chickenpox

[JanZ]

Chickenpox has now apparently been going round the childminder's for over 2 weeks, but unfortunately ds (22 months) is showing no signs of catching it. I'd rather he caught it sooner rather than later. (The childminder is more like a small cay care centre/nursery as she runs it with her mother and MIL, so there are three of them to look after the kids)

He might have had a mild bout when he was about 5 months old (2 spots, only one of which crusted) but I was still fully breast feeding and had only just started him on solids, so assumed he "fought" it with "my" immunity and didn't build any real immunity of his own.

I continued to bf till he was 13 months. Surely by now, my own antibodies would have "worn off" in his system - or could he still have some residual resistance?

One of the other dads has apparently got it really badly, even though he thought he'd had it!

Part of my ulterior motive in posting this is to tempt fate - you never know, I may go home tonight and find the stops have finally appeared!

Oops - I mean "SPOTS have finally appeared" and not stops! (and it's Day care not cay care!)

What is the incubation time for chickenpox? I thought it was something like 2 or 3 weeks. The child can also be a bit poorly the day before the spots start, sore throat, temperature etc.

DS1 caught it when he started nursery and DS2 (then aged 5 months) got a really bad dose off him. Despite my attempts to get DD infected she didn't get it until she was 2 1/2 and I never really found out where she got it.

21 days

I think 10-21 days is more precise.

My dd had c.pox in October. She was very poorly with it and is quite badly scarred. Has anyone else had a child scarred by it? Did the scars fade with time? Dd is 5 1/2 and starting to be a bit self-conscious (I think other children point her scars out.)

Xhausted, I think it depends on the scars. My stepson had millions of spots all over his body (which was newly tanned as we had just come back from 3 weeks holiday). The spots "scarred" really badly as when they scabbed over the skin grew back white which contrasted with the rest which was tan. That was two years ago and he now has no noticeable "scarring." My stepdaughter however has two permanent (?) scars on her face where she constantly scratched a couple of pox to the point of bleeding. Two years later they are still there. As far as incubation, the two kids were sent to play with their cousin who had cp the day before we left on holiday. One got it 2 weeks into the holiday and the other got it the day after we got back (3 weeks later). so that makes 14 and 21 days in our case.

My oldst dd had CP very badly when she was 13 which left her with some nasty scarring on her face - not because she picked them but the scabs got rubbed off in bed etc. Although they are no longer red, they are fairly deep pits and after two years, I don't think they are going to fade any more. The Dr said there is nothing they can do.

Fortunately, my DD isn't bothered by them, which is amazing as she is 15. She likely thanks her lucky stars that she isn't covered in zits, as well!

I heard that pure vitamin E oil from capsules is very good for scarring. Probably too late for any scars already there though I think it needs to be rubbed in when the mark is healing?