Exposing a 4 month old to Chicken Pox

[MumToAPiglet]

We are meant to be taking our 4month old DD to spend Christmas with her cousins but one of them has come out with chicken pox today. We were going to cancel as we thought it might be dangerous to expose such a young baby to the virus but my SiL says her doctor told her it would be OK. Apparently he said that babies rarely get the pox and if they do it is usually mild. Is this true? Are there any dangerous complications from chicken pox that might particularly affect such a young baby? Would you change your Christmas plans in my position?

It might be unusual, but it happens. My friend's little boy had chicken pox when he was three weeks old, and was very poorly with it. Babies are born with a certain amount of immunity, but it wasn't enough to stop my friend's ds from catching it, and I personally wouldn't risk it with such a young baby.

DS3 had it at 3 months, he was less worse than the other two, TBH. It can go onto their lungs rarely and cause side effects (ds1 had to monitored for this as was showing signs), and of course it can be uncomfortable- ds2 was screaming a fair bit as it seemed to focus on his nappya rea, and it was before he was potty trianed so it was hard for him.

GP did say that DS3 isn't necessarily immune for life, babies under a year aren't.

I'd probably go, for Christmas, might not for other things.

I am not sure I would want to expose a 4 month old to any known infection. It seems so young. On the other hand, if you are breast-feeding, wouldn't the baby have your immunity? I don't know tbh.

My dd caught CP off her brothers when she was 11 months old and she had thousands of spots all over her body, but she wasn't really ill as such.

The BF thing does say that it will prevent it, but I was BF so I wouldn't go for that as a definite

ds2 had chicken pox when he was 5 months old, and he was really really ill. He did nothing but scream in pain for a week.

My friend whose three week old caught it was breast-feeding too.

Dd has it at the moment, and is really quite poorly; I wouldn't wish that onto a tiny baby.

I took ds around to a house where the little girl had just come out in chicken pox, because it was his last chance to play with his best mate (who has just had chicken pox) for 2 weeks. Also if he does have to get it then now would be good as I have my 6 week holiday.

But he is 3. I think if he was 4 months then I wouldn't have because the benefit of being with his "friend" would have been marginal at that age.

However Christmas day is still a couple of days away - will she have scabbed over by then.

Thanks for all your replies so far. WigWambam and Colditz's experiences suggest that young babies can be quite ill with CP. I do not want to put DD through any kind of discomfort. I am breastfeeding but strangely I have had CP 5 times in my life and shingles twice so I am not sure my immunity is going to help her much and as Peachy said it is not a sure fire protection anyway.

The thing is that it will be a big family christmas. DD's granny and grandpa and great-granny will be there along with all three of DH's siblings and their partners and kids. It seems such a shame to stop the whole family being together but a week of DD in real pain and discomfort would be more than a shame...

I guess we can monitor for when the scabs appear and if they come before Christmas we could go but make sure there is no physical contact between any of the kids (as the others may be incubating) and DD.