chicken pox - moral dilemma

[judetheobscure]

My ds3 came down with chicken pox on Sunday. Ds2 hasn't had chicken pox yet and it is therefore quite likely that he will get it (although not definite as he has been in contact twice before and not "succumbed". The incubation period is (I think) 14 - 21 days. So he potentially becomes infectious any time between Sunday week and Sunday fortnight. Should I keep him off pre-school, swimming etc.?

Noooo, don't keep DS2 off anything until he's spotty as he may not catch it at all. I think the incubation period starts at 7 days.

I didn't exclude my DS2 from anything when DS1 had CP. He got it 1 week after DS1 recovered.

I would still take him places, let him give CP to others. I've been told by nurses that it's better people get CP when they're young, so only shelter CP from pregnant, immune-suppressed or the very elderly.

But I'll probably be in a tiny minority in suggesting all that.

I wouldn't bother as he may or may not succumb again and there are bound to be loads of children out there all silently harboring the pox before they come out in spots, all posing the same risk - I would just make sure you keep him away from pregnant mums who have never had chicken pox and away from anyone receiving chemo or radiotherapy as chicken pox can be quite devaststing to these people

Naa, I wouldn't keep him off anything, agree with the others.

The official advice in Canada is now to allow children to continue to go to pre-school etc WITH chicken pox, as it makes no difference to the transmission rates (ie they've probably already passed on the bug anyway!). I found that out when I did a Google search on Chicken Pox.

So I wouldn't worry.

Nope - send him. It's better to get the disease as a child than an adult, when it can be far more serious - a friend lost his hearing at the age of 18. DS' nursery recently had an epidemic and I was glad he was part of it (although at the time it was horrible).

DS2 started a round of CP at nursery school - a friend's DD had it just before Christmas, so I got her to bring her round for a bit of exposure, and the day they went back to nursery in early Jan he came home droopy.

The spots started that evening, so he was at peak infectiousness that day, and it went round nursery in cycles for weeks...I looked on it as a public service but did feel a bit guilty!

No you can't shelter him it's not fair if he then doesn't get it. Agree with the be careful if you know you're going to be in close (i.e. small room indoors for more than 20mins) contact with pregnant or immune-suppressed people. Elderly should be okay I'd have thought? Likely they'd have had CP by then and you can't catch shingles from CP.

I want my ds to get CP as it's horrific for adults but I actively enjoyed it as a kid (time off school with mum!). I thought he might have it a couple of months ago and was really pleased, but it was a false alarm.

I would say depends how old ds2 is and who he is likely to come into contact with - we did keep our ds out of circulation for a week when he came into direct contact with it and ironically he didn't catch it. However it was mid summer, when many of his friends had holidays looming, they were only 18 months old and, having just walked into contact with it without warning ourselves (cheers sil) I could not face doing the same to others.

I would check with preschool but I doubt they will ask you to keep him away. If you are coming into direct contact with people you know may be at risk -pregnant,non-immune women for example - or those with very young babies it might be nice to forewarn them but I would keep in general circulation otherwise.

hth

Thanks, everyone, for the advice. Will keep him off swimming as there is a new-born baby there but told pre-school this morning and they were OK about it - also told some of the mums, one of whom is pregnant and they were all OK about it too. Phew!

If he;s been in contact twice before he may already have immunity. I never had chickenpox, but was in contact when pregnant- my immunity was checked and sure enough I had the antibodies.

Chicken pox seems to break out at the same time in different places. Mine all came down with it the Xmas of 1998, caught at school in Canterbury. We went to stay with my mum in Bath (the spots came out on the first child on the journey!) & spent Boxing Day in a queue at the duty chemist with loads of locals with kids at home with Chicken pox.

One word of warning though, my aunts best friend died of chicken pox at the age of 43. She hadn't caught it as a child. Apparently the virus attacked her nervous system (?)(I didn't get the full story) so although it should have been just a mild dose it actually killed her. She wasn't frail or particularly sickly or weak, just unlucky.

Due to go on holiday on Saturday for last holiday before baby no3 arrives in 4/6 weeks time.

5 out of the 12 children at DD nursery were off with CP yesterday and she hasn't had it. When DS had it (for his 2nd birthday!) DD was only 6mths old and didn't get it.

Keep checking her tummy and she's OK so far and bouncy enough. Told her I would keep her from nursery this afternoon and she cried so now feel mean as if she's going to get it she will already be incubating now.

Feel really gutted though. Do you think its OK to go camping with CP? Also concerned that she might not get it for another few weeks and that would tie in beautifully with when I'm hoping to give birth. Otherwise I'd be more than happy for her to get it out of the way but why now?

Hi Katherine
Incubation period for CP is about 3 weeks, with infectivity increasing to a peak just before the spots appear, then reducing rapidly. So yes, dd might well be incubating it. I'd still go on holiday though - its not as if you're going to be putting her in a creche with other kids, yes she might pass it on to playmates she makes at the campsite, but that's life....if she gets really ill and miserable I guess you can always bail out.

i'd go as well - she may well NOT have it, in which case you'll miss out on your holiday, and if she does have it - that's life! at least the children she gives it to will have a nice holiday and not get it until they are back home.

top tip though, bring some face paints with you. my dd developed spots when we were on holiday and although they had crusted over by the time we were going back (therefore no longer infectious) the plane people wouldn't have let her on. So we dressed her in long sleeve tshirt and trousers, painted her face like a butterfly to hide the spots, and she was waved through everywhere with people saying "oh how sweet!" and not realising she looked pestilential underneath...

even if you aren't going anywhere by plane may come in useful if you want to eg eat out somewhere when she is still spotty but not infectious

Thanks guys. About to run her to nursery - doesn't seem much point keeping her away miserable and it gives me chance to get some packing done.

My only concern about the holiday is that we are going with a friend and her 2 kids. One has had it but not sure about the younger one (20 months). Suppose I just need to confess to the mum and let her decide. She's fairly sensible and as you say it may come to nothing anyway.

Good idea about the facepaints though. Actually IF we get sunshine could probably achieve a similar effect with those sunscreen blocks