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Original poster

My neighbour just asked if I want to bring DD over to hers tommorow to catch chicken pox, I don't get it?

33 replies

ibroughtcake · 23/10/2007 19:43

I know nothing about chicken pox at all, do people do this still? Is it a good idea, why would I do this?

Plus if DD gets it, surely the baby will get it too and he is only 9wks that can't be a good idea at all?

Her child has just come out in the spots and she said I am welcome to bring DD over to play tomorrow if I want her to catch it.

Any advice?

TIA

OP posts:
DottydotsofBloodOnTheFloor · 23/10/2007 19:44

This happened when our ds's got it - lots of people wanting to bring their kids over. I think there was a tradition of having chicken pox parties to make sure all the kids got it at a young age.

The argument is that it's much quicker/easier to get over when you're little. But I agree 9 weeks feels a bit too young.

Dp got it when she was in her 20's and had it really bad though, so definitely best got out of the way if possible when they're children.

NomDeBroomstick · 23/10/2007 19:45

Basically chicken pox can be very dangerous if caught by an adult. It is less risky for a child (but I'm not sure about a baby as tiny as DS) to catch it and therefore it is thought best to 'get it out of the way'.

However, that said, I do know that catching CP as a child does not immunise you 100% against catching it again as an adult (though I think it does offer a degree of protection).

whomovedmychocolate · 23/10/2007 19:46

Umm a nine week old would be VERY unlikely to catch it anyway, but no, that's a dumb idea of your neighbours. Tell her to belt up (or better still, go temporarily deaf and just hide till she goes away). People used to have measles parties because it gave the kids a chance to catch it while you knew (so you could plan for them being unwell instead of being caught on the hop by a sick child). What a muppet mommy your friend is!

whomovedmychocolate · 23/10/2007 19:46

Oh and I've had chickenpox twice, once as a child and once as an adult. It's worse as an adult but your child will probably get it at some point anyway so I wouldn't worry!

SeaShells · 23/10/2007 19:47

I always thought that once the spots were visible then it isn't contagious anymore, I may be wrong about that though.

How old is DD?

DS caught it when he started school around 5, but DD who was a baby at the time, didn't catch it.

Original poster
ibroughtcake · 23/10/2007 19:49

DD is 2.4 and DS is only 9 wks. If I have had chicken pox though and am breastfeeding him shouldn't that offer any protection to him?

I don't think I would like DD to get it at the moment though, she has only just got over an ear infection

OP posts:
ADragonIs4LifeNotJustHalloween · 23/10/2007 19:49

Ordinarily I'd say do it but not with a 9 week old.

It is far better to get it as a young child.

Original poster
ibroughtcake · 23/10/2007 19:50

I don't think she wanted me to take DS over there just DD, but if DD gets it I presume DS would too?

OP posts:
francagoestohollywood · 23/10/2007 19:51

I wouldn't risk a 9 weeks baby catching chicken pox, tbh.
I had chicken pox at 34 and it was horrible.

TinyGang · 23/10/2007 19:51

I've heard of this too.

Even though it's supposed to be bad for adults I'd never go out of my way to deliberately get dc to catch something. They all had it a few years ago and it was awful. Dd2 especially who was only 6 months old. She was quite unwell

Having said that I am quite glad it's done Well, hopefully. You can get it more than once sometimes as has been said.

Ponka · 23/10/2007 19:52

A lot of people do want to do this with their toddlers. If it happens to be at a time that they have nothing planned for the next month or so, they'd prefer to get it over with at that time rather than it taking them surprise later on when they've got an important party or a holiday, for example. Nine weeks is a bit young to do this though, I think. Most escape it at that age. Mine didn't at about 12 weeks but he only got it mildly.

I don't think you can blame her for trying, though. She's probably sick of being quarantined with it all and looking for some company!

ADragonIs4LifeNotJustHalloween · 23/10/2007 19:53

If your DD got it your DS would be in with a chance of catching it from her. Breastfeeding does afford some protection but I don't think it's 100%.

That's why people send their children to play with CP contagious children - to give them a chance of catching it at a convenient time, given that they are likely to get it at some point.

karen999 · 23/10/2007 19:55

my dd is nearly 8 and after many rounds of chicken pox at nursery and school she has never caught it! Even when her best friend got it (and they had spent the whole weekend playing together!) she never caught it....if you are going to get it you will. I caught it at 11 and then again at 15!

utilities · 23/10/2007 20:01

I've name changed. Can't be arsed with a flaming.

I purposely infected my dc with chickenpox (took them round on a play date with an infected child).

