.

But is that a good enough reason?

OP posts:
BlueBumedFly · 15/12/2009 21:20

I know what you mean, I was wanting DD to get back and enjoy herself and was 100% sure she was OK but felt I would be thought of badly as the uncaring mother. She was fine though and nobody else got the virus. I was quite sure DD would be OK as she had been bouncing off my walls for a week straight!!!

My DD is not going to her Xmas party tomorrow as we have been in A&E today with a chest virus and 40+ temps, febrile etc. V worried.

pooka · 15/12/2009 21:22

Is a complete bummer, but I wouldn't take her to the party tomorrow. Reading your OP, she's only had the oldest spots for 5 days, and presumably they'll be "younger" ones on her. V. difficult to be certain that she is no longer infectious. While I agree that she was infectious and in contact with nursery friends before the spots appeared, I don't think that is the point - you didn't know so weren't in a position to avoid contact.

Sorry.

As context, there may be parents who wish to avoid if possible chicken pox over christmas, or children who weren't there last week pre-spots, or don't share sessions, or so on.

Original poster
lilymolly · 15/12/2009 21:23

oh bless her, sorry to hear that....could it be suspected swine flu? I only say that because I have a friend whose ds is in hospital with similar symptoms and he may have swine flu. Fingers crossed eh?

I will see how my dd is tomorrow

any further advice still greatly appreciated

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Original poster
lilymolly · 15/12/2009 21:25

thanks pooka, you grasped my concerns through the haze of my op.

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SansSheriff · 15/12/2009 21:27

Both mine have just had CP and like yours were all scabbed over within 4 days. The chances of her infecting other children now are very slim, and in any case they will all get it at some point.

However... some parents can be a bit funny about this kind of thing, so you have to decide whether you're happy to face down any disapproving looks. I kept DS1 off nursery for two extra days for this very reason, though he was no longer contagious he still looked quite alarming! That wasn't the Christmas party, though...

sleepysleepy · 15/12/2009 21:28

I'd tend to agree with pooka. Its five days after the last spot appears, and they normally keep coming for a good few days. Could the ones on her that are just red dots be about to develop the blisters? I know when my two (nearly 3, and 3 months at the time) had it there were new spots coming for 4-5 days, starting flat and red then blistering and finally crusting over.

I'd keep her at home and have a mini party of your own!

pooka · 15/12/2009 21:28

Is so rotten when children are ill for special events, isn['t it. DD had terrible flu last christmas and missed panto, theatre, sleepover at grandparents' house and basically christmas itself. And then gave it to the rest of us!

Your poor dd BBF. Hope she perks up quickly.

Have pondered some more...

Look, if the nursery are happy, then is a close call really. Maybe sleep on it and as BBF recommended, see how she is in herself.

Original poster
lilymolly · 15/12/2009 21:29

I can hide the spots as she has only a couple of spots on her face, so she does not look too alarming. but when exactly do the spots disappear? will she look horrendous for a few days/weeks yet?

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sleepysleepy · 15/12/2009 21:29

actually, f would be more appropriate!

sleepysleepy · 15/12/2009 21:30

oh bollocks, I just can't do the smilies at all. Lily the spots take an age to go, I'm afraid. Maybe some concealer will help for the festive photos?!

pooka · 15/12/2009 21:30

Actually, sleepysleepy right in that the small unblistered spots may develop into blisters.

With dd and ds, they had spots appearing over the course of about 3 days, so no way would the youngest most recent spots have been OK by day 5 or 6.

BooHooo · 15/12/2009 21:32

I agree to keep her home - there is a small chance from what you say and it would be equally awful to put another child at risk over this season.

DD misses so many events through illness it is bloody awful.

pooka · 15/12/2009 21:32

I think my dc's spots took a couple of weeks to fully fade. They were plastered with them though, and with dd (who was 4) it seemed like they took longer perhaps because she was so pale and washed out. Both of mine were fairly unwell with it.

paisleyleaf · 15/12/2009 21:34

I think it's worth playing it safe with chicken pox

Original poster
lilymolly · 15/12/2009 21:34

right will check the small red unblistered ones in the morning. the first spots appeared as blisters straight away so it was obvious to me when they dried up.
Gosh I am going around in circles are'nt I?

I will prob have major cabin fever by tommorrow

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BlueBumedFly · 15/12/2009 21:35

Blisters take ages to go. DD's 'mother' spot is still going strong 6 weeks on!
Thanks guys btw, have posted about today as I am confused about symptoms but am gonna crash real soon.

Lily - hope DD is well tomorrow and the spots resolve themselves by being all crusted. I thought about drawing round DDs with a biro at one stage to see if any more were coming, then I realised this was not the done thing and I might be reported to the SS. Must have been tired!!!

Original poster
lilymolly · 15/12/2009 21:35

thanks for advice ladies.

Will sleep on it and decide tomorrow lunchtime

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sleepysleepy · 15/12/2009 21:36

you will! My ds was just getting better when dd got it. i was at home for bloody ages. And then even when it was safe to veture out, people looked at their scabbed little faces like I'd taken them out and they had bubonic plague or something!

EldonAve · 15/12/2009 21:40

latest advice is to keep them off school/nursery for 5 days from onset of rash
hpa advice

she probably got it from nursery and will have exposed the other children before the rash appears so I'd expect all those who haven't had it yet to get it anyway

Original poster
lilymolly · 15/12/2009 21:40

I know sleepy! I was kind of hoping ds would get it too (he is 9 months old) but I am told whilst I am still BF he will not get it. TBH I would rather he had it now, rather than later

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Original poster
lilymolly · 15/12/2009 21:41

Thanks Eldon I already googled that advice!

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paisleyleaf · 15/12/2009 21:44

lilymolly, I may be wrong, but seem to remember that if you get it under 1 yr old - then you can get it again anyway.
It's not so much the other children you need to protect from catching it, as any staff or other mums who may be pregnant.

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