ds has impetigo & I'm 39 weeks pg!

[rosiebt]

My 2 year old son has impetigo that I just noticed today.

He had it badly in the summer and was given fucidin ointment and oral antibiotics but it took 3 weeks to go.

I am due next week and am panicing about exposing a newborn baby to impetigo!!

Is it likely to come back as severely second time round? and any advice about the risk to baby?

My DD got impetigo when she was 2 days old and still in hospital. She was prescribed fucidin and it went really quickly.

You should get your son seen and treated if necessary. If his impetigo is recurrent he should have his nose swabbed in case he is a "carrier" of the bacteria that causes impetigo, Staph aureus. You might also wish to be swabbed yourself in case you are an asymptomatic carrier but it's very rare for adults to get impetigo. In terms of the baby-to-be if it catches impetigo again it could be treated with antibiotics. But best to avoid getting infected and that means no close skin to skin contact with your son until he is treated and scrupulous hygiene (e.g. hand washing) especially if you have any broken skin, such as a patch of eczema, which could get infected

would go to GP tomorrow if i was you and get it treated

DH had it when DD was 3 weeks old. None of us got it,even though it was on his face and he'd been kissing us all. If your DS gets some antibiotics down him he will stop being infectious in 48 hours.

Hope all goes well!

Thank you all for the reassuring response.

He was started on ab's today so hopefully it will be no longer infectious by the time baby comes!

Thanks again