chicken pox?

Question

my daugter is 9 months old and has chicken pox. I may be pregnant. Will this have an effect on my unborn child?

Answer 1

not if you've already had chicken pox ... but I'd talk to your doctor to make 100%sure

Answer 2

If you are pregnant and exposed to chicken pox you need to tell your ob right away. If you haven't had it and you come down with it they can give you iv medications and a series of shots to prevent possible harm to the baby ( I know I had it when pregnant with my oldest) if you have had it then you are at risk for shingles which is a form of the same virus that causes chicken pox. If you get to the doctor early and let them know then they will be better able to help you.

Answer 3

Have you already been exposed (i.e., "had" them)? If not, you need to see your doctor RIGHT AWAY.

I never had CP, and was exposed in my last month of pregnancy unknowingly. My son was born with double pneumonia which was later diagnosed as vericella (sorry - probably bad spelling!) (chicken pox) pneumonia when I developed symptoms. He nearly died from it and THEN got the actual blister-version of CP at the age of 2 weeks after he got out of the ICU!!

PLEASE BE CAREFUL...for yourself and your baby!

Answer 4

Have you had chicken pox? If so, things are probably okay, but call your OB just in case.

Answer 5

I would find out if you're actually pregnant before you start worrying. I have heard too many different opinions so I would call your doctor.

Answer 6

Check with your gynecologist, but I think your foetus may be exposed to it through you, and be born with a natural immunity.

Best wishes...

Answer 7

i dont think so

Answer 8

Is it risky to be exposed to chicken pox during pregnancy?
It depends. If you've had chicken pox before, you're probably immune, so there's no need to worry. Up to 95 percent of adults in the United States are immune, including many people who had chicken pox and never even knew it. If you got the chicken pox vaccine (available in the United States since 1995), you're probably immune — it works for more than 80 percent of those who get it.

If you're not sure whether you're immune, a simple blood test can give you the answer. If you're not immune and you do happen to catch chicken pox while you're pregnant, there's a chance that it will affect your baby and that you could get quite sick.




What can happen to my baby if I get chicken pox while I'm pregnant?
Chances are good that no harm will come to your baby, but timing is a factor.

If you get chicken pox during the first half of pregnancy, there's a slight risk that your baby will get something called congenital varicella syndrome. This condition is characterized by birth defects, including skin scarring, malformed limbs, an abnormally small head, vision or hearing problems, and motor or mental developmental disabilities. A baby with congenital varicella syndrome may also suffer poor growth in utero.

If you do contract chicken pox, you'll have a detailed ultrasound at 18 to 20 weeks to look for signs of defects or other problems and at least one follow-up sonogram later to see how your baby is doing. You may also choose to meet with a genetic counselor to discuss the risks in your particular case and decide how you want to proceed.

If you get chicken pox in the second half of pregnancy but more than five days before giving birth, your baby will probably be fine. Here's why: About five days after coming down with chicken pox, your body develops antibodies to the virus and passes them to your baby through the placenta, offering protection that his own immature immune system can't provide.

If you develop chicken pox five to 21 days before your baby is born, he might develop chicken pox days after birth, but because of the antibodies he received from you, it's much less likely to be serious. (Some babies exposed to chicken pox in utero, particularly those exposed five to 21 days before birth, develop a case of shingles during infancy or early childhood without having had chicken pox after birth, but it's usually not serious.)

The most risky time to come down with chicken pox is between five days before giving birth and two days after delivery, because then your baby is exposed to the virus but doesn't have had time to receive antibodies from you before birth. In this case, he has a 30 to 40 percent chance of developing what's called neonatal varicella, or newborn chicken pox, which can be serious and even life threatening, especially if left untreated.

Fortunately, your baby's risk of a severe case can be greatly reduced if he gets a shot of varicella zoster immune globulin (VZIG), a blood product that contains chicken pox antibodies. He'll be given the shot soon after birth if your chicken pox showed up within five days of delivery or as soon as you discover your rash if it's within two days after delivery.

If your baby shows any sign of developing the infection — such as coming down with a fever or showing a rash of even a few spots — he'll be treated intravenously with the antiviral drug acyclovir.

Is chicken pox more risky than usual for my health if I get it during pregnancy?
It's unclear. But it's definitely more risky for you to get the virus as an adult than as a child. That's because 10 percent of adults who get the infection also develop something called chicken pox pneumonia, which can be severe and even life threatening. In pregnant women, this complication is associated with higher rates of preterm birth.

What should I do if I'm exposed?
If you know you're immune, you don't need to do anything. If you're not sure, or you think that you're not immune, call your healthcare provider and arrange to have a blood test done to confirm your status.

If the blood test shows that you're not immune, your caregiver will probably recommend that you get a shot of VZIG. Getting this shot within 96 hours of being exposed to chicken pox can reduce your chances of a severe infection. It's not known, though, whether the shot does anything to help protect your baby. (Note: This protection lasts only about three weeks, so if you're exposed to chicken pox again more than three weeks after your injection, you'll need another shot.)

If I'm not immune and I get exposed, what are the chances I'll catch chicken pox?
Chicken pox is highly contagious, and if you've never had it before and have direct contact with an infected person, you're very likely to get it. In fact, if someone in your household has chicken pox and you're not immune, chances are 90 percent that you'll catch it, too.

How soon would I see symptoms?
It can take anywhere from ten to 21 days after exposure, though most often you'll see signs t14 to 16 days after being exposed. For the first day or two, you may have mild flu-like symptoms, followed by an itchy rash. The rash starts out as little red bumps that blister as they get larger, then eventually dry out and scab over.

You'll probably see it first on your face, chest, or abdomen, and new eruptions will gradually appear on other parts of your body. You're contagious from about 48 hours before the first crop of bumps appears until they've all crusted over.

What should I do if I think I have chicken pox?
If you start to have symptoms and think you have chicken pox, call your healthcare provider right away. But don't show up unannounced at your provider's office and risk infecting other pregnant women there. If you need to be seen, they'll make special arrangements so you won't be sitting in a crowded waiting room.

If you do have chicken pox, you might be given a prescription for an antiviral drug called acyclovir. If you develop any signs of pneumonia, like a fever with rapid breathing, difficulty breathing, dry cough, or chest pain, call your provider again right away.

Can I get the chicken pox vaccine while I'm pregnant?
No. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) advises women to wait a month after getting the chicken pox vaccine before even trying to conceive. Do arrange to get yourself vaccinated right after you have your baby (and get a second dose four to eight weeks later when you return to your caregiver for your postpartum visit), so you don't have to worry about chicken pox during your next pregnancy. It's safe to get the vaccine while you're breastfeeding.