Chicken pox

[Ljameson]

I am a teacher , and 17weeks pregnant. Have just found out that our classroom assistants child has chicken pox. She doesn't go to my school but could I still b at risk with her mum carrying it in? We have both already had chicken pox as children. Txt my midwife but no reply yet and just worrying about going to work tomorrow!

[CarolineDarz]

Hello,

I have just had a similar issue, I am 34 weeks and met up with a friend and her daughter, 5 days later the little girl came out in chicken pox. I looked into it and if you had it as a child you are immune, and can't carry the virus either. There are lots of NHS resources confirming this, also. I also double checked with my midwife last Friday and she confirmed it is nothing to worry about. So both you and your little one will be fine x

[DrFluffy in reply to CarolineDarz]

You're not 'immune' - you can get chickenpox (or varicella) more than once, and it's more common than you might think to do so. It's worrying that a midwife dors not know this! As a point, you do carry the virus - it lies dormant in structures called 'dorsal horns' which are part of your spinal cord and when they reactivate from here cause shingles (or 'zoster'). Hence the geek speak name for this virus being 'Varicella Zoster'.

However, in your case - chicken pox is typically infective around two days before the first vesicles crop, it is unlikely your friends child was infective at the point you had contact.

[CarolineDarz in reply to DrFluffy]

Sorry for mis-info- i was just going on nhs resourses

google.com/url?sa=t&source=...

[tigernoodles]

Call your GP, on some very rare cases you can get chicken pox twice. Always better to hae your mind put at rest so call GP to ask

[DrFluffy]

If the child has obvious chicken pox, with scabbed lesions and no blisters, they're not infective. In a lot of cases, chicken pox spreads before the blisters come up. You can get varicella more than once. At 17 weeks you are not in one of the high risk windows, but you have to do what you feel is right for you.

[Happymummy72]

Hi, last year when I was 6 months pregnant my 2 year old developed chickenpox. My midwife gave me a blood test to check my antibodies which was fine as I'd had chickenpox at 3 months old over 40 years earlier. Nothing to worry about but you could always ask for a blood test to put your mind at rest as you work with children.

[candiceandsesame]

Don't worry. Im 15 weeks pregnant and just spent sunday with friends whose little boy currently has chicken pox. I spoke with the midwife and the infection control nurse at work both said as long as I havd had chickenpox before, tbe baby and me are protected. Yes Dr Fluffy is right. You can get it again but that is very rare and chicken pox is very rarely damaging to your baby. Its the measles you need to watch out for.

Plus you have not had direct contact with the infected child unlike me. Although I did avoid getting close. The little boy spent most of his time blowing kisses at me, as his mum said he wasn't allowed to touch me!!! Very cute.

[DrFluffy in reply to candiceandsesame]

Around 10% is not rare... We had a big spate of varicella pneumonia admissions over Christmas in people who had already had chicken pox. Scary disease...

[Flossy1688]

i spent a Friday evening with my friends son, she text me on the Sunday to tell me he had chicken pox, i rang NHS direct and they informed me that yes it is possible to contract them again after having them once, its not totally unheard of, i said that i was absolutely covered in them when i had them as a child and she said some people say the more you have the more immune you are but that has not been medically proven, however the reassurung bit for me (and im a massive worrier, after she said this i didnt take it any further) your baby can only be harmed if you yourself contract chicken pox, i have showed no signs of this and that was over 2 weeks ago now, i like to think my immunity has built up again them over the years as i said i was covered as a child and i used to work in a childrens nursery and children were always getting them and i was fine

x x x

[Tabby101]

I had this a couple of years ago with my first - my midwife got my bloods checked (ones from booking not new ones) and they came back as I was 'immune' but midwife did explain this didn't mean I wouldn't get it again and could certainly still get shingles. But she also said 1st and 3rd trimester are the most hazardous times for baby so not worry and let her know if I got any symptoms.

It was later discovered that I had developed CMV (a virus related to chicken pox/herpes)during my first trimester (shows no symptoms!) this lead to my baby being small and having a unilateral hearing loss (one ear) - apparently we are lucky as she's been relatively unaffected many go on to have full hearing loss/birth defects/growth issues/developmental issues etc. Did make me wonder why this is not more known about and tested for. They say fit is possible I picked this up from being around little nephew (apparently young kids carry it in their saliva so when they give you a kiss or sneeze on you can pass) or potentially from my brother who had shingles come out a few days after I saw him.

[joda]

Firstly you can definitely get chickenpox more than once. I had them three times as a child, and german measles. It doesn't mean you can't get as an adult. I was sent to my gran to stay when my mum was pregnant with my brother as our school had chicken pox going round and though my mum had had it as a child so 'should' have been immune she still developed shingles despite never having anything any time I'd had it. Luckily apart from partial deafness in one ear my brother had no ill effects, but as I didn't develop chicken pox that time I would say take use as much caution as you feel nessacary. I know some people thing pregnant women are to over cautious, but we are bringing another human being into the world, so surely its fine to be a bit over cautious and a good friend would understand if you asked not to see them for a week or two incase they were carrying chickenpox, even if its unlikely.

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My friend had shingles when she was pregnant with both of her children! She and babies were both fine x

[Ljameson]

Thanks so much everyone, my midwife said a can get a blood test but as I've had it as a child it's my decision. The little girls spots only cames out yday evenin, so I'm hopin she past the stage of spreading it. It seems to b rife in my area at the moment, I'm just praying that w get the next 3weeks over before summer hols without it comin into the school!! I work in a small three teacher school is its almost impossible to avoid someone!!