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

[ibroughtcake]

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

This brought back many memories of my mother taking me to friends houses and making me sit with their infected children! Totally bizarre.

Some people have a natural immunity and will never catch CP - My husband has never had it even though his brother & our DD has had it our GP told us this was not uncommon. I'm thinking our son is similar as many children at nursery have had it yet so far for him nothing.

Leave some things to happen naturally if at all

It's not a vaccination that's offered in the UK, although I suspect you could get it done privately. I wouldn't deliberately go out to catch it (my two have already had it) but my mother did with us (and not just for chicken pox - also with measles and mumps). Agree it is good to get it over and done with when you are relatively organised, and easier when your children are toddlers in pre-school childcare arrangements.

I know of several babies who have had chickenpox under the age of 6 months and it can be very unpleasant - much worse than for an older child and at least one of them was hospitalised. Better to wait until your DS is at least a year old I would have thought, before you consider deliberately letting your DC get infected.

Mind you if your DD has been playing with the neighbours child it might already be too late. Apparently a child is contagious 2 or 3 days before the spots come out, which is why it can go round nurseries and schools so quickly.

i was forced to play with any kids that had cp as a child and to this day ive never had cp hoping dd doesnt get it either 2 of my sisters had it twice

ds2 had chicken pox at 5 months old, and I wept for him, he was so so ill. ds1 had it at 3.5, and was basically fine!

Ds is nearly 5 and hasn't had chicken pox yet. Tbh I wanted him to get it before he started school, but despite it doing the rounds twice whilst he was at nursery he never caught it.

Dd1 had it when she was 3 and only had a few spots and was absolutly fine in herself. Two weeks later dd2 who was about 18mths came down with it and was covered from head to toe and generally quite poorly.

I personally wouldn't knowingly expose a 9mth old to it.

9 weeks even.

The vaccination is now recommended in Germany, and paid for by our health insurance. I had to pay for DD as it was not at that time covered. It cost about 30euros iirr.