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Original poster

can chicken pox really be this mild?

31 replies

bossykate · 26/05/2005 09:20

hello everyone

dd has chicken pox at the moment. today is her third day (i.e. third day since spots erupted). she still has only about 15 spots in total and of these only a handful are nasties. she isn't even particularly sick. if she has a temperature it is only mildly elevated, and she is basically good humoured. she is still eating well, and her sleep hasn't been disturbed. she is 10m old.

when ds had it at the same age, by this stage his whole body was covered head to toe with hundreds of nasty looking pustules, he was really sick and miserable and didn't sleep much at all.

can chicken pox really be as mild as it seems to be for dd?

tia

OP posts:
Lonelymum · 26/05/2005 09:23

Yes. My three had it at neaarly the same time. Ds1 had about 50 spots but was not ill for a moment. Ds2 and Dd had about 50 spots on the back of their necks and were literally covered in spots over theri whole bodies but even they were scarcely ill at all - ds2 had a temp for one afternoon only.

When I had it, I had three spots in total, my mother tells me.

There is no necessity to be ill or even particularly spotty. Your dd is a lucky girl!

Furball · 26/05/2005 09:24

My Ds (3.8) is currently suffering from quite severe chicken pots, sounds alot like your DS However, just from general local chit chats, it does seem the younger they are the milder it seems to be.

Pamina3 · 26/05/2005 09:25

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Toothache · 26/05/2005 09:33

BK - My ds was covered in spots and dd was even worse 920 on her back alone and she was only 8mths)!! Both of them showed no other symptoms, no fever, no crabbiness. However, ds has had them before, very mildly.... had 5 spots! That was the year before he got them again.

So, just to agree with Pamina3, a mild infection may not result in immunity.

aloha · 26/05/2005 09:34

It was just like this for ds. I also remember having it as a child myself and it was great - time off school without feeling ill!

Blossomhill · 26/05/2005 09:36

My dd caugth it from her brother who was covered and she only had 5 spots in total. The awful thing being that she could get it again apparently!

kcemum · 26/05/2005 09:36

Yes, when DD3 was 9mths she developed cp but only had 3 spots- she still managed to get one of those infected tho. She wasn't at all poorly. She then went on to develope it again at 4yrsand was much more severe.

huggybear · 26/05/2005 10:12

my ds is covered with them - even his eyelids

more destressing more me though cause hes not bothered - hasn't even had a temp! just a bit itchy

bambi06 · 26/05/2005 10:25

my dshad it quite mild when he was about 13 mths( i think) and then got it again when he was older but wasnt really ill but my dd also had it twice again when she was very little and hardly anything and then had it around 3 yrs and nearly got admitted to hospital as she developed complications which can involve difficulty in breathing , her immune system was so low ( which is quite usual with chickenpos apparently) that she had to be on immune boosting steroids and avoid other children!!

Original poster
bossykate · 26/05/2005 10:52

thank you very much for these replies

while i'm glad she's not very ill with it, i'd almost rather she had a proper dose and got the immunity, iyswim?

do you think it would be ok to take her to the shops this pm? i wouldn't take her to the park or playgroup but do you think it would be terribly anti social to do some errands?

OP posts:
Prufrock · 26/05/2005 11:04

Yes it's posible. When dd had it at 2.5 she was fine - only about 10 spots, bit upset and hot in the nights beforehand. Ds was really ill with it at the same time.
As others have said, becaue it is quite mild, and because some of your immunity will still be in her system - it might not be enough to give her lifelong immunity from chickenpox.

dropinthe · 26/05/2005 11:07

LOL Toothache-did you count all the spots on her back??? I would have lost count at fifty!!!

Marina · 26/05/2005 11:07

Piling in on the "hope she develops more spots and gets proper immunity front" I'm afraid bk. I'd do those errands if this continues. Sorry to hear she is unwell just the same

foolysh · 26/05/2005 11:09

DD had it like that when she was 3 months old, BKate. She hasn't been exposed since, I would like to to find out if she's immune. DS1 was also very well with it, but at least he had lots of spots. I had it as an adult and I wasn't phased at all, either (but that may have been a second bout).

Prufrock · 26/05/2005 11:12

Oh and yes I'd take her out to the shops- it's not as if she'll get close contact with other kids she could pass it on to

Original poster
bossykate · 26/05/2005 23:27

thank you so much for all these messages today. very reassuring. let's hope the attack is bad enough to get the immunity.

i did take her out and about to the shops today - but felt terribly guilty - seemed like there were small children and pg women everywhere - even though she didn't get close enough (imho) to anyone to pass it on - aaargh!

fingers crossed we have been v. lucky with her and this is it.

can't believe how bad it was for ds by comparison - poor little blighter.

OP posts:
SofiaAmes · 27/05/2005 00:39

My stepdaughter had cp while we were on holiday and it was so mild we didn't even realize that's what it was until the day after we got back and stepson got it really really badly and evil ex admitted she had sent them to play with their cousin with cp on the day before leaving on holiday. Stepdaughter only had 6 or so spots and no other symptoms at all. We thought they were mosquito bites.

jampots · 27/05/2005 00:41

dd came down with c/pox 3 days before our wedding but she literally only had a handful of spots amd none of them were bad. she was still able to wear lovely sleeveless b/maid's dress with no evidence showing.

ds however came down 2 weeks later and was covered!

Toothache · 27/05/2005 09:13

LOL! Didn't notice that typo!! No I didn't count 920 spots on her back. I'm such a numpty.

Fran1 · 27/05/2005 09:33

Oh toothache i was just telling dp that someone had 920 spots on back alone! what did that mean to read 92?

DD has it at mo only few spots so i hope she doesn't get it again.

Toothache · 27/05/2005 09:40

Fran1 - Its was supposed to read 20, with an open bracket ( at the start!

dd also had them all over her wee girly bits and pieces.... right inside too. Every time she got her nappy of she would claw at her bum.

geekgrrl · 27/05/2005 09:46

sorry to go off on a tangent, but does anyone have experience of cp scars eventually disappearing (here's hoping!) - dd2 had a very severe case of cp 18 months ago (she was very ill for 2 weeks) and is still covered in scars all over (maybe 30 or so) - she never scratched them but they were just gigantic pustules and a fair few scarred. Someone please tell me they will disappear eventually!

SofiaAmes · 27/05/2005 21:02

I hate to say it, but I think it can take a very long time for the scars to go, and some may not go at all. My stepdaughter and son still have their scars and it's been 4 years or so. Part of the reason I had my two vaccinated (standard in usa).

Hulababy · 27/05/2005 21:06

DD had chicken pox a couple of weeks ago and also got it very milder too. She got a few spots (and only one on her face) and was not poorly AT ALL! She didn't even seem particularly itchy.

She still has marks/scars fromt he spots but they are gradually going.

bigdonna · 28/05/2005 09:16

my 5 yr old had chicken pox 3 mths ago she was covered in spots she has no scars,this could be due to giving her rhus tox to stop her scratching.