Chicken pox, new born :(

[MumofHennHals]

My little girl has chickenpox. She’s 4 years old.

She’s firming it well, not itchy, no fever, running around the like usual bull in a china shop..

My little boy is nearly 8 weeks old, he was 6 weeks premature…

I’m worried he will get it, I’ve spoke to his neonatal nurse and paediatric nurse on 111 and they said just wait and watch & that it isn’t of major concern, but Google has scared me.

Has anyone’s newborns had chicken pox?!

Mine did, his brother was 2 and caught it when the little one was 2 weeks old. He got 2 spots, whereas his older brother was covered! He has not had it since, so obviously it was enough to give him immunity.

My parents had this when I was a newborn. I was bottle fed so they sent my to my auntie for a couple of weeks.

This was quite a long time ago obviously 😂

Mine had it at a similar age, DS2 was also about 6 weeks. From what we saw it caused him no bother, he had about 4 spots which quickly cleared up. He’s never caught it since though he has had shingles as a child, Again this didn’t bother him too much.

Mine did not get it. Baby was exposed to chickenpox through 4 different children including a 6month old with it as well. Baby was 6 weeks old at the time.

Spent a long weekend away with extended family in a villa. Their kids all 4 went down with it starting on the last evening into the following morning.

Lots of cuddles and touching before. Pools, swimming and just being kids.

Baby didn't even get a hint of a fever. I just followed the GPS advice which was up to breastfeeding and to watch and wait.

We didn't even have the lot of vaccinations yet. They were 2 ish weeks later.

Everything may be absolutely fine. Fingers crossed for you

My second was four months when her sister had it. She caught it, didn't turn a hair, recovered well and never caught it again. Are you breastfeeding? I would try not to worry. Can't be helped now, they are most infectious before the spots are out so if it's going to spread, it has.

I had 4w twins (born 4 weeks premature) who caught it off their brother. They were bf and had a few spots on their head, which cleared and they weren't particularly ill. I called the health visitors for advice but got nothing back from them.

One of them had it again when she was about 4.

DD3 was 3 weeks old when she got it. A few spots and not at all unwell. She does have a scar on her nose though where I accidentally took a spot off when washing her face. That's given her something to moan about fairly regularly and is evidence of my poor parenting apparently.

DD was 12 weeks I think. She had 8 spots! Her sister was covered head to toe, aged 3 ish

I'm sure he'll be fine (I've mainly heard it not affect babies like it can older children) but I'll give you what I know to help make sure of that:

You don't give ibuprofen for it - paracetamol only.

My DS had double pneumonia as a complication of chicken pox - he was signed off as OK by an emergency GP on Sunday morning, then in hospital by Sunday evening, so I'll just say be aware of the speed in which things can go downhill.

As DD had bronchiolitis, I can tell you that breathing difficulties in babies can look like strained/ sucked in skin at the top of the sternum. I read about babies with breathing difficulties sucking in the skin between their ribs, or under their ribs, and I didn't see this or think the neck-skin sucking looked very obvious at all, so err on the side of caution if you suspect anything is amiss. An ear on the back at the base of the lungs and you should hear whooshes; any pops or crackles could mean an infection.

I expect you know all/ most of this - I'm just being cautious to help you feel in control.

Did you have chicken pox as a child and are you breastfeeding? First 6 months baby may have some immunity from you if you had it.

Dc2 had it at 12 weeks and though was absolutely covered in spots didn’t seem unwell. Dc1 (3) had fewer spots but was more ill.

My sister got it very young, at about a week old. I think she went back to hospital over it. She didn't get chickenpox again, but she did get shingles at primary school.

Are you breastfeeding? This will help his immune response if so. Don't worry too much either way though, baby will probably be absolutely fine.

My friend held and gave my six months old a kiss literally hours before she came out in spots. He didn't get it. Hope your little one is ok.

I came out of hospital with dd1 ds2 was covered in chicken pox and dh started with them the same day. He was poorly and in bed for a week. At 6 days dd1 started with one pox that turned into about ten over the next couple of days. GP said not to worry but confirmed it was chicken pox. She was fine but has a scar where the first one appeared (on her knee). She never had them again when they did the rounds at school or when dd2 got them. She is a mum now and dgs is four and has them currently, if she didn't gain immunity from the mild dose then I imagine now will be when we find out.

my GP told me when this happen to mine that if they catch it before they are a year old, their immunity won't be properly in place, and to expect them to get it as shingles when older - which they did.

I’m sorry OP, what horrible timing.

My dc was 10 weeks old, ebf etc etc. They were really poorly with cp as had pneumonia as a complication & ended up in hospital for a week.

They are now a healthy, happy 11 year old though do have some hearing loss and need to use an inhaler due to scarring on their lungs (though need it less as they have got older).

like @AtomHeartMotherOfGod mentions, they had breathing difficulties and it wasn’t exactly obvious but I just knew something wasn’t quite right (dh didn’t notice it at all!).

I really hope your boy is ok. Mine got it 2 weeks after their older sibling had it.

DS2 caught CP at a week old off his older brother. Several spots, very mild even though I was bf.
He's 19 now and never had it again.

My little girl got it at 10 weeks very minimal spots. - totally unfazed . 2.5 brother was covered.

You're most contagious before the spts appear so not much you can do to stop it.

Family friends son got it days after his sister was born and she never got it.

My DS1 came out with his first spots the day before DS2 I went into Labour with DS2. I was so worried. But DS2 never caught it. We couldn’t separate them as DS1 was only 22m at the time and had never (and still hasn’t!) ever slept anywhere else so we just had to cross our fingers. I was bfeeding which I was told might keep it at bay. DS2 is 2y1m now and it went round his childminders a couple of months ago but he didn’t get it. I don’t know if he has some immunity or not tbh.

@21andon thanks hun, did your little one have spots before they got the pneumonia symptoms / complications? Like was you aware of the pox? X

Yes they had a few - not very many (& never got very spotty with it despite being so poorly) but I did know they had it - probably a day or so before they were really unwell?

I know my dc’s story isn’t that nice to read when you’re worried already though I do want to reassure you they are really super healthy & happy now. And also all drs etc were very surprised to see them as unwell as they were & emphasised how unusual to see a baby be this unwell with cp (& lots of people came to see us as a result in hospital). We were just unlucky.