chickenpox and newborn baby?

[Honneybunny]

my db and sil are due to have their second dd any time now (she was due today), and their dd1 has started coming down with chicken pox on wed (so now is 5th day).

sil says she has had it, but now is worried about newborn contracting cp from dd1.

anyone any thoughts?

Yes - ake advice from a MW/Dr ASAP

Chicken pox can be very very severe is a newborn or mother of a foetus contract chickenopx 2 weeks either side of delivery.

If she has had it it is unlikely to be a problem - but I think that she can be given precautionary antivirals/vaccine or something. But I would be taking advice ASAP.

thanks for super fast reply!
i am on the phone with my mum now who is worried sick. they are in holland and sil wants to give birth at home....

they saw the midwife today, but i am not sure if they mentioned dd1's chickenpox (my parents were there to entertain dd1 during the consultation).

will advise them to call mw and see if they need to make arrangements to give birth in hospital etc.

If your SIL has had chickenpox in the past then new baby will be protected to some extent by her maternal antibodies. The serious risk is only for babies where the mum of the baby gets chickenpox within four days either side of delivery; and is because mum has no antibodies to transfer to baby and also it usually gets a big infectious dose.

oh I feel for your SIL - my DS1 and 2 came down with chickenpox just before I was due - was about 3 weeks before my EDD that DS2 got them, but DS3 arrived just over 2 weeks early - the day after the last spot crusted over.

I was told that if I had had chickenpox (which I had) then there was nothing needed to be done -