It was horrid, they were ill, and now they're fine.

I researched chicken pox very carefully before hand (and I know that some children can get very very ill with it and with a depressed immune system it can be fatal). I also discussed it with several doctor friends who thought the idea perfectly reasonable.

They were in the rudest of health when they caught it.

I was able to stock up on all the pain killers and creams (and do a MN archive search) before they came out with the spots. I also stocked up on food, and dvd's etc.

Because you are infectious 2 days before the spots come out I kept them off nursery and housebound so they couldn't infect anyone else.

Catching Chicken pox is almost certain at some point in your life. I wanted to get it out of the way at a time that was convinient for me, and for them (no holidays planned, school trips or plays, birthdays etc).

Saying that imo 9 weeks is too young.

Flame away, it was the right thing for us to do at the time. I'm logging off now.

screaminghousewife · 23/10/2007 20:01

Not with a 9 week old ds in the house no. Although having said that there is no guarantee that he won't come into contact with it while a child is contagious, given that most people are contagious before they know they have CP.
I don't understand the concept of CP parties tho', dd was exposed to it several times when she was a toddler (not on purpose) and she never caught it until she went to pre school nursery.

ADragonIs4LifeNotJustHalloween · 23/10/2007 20:07

Sharing a banana with an infected child works.

bubblagirl · 23/10/2007 20:10

i used to ask people with kids with chicken pox if my ds could play with them as really wanted him to get it young but not as young as 9 wks old i dont think your neighbour was being silly by asking as alot of parents want there children to get it and maybe she already had others ask her just say not while baby is this young but thanks anyway

wheelybug · 23/10/2007 20:11

A friend's twins got CP at a few weeks old (can't remember exactly but probably about 5). They didn't suffer - only had a couple of spots but the doctor said they would probably get it again. They were fully bf.

mother3 · 28/10/2007 21:38

i think u can get chicken pox more than once if the virus dosent come out properly or shingles in later life.my children had it and was quite ill but the itcheness is worst as u can get badly scared from picking at the spots.

FunkyGlassSlipupandyouredead · 28/10/2007 21:42

I got it at 28 and had a month off work. Much better to catch as a child.

Not sure I would go out of my way to get DDs infected and in your case I wouldnt as it is not fair on 9 wk old.

Jennster · 28/10/2007 21:49

You are infectious until the spots scab over, and you can only get shingles if you have previously had chickenpox. Shingles and chickenpox are both nasty as adults.

kinderBOOsurprise · 28/10/2007 22:00

I do not understand this. Chicken pox can be much more serious than everyone implies here. I know it is not common, but why would you risk it?

A friend was advised by her paediatrician (who happened to be a family friend) to have her DD vaccinated against chicken pox. A few months later there was an outbreak of chicken pox in the area where they lived, friend's DD did not get it. Paediatrician's DD was not vaccinated and ended up in hospital. It was very nasty and could have been avoided.

If you do not want your DCs to get chicken pox as adults, then vaccinate against it.

demonaid · 28/10/2007 22:07

I definitely wouldn't with a 9-week-old in the house. I know several exclusively breastfed babies who've managed to catch it from siblings as breastfeeding doesn't provide 100% protection.

It is really nasty as an adult. I think we've decided not to purposely try to get DS to catch it (in any event he's gone through three outbreaks at nursery now and is one of only a handful of children not to catch it, so I'm beginning to suspect it would be a pointless exercise anyway) but to get him vaccinated if he still hasn't caught it by the time he gets to secondary school age. That will mean he'll need to keep up with booster jabs as an adult, though.

I don't think anyone would flame you, utilities. No one wants their child getting it as an adult (it can be fatal to children even without a depressed immune system, though happened to the toddler son of a friend of mine, and the son of one of DH's colleagues was touch-and-go on life support for a while. Probably that's one reason I would personally decide against deliberate infection while it's vanishingly unlikely that anything fatal would happen, if it did when I'd purposefully infected my DC I'm not at all sure I could keep a grip on my sanity. I know that's an emotional rather than rational approach, though, so perfectly sensible for you to decide otherwise).

christywhisty · 28/10/2007 22:07

A boy in Ds's class actually had a stroke within a few months of having chicken pox. I think there has been some research that actually shows the majority of childhood strokes are within 6 months of CP so there is a connection. Also DS had CP the day before we had bumped into a little friend who was being treated for leukhemia. She had to be rushed to great ormand street for a special vaccination.

FunkyGlassSlipupandyouredead · 28/10/2007 22:10

I didnt know you could vaccinate against it. I wish I'd had that done as a child then.

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