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Original poster

Chicken pox

278 replies

Kmg · 14/03/2001 22:03

I was rather surprised at today's "tip" encouraging you not to avoid people with chicken pox. I just want to point out that chicken pox is not always very mild. My boys had it last summer, ages 1 and 3, so relatively young - it's supposed to be easier. And they were both utterly miserable, and quite ill, with high fevers etc., for quite some time. We knew we had been exposed, so avoided contact with others before the spots even appeared, and then the illness lasted so long, it felt like it completely wiped out the summer. It was an 'ideal' time for us - we didn't miss any major events or any school or nursery time, but if I had deliberately exposed them at that time I would have felt dreadful at inflicting that upon them.

So you may want to think again before deliberately putting your child through this.

OP posts:
Ems · 03/12/2001 18:00

I met someone the other night whose daughter missed chicken pox all the way through school and being put with friends who had it, and then got it extremely badly when she started medical school. The Drs just said she had a very good immunity. Awful that it is I am glad my children have had it young.

Inky, dont know how your decision is going, I spent my time doing calculations wondering when No2 would get it after No1 as we were due to go away, sends you ga-ga! Also you never know how ill they are going to be; No1 was illest before he got it, the 2 days, and was pretty much OK, but No2 was SO ill, it was awful, I didnt know CP could make them so ill.

Inky · 04/12/2001 12:53

Decision made and no ski fun for us at the mo - the spots have ended all doubt
Thanks all

Marina · 04/12/2001 13:14

Inky, I'm really sorry to hear your news. What a shame for you all. Hope she feels better soon and that you get most if not all of your money back.

Ems · 04/12/2001 13:25

Oh Inky, I'm sorry too, hope she gets better quickly, and that you are all fit and healthy for a lovely Christmas.

Mooma · 05/12/2001 07:20

Poor Inky - there are times when being a grown-up is really no fun at all

Robinw · 05/12/2001 07:37

message withdrawn

Mollipops · 05/12/2001 08:07

Poor Inky, how are things today?

I have to say cp as an adult is worse, as my niece and nephew got them year before last (she got them on her 16th birthday, 2 weeks before Xmas, then her older brother had them for Xmas!) and they were miserable! There is a vaccination available I believe, but I think you need to get it before you have been exposed.

A friend caught cp when she was 38 weeks pregnant. It meant that she needed to NOT have the baby until she was over it! So she went from wishing she would go into labour a bit early to being terrified that she would! All was well in the end and she held out til just over 40 weeks, but it was pretty scary for her.

My only added advice would be: if you are taking your child to the doctor with suspected cp, tell the receptionist and make sure there aren't any expectant mums with appointments around the same time! It could be very important...

SueW · 06/12/2001 13:11

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at OP's request.

robbie · 21/12/2001 14:37

A friend's child who's supposed to be joining us in France for New Year has just developed Chicken pox - it doesn't matter to me as my two have both had it - but our host has a child of six months and is a bit worried at exposing her this young. I must say i thought the younger the better, but maybe I'm wrong. Does anyone know?

winnie · 21/12/2001 15:06

Robbie, Chicken pox is contagious before the spots. I think that once the spots have scabbed over the chicken pox is not contagious. We have recently had chickenpox in our house and the baby (14 months)was quite poorly for two days and once the spots came out, rapidly improved. He was fine after a week. I wouldn't like to say whether it is more dangerous for a smaller baby to catch but - in theory - the chicken pox should have cleared up by the New Year (unless anyone else in the family gets it). Also you might like to keep in mind the fact that my doctor told me that 10% of people who've had chickenpox catch it again. My daughter (12) who has had chickenpox developed shingles but luckily was not too bad.

Azzie · 22/12/2001 19:22

My dd had chickenpox at 7.5 months and survived it fine - I ended up with her sleeping with me and dh on the study floor because she wouldn't settle, but other than being very tiring for all of us it wasn't too bad. And she didn't scratch, although some of the spots were quite bad.

mhvp · 03/03/2002 15:09

My 13 month dd has just got chicken pox and will only eat her yogurts full of sugar in them. Am I setting a precedent and will she return to normal eatting soon does anyone else have this problem?

lou33 · 03/03/2002 15:56

My 1 year old got the pox yesterday, and 3 year old today, lucky me!

I'm just going to let them eat what they want when they want. Past experience of almost every illness under the sun (or so it seems!) with my four , has proven to me that they get back to their old routines when they are better.

I hope she gets better soon

Tinker · 03/03/2002 16:36

Would endorse the eating what they like when ill -why create more stress for yourself.

