Would you keep your kids away from a newborn if they could be possibly be incubatinf chicken pox?

[popsycal]

My sister is due on Friday. My niece (other sister's daughter) came down with chicken pox yesterday. My boys saw her a few times last week so have obviously been exposed to her during her incubation period.

Do I keep the boys away from baby when it is born (sometime in the next 3 weeks)?

Just to add, my sister has had chicken pox so fine at the moment, but she probably isn't going to breastfeed (but is beginning to come round to the possiblity that she may give it a go though it looks unlikely)

Any advice?

my ds got chicken pox from my other dc when newborn,luckily mild but as they are all 3 mine there was no way to avoid it.

personally i would, but you could discuss it with your sister and see how she feels

I was thinking that I would keep them away to be honest. Incubation is 10-20 days.... hoping she is 2 weeks late

Actually - can't find when it is contagious - ie when would my niece have been contagious if she got it yesterday?

I wouldn't risk giving cp to a newborn.

Usually contagious from 2 days before rash to 5 days of rash.
If i was you, be on the safe side, it can be a nightmare if a newborn gets cp

I would not want to pass it on to a newborn tbh. I'd rather be safe than sorry - I'd keep them away.

DS2 saw my niece on thursday - so he has been exposed...ds1 was ealrier in the week.

But yes I will keep them away.

ANyone know anything my pregnant sis can do? SHe rang midwife at hospital who said she is ok as she has had it but is going to ring her own community midwife tomorrow too. SIs saw niece on Friday

the main thing is your sister has had it, but if baby gets it, she must let drs/mw etc know asap as sometimes they have to give the baby immunoglobulins

I wouldn't let them near the newborn until more than 21 days after they were potentially exposed to chickenpox. As your sister's had it, there's no risk to the baby at the moment (although if it's going round she'll need to be careful where she takes the baby for a while).

i'd keep them away, dd2 had it at 10 weeks, after her sister caught it, she was quite poorly , and she went on to get shingles when she was 5 (not sure if the age of cp is relevent to the shingles tho)

Keep them away. It can be serious for newborns. Btw the incubation can be more than 21 days. When ds2 was just 2 and not at any form of daycare he caught cp from ds1 who'd had it about FOUR weeks previously.

CP

crikey - every where i have read says 10-21 days incubation.

i will definitely be keeping them away but unsure when it will be safe for them to see the baby. originally thought I would keep them away for 25 days from last seeing my niece but now wondering whether this is long enough?

WIll get sister to ask her midwife and i will ring gp

My dd had chicken pox during the last month of my pg with ds. I thought I'd be okay as my 3 dds were all late but ds decided to come 10 days early. Thankfully, dd was well over 5 days into her rash & had had no new spots for about a week but I still didn't let her into the observation unit & had to gently make sure she kept her distance for a wee while after we came home. If I thought my kids might be incubating CP I definitely wouldn't let them near a newborn. Let's hope baby is nice & comfy & decides to stay inside for a wee while yet.