Chicken pox in pregnancy?!?!?!?!

[sweetheart]

My dd's childminder rang me on Sat to say her dd has come out in chicken pox.

I am 10.5 weeks pregnant and although all of our family has had chicken pox I'm wondering if I should keep dd at home.

Is there any risk of infection to the baby???

I've left a message for the midwife but thought someone here might know.

Many thanks for any help on this one.

There is a small chance that the infection could damage an unborn baby. It's a small risk (less than 1 per cent in the first 12 weeks, 2 percent wks 13 to 20, but the infection could cause serious harm to an unborn baby.

If you catch it your GP can give you antibodies, which can lessen the attack for you and make it less likely to affect the baby.

Keep your dd at home!

I received conflicting advice on this. I understand from research i did that it's v dangerous in last few weeks of pregnancy and thought to be quite dangerous in first trimestre (Not trying to frighten you!) but rest of time no problem.
Seems that there is not enough evidence available for them to properly say what possible effects are on the baby.
My DS got chickenpox when i was 8 weeks. I had a blood test at Drs to see if immune - as i wasn't i had the antibodies injection. I still got chickenpox (in fact on Xmas day first spots appeared) when i was 10 weeks pregnant. It was no way full-blown adult chicken pox altho it did leave me in bed for 3 weeks. I'm pleased to say that as far as we are aware (and she's now 16 months) DD has suffered no ill-effects.

If you're worried get your GP to give you a blood test to see if you're immune. If you've already had chickenpox, you should be OK.

Sweetheart - I think if you've had it then you are OK BUT, my mw advised my friend who was in early pg to avoid my ds's this summer when they had it 'just to be on the safe side'.

I don't think it would be disastrous if your dd got it though.

HTH

A similar thing hapenned to me when I was pregnant.
I rang the midwife and they ran a blood test to check my immunity. My Mum had always told me that when I was a child I had got one spot and wasn't at all poorly - so I wasn't sure if that counted as having chicken pox.

If you've had chicken pox then you should be fine.

Have you had it, sweetheart? Either way it might be worth popping into your GPs surgery and just get your immunity level checked - it's just a quick blood test and a high percentage of the population aren't immune - could just enable you to relax!

If you aren't immune and you are exposed you can get an antibodies injection as has been said - I had mine around 34 weeks of pregnancy I think... (it's all a bit of a blur now!) and that plus some homeopathic varicella I never got chickenpox despite ds1 having it.

I think the way the timings are working you should be into your second trimester before you came down with it anyway, so baby is safe. Never pleasant having it as an adult though, worse when you're pregnant apparently :(

Do get your immunity checked though - just a quick blood test and then you'll be able to relax/be in a better position to take swift preventative measures should you be exposed.

SORRY ... a high percentage of the population ARE immune.... DOH!

Information \link{http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/ask_doctor/pregnancy_chickenpox.shtml\here}.

my eldest 2 both had it when i was pregnant with 3rd. i'd already had it though. if you're worried give mw or gp a call.

We had a scare with this when I was 7 wks pregnant.I spoke to my GP & Midwife who both confirmed that if I'd already had it,I was immune & therefore the baby was in no danger.

I was told if you have had it then you are immune and was told the chance of getting it were very low. The m-wife told me to give ehr a call if I got it, which I didn't