Suedonim - just reading this again - my daughter is now very badly scarred from chickenpox as well - she's got a line of about 6 scars where her left eyebrow should be (that's another story!). And she didn't pick then either, probably just from getting dressed/undressed. Have your daughter's faded at all since she first got them?

SueDonim · 03/03/2002 17:54

Hi, Tinker. It's over 18 mths since my dd had c/pox and the scars are now the same colour as the rest of her skin, ie no longer reddened, but they haven't faded in size or depth, unfortunately. I guess they won't improve any more, now. She has several, including a crater sized one, along her forhead and also some on her cheeks and her upper lip. She doesn't seem to mind at all, but I do. I agree that it is ordinary actions that can knock the scabs off, especially somewhere vulnerable, like the face.

On a lighter note, when she had the 'pox she wondered where all the scabs went, as she never found any, and concluded that the dog had eaten them - yuk!!!

SueDonim · 03/03/2002 17:57

LOL, I see I said earlier that the scars had improved!! Maybe I've forgotten just how bad they were 18 mths ago.

What's the story behind the missing eyebrow, Tinker??

Azzie · 03/03/2002 18:50

mhvp, It may be that your daughter has spots inside her mouth, so eating anything other than nice cool soothing yoghurt is a bit uncomfortable. I wouldn't worry about it setting a precedent - even if it does, sort it once she's well again - time enough to worry then.

Daffy · 04/03/2002 12:47

Last year both of my sons and my husband got chicken pox at the same time. What a time that was. If your child is old enough use antihystamine to take away some of the itchiness also it's useful to use a dose before bedtime to help them-and therefore you-get a good nights sleep as they tend to make them drowsy. Use an oil based calamine lotion not the normal stuff because it dries and make the pox more itchy. I used Eurax lotion, which was excellent. Please check though to make sure that the creams and pills are ok for the age of your child.

lou33 · 04/03/2002 13:03

I am currently doing exactly what daffy has suggested with my 3yr old and 1 yr old ds's. I used eurax years ago when dd's came down with it and it works really well imo.

SueDonim, I am not sure if this is appropriate for your child, but I am sure there is a type of gel strip available which helps scars heal. Sorry I can't be of more help with names etc, but it might be worth talking to a pharmacist.

SueDonim · 04/03/2002 13:44

ThHank you for that, Lou33. I'll ask at the chemist.

Tinker · 05/03/2002 00:04

SueDonim - the lack of eyebrow results, I think, from having to patch her left eye. It started to thin out at around the same time that I noticed that she had a little lump in her eyebrow. 2 visits to GP's and a visit to a specialist have all reassured me that this is a sebaceous (sp? sorry, it's late!) cyst, for which she'll require an operation to remove. I had assumed that her eyebrow had gone as result of some infection to the hair follicles but the specialist says not so.

So, I can only think it is due to the patching! Effectively, it has been "waxed" and doesn't apear to be growing back! So not only does she have no left eyebrow, she will have a scar there from the removal of the cyst plus the chickenpox scars! Like your daughter, she doesn't seem in the least bothered - she announces to people that she only has one eyebrow! But, I'm bothered . Like you, I just think it seems so unfair - this beautiful little face with all these unnecessary hassles. And then I'm worried about projecting my concerns (vanities?) onto her.

SueDonim · 05/03/2002 00:42

Oh, gosh, Tinker, I hope you weren't upset at my question. I was assuming your dd had done something similar to my friend's dd and shaved it off. My dh had a cyst removed from near his eye, as an adult, and there is no scar at all. In fact, I only remembered it when you mentioned a cyst. I really agree with your final two sentences, too.

robinw · 05/03/2002 22:41

message withdrawn

Tinker · 06/03/2002 00:21

Robinw and SueDonim - thanks for the reassurance.

She'll have the op towards the end of this year so I'll get some vitamin E cream in. I think what has made me sensitive is that she only had chickenpox in November so recent photos still show her scarless. Plus, when she saw the specialist about her cyst, his first comment was the she was badly scarred by the chickepox. It took my mum to ressure me that, since he is a plastic surgeon, it is his job to notice these things.

Robinw - glad to see you back.

Bumblelion · 06/03/2002 10:51

My dd had chicken pox 2 years ago and now has a "keytoid" (I am sure that is what it is called) on her front left shoulder. It is a raised red lumpy scar which my doctor said is a result of an infected chicken pox. They said they can operate on it when she is older (she is now 9) but she could be left with a scar as a result of the surgery - what is the point of that I think - removing one "scar" and replacing with another. The only good thing is it is under her vest strap/swimming costume strap so doesn't notice.