Chicken Pox

[p2b]

Hi

I will be 16 weeks pregnant next week and am due to see my little neice and nephew who live a 4 hour drive away. I and hey are looking forward to the visit. My SIL has just informed me that they have been playing this week with a child who has chicken pox. They show no signs of the virus at the moment but may of course over the coming days. I had chicken pox when I was about 9 and understand that it is rare but not impossible to catch it a second time. I have also read guidance on NHS direct that if I were to catch it there would be a small chance, about a 1 in 50 chance of the baby having an abnormality. This could be brain damage, birth defects involving the arms and legs, digestive or genito-urinary problems, eye infections, scarring of the skin, or poor growth. There is also a small chance of the mother miscarrying.

My question is if you were in my position would you still visit?

Many Thanks

I don't know all the facts about the pox, but on the basis of what you have said, I would probably go another time as you don't need the worry, would never forgive yourself etc etc.

I take it you have never had it?

I would go.

Yes, I had chicken pox when I was 9. It is rare but not impossible to get it twice. Has anyone been in a similiar situation?

You can have an antibody test done to see if you have immunity. Obviously not much help if you are going today, but if you are that worried...FWIW my dds both got CP just as ds was born. My immunity held up and ds only got two spots. But then I had no choice about exposing us.

Someone on the expecting Feb'08 list had CP a month or so ago; she was told there was virtually no risk to fetus because it was a mild 2nd bout of CP for her.

I found some other info on the Internet which seemed to confirm that.

So I would go, in your situ.

I would avoid, tbh. I have definitely had it, but in my pregnancy with ds had a blood test on which immunity did not show up. I have been told that there could be perfectly reasonable reasons for this which would mean I didn't have to worry, but at 35 weeks pg now I am avoiding all situations in which there might be a heightened chance of ds or myself catching it. At 16 weeks the risk is small, but knowing myself, I don't think it would be worth the loss of peace of mind.