Chickenpox - what do you do if your children have been exposed?

[hollysunrise]

If your children have been exposed & the contagious person gets the spots within the next 24 hrs what do you do?

I know that it is contagious for 2 days before the spots to a few days after, so theres definietly a good chance of contracting it.

But you don't know whether you have for 10-21 days so can you go about your normal everyday activities until then?

What happens when you know people with new born babies or who are pregnant?

I'd be grateful for any advise.

I can't remember all the answers as mine had them years ago. Bump for you.

I honestly don't think there is anything you can do. keep them away from immuno compromised people, that's all really.

If you dont know whether you've got it or not, what else can you do but carry on as normal? Obviously, you would avoid direct or close contact with vulnerable people as much as possible. I have to tell you that my daughter's spots had come and gone a full month before I came out in them, so the incubation period can vary even more than 10-21 days, there is just no way of knowing.

Yes you just get on with things as usual because you don't know if they have caught it or not. However when my ds got chicken pox I kept dd off pre school as there is a little boy who has leukemia and it was too much of a risk as I knew dd would almost definately get it (she did). I'd avoid newborn babies and pregnant/vulnerable people that you are aware of but try and carry on as usual.

Agree with Colditz, it would be overreaction to go into isolation but reasonable to warn any pregnant women you are spending time with. Isn't chickenpox spread by nasal droplets and saliva, so main risk is close contact (or sneezing all over a surface someone else later touches, I suppose).

I think you have to carry on as normal. DD was exposed to it several times but never caught it.
If I was due to be visiting pregnant friends or newborn babies, I would warn them in advance that I had been in contact with CP.
DD had chicken pox, DS was with her everyday but didn't catch it.

hi hollysunrise i came across this 5 yrs ago and the advice was if your pg or got a new born keep away until all spots are healed. i also discovered it was exactly 14 days between each case but you didn't know who would get them next as they were contagious 2 days before spots appeared.
HTH but TBH you never know if the child in front of you in the shop queue is contagious so its best not to worry and take things as they come.
the cream was fantastic much better than the old pink crap that ran every where!

Went on as normal, but told anyone we were due to be visiting so that they had the choice of whether they still wanted us (there weren't any newborn babies involved, though). DS didn't even get it, in the end.