Chicken Pox - Babies

[SAHF]

As if settling into life as a new mum and looking after a newborn isn't stressful enough, I've just found out my friends little girl who visited us last week and held my LO, now has chicken pox.

The visit was 5 days before my friends LO's spots started appearing (which started this morning), and I've called our GP for an appointment as NHS website says if your baby is under 4 weeks old they need to be seen urgently by a GP and have a blood test to test for the infection.

From what my friend said, you are only infectious for 2-3 days before spots show, so we may be lucky. But the thought of the blood test and the possibility of my LO having contracted chicken pox is making me feel sick to the stomach, I can't stop crying with worry!

Has anyone else been in this situation?

 

[Phoenix85]

Honestly I wouldn't worry. She should still have immunity from you during the first 6 weeks especially as you've been breastfeeding.
I certainly wouldn't subject a 3 or 4 week old to a blood test and not to check for Chicken Pox which is pretty mild in most cases.

If you are still breastfeeding, do keep doing, it will help her immune system deal with it if she does end up with it.
More than likely she won't have caught it though x

 

[Hoping for no2]

It's very unlikely your friends LO would have been contagious at that stage - it's the 2 days before that they are infectious. I know a couple of newborn babies who have had chickenpox (as their older sibling caught it) and it was pretty mild and they recovered quite quickly. Try not to worry but I'm sure your GP will tell you if they are concerned xx

 

[Becky1]

How old is your lo? My eldest got cp when Theo was just over 4 weeks old, he then caught it from his brother and as it has a 14 day incubation period he was just over 6 weeks when the spots came out. I was told various things like he'd have my immunity from birth and from breastfeeding but he still caught it.

He dealt with it far better then my 2.5 year old did (and better than I coped with them both having it).

 

[SAHF]

She's 4 weeks old today.

The GP checked her over yesterday and said that as the girl didn't have any rash or spots at the time they visited, it is very unlikely it will have passed over. We've just been told to keep an eye on her basically and if anything changes, take her back, but if she shows no signs within a week then she won't have caught it! Here's hoping.

 

[violet13]

Sorry this is completely off topic but is it safe for an almost 6 month old to get chicken pox? And I really hope your little one is okay Hun I'm sure she will be fine but doesn't hurt to get baby checked xxx

 

[Becky1]

I'm sure she'll be fine either way. There was no way my baby could avoid it with his big bro having it.

Violet - yes it's ok, my LO was just over 6 weeks and was absolutely fine. Recovered quicker than my 2.5yr old.

 

[TTC no2]

This happened us.. my little boy was 2 weeks old when his sister got the poxs . 2 weekd later I think he had mild form he was fine though

 

[SAHF]

This happened us.. my little boy was 2 weeks old when his sister got the poxs . 2 weekd later I think he had mild form he was fine though

She still seems to be OK so far, although I keep checking her for a rash/temperature change/general change in her behaviour etc! It's been almost 2 weeks now so I am thinking she may have been lucky and avoided it?