Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
General health

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

Original poster

shingles and babies-advice needed

7 replies

blueberrysorbet · 31/03/2010 19:11

my mum is coing to visit me in ten days and she has just discovered she has shingles. She is really worried that the kids (ds, 3, dd 10 months) will catch chicken pox from her. is this possible? she says the spots are on her hip only. i don;t want her to cancel but advice needed please! thanks

OP posts:
louii · 31/03/2010 19:19

Not very likely, unless they are poking at the blisters, its not impossible though.

Neither of them had the pox yet? I would prob take my chances and if they catch it so be it, get it over and done with.

KurriKurri · 31/03/2010 19:23

It is possible to catch chicken pox from someone with shingles (assuming your DCs haven't had CPox.) IIRC, shingles are infectious until the blisters have dried and scabbed over. The time taken for that to happen probably varies a bit from person to person, but if your mum has anti virals, they may clear more quickly.

McDreamy · 31/03/2010 19:25

They could catch CP from your mum however the risk is much lower. As she has it on her hip the area will be covered reducing the risk even more. Unlike with CP a person with shingles only sheds the virus from the lesions which is why the risk is lower.

MrsPixie · 31/03/2010 19:29

Yes they could catch it from her.

I personally would have no contact with such a young baby.

Seona1973 · 31/03/2010 20:22

if she is not coming for 10 days then chances are the rash will already have scabbed over by then. The spots scab over in the same time frame that chicken pox does so she shouldnt be infectious by then. Chicken pox would only be passed on by direct contact with fluid from the blisters so if they are covered there is very little risk of it being passed on.

My ds had chicken pox when he was around 6 months old and was unfortunate enough to get shingles a few weeks ago at the age of 3 - as far as I know he never passed chicken pox to anyone at nursery and he was there at his most infectious stage as he was misdiagnosed at first with having eczema!!

Original poster
blueberrysorbet · 01/04/2010 20:46

thanks, am hoping she will be ok by then- its a 7 hour flight and she is so excited(nearly 80 and travelling alone!)

OP posts:
violetqueen · 01/04/2010 22:41

It's important for your mum that she gets her shingles treated early .
Apparently the earlier they are treated ( think with anti virals ) ,less likelihood that she will get post herpetic neuralgia .
Some people ( like my mum ) do go on to develop this - and it's very painful.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread