If you're pregnant and have chickenpox, you should visit your GP as soon as possible. You may need to have antiviral medicine or immunoglobulin treatment to prevent your symptoms from getting worse. It is important for children and adults with chickenpox to drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration. Sugar-free ice lollies are a good way of getting fluids into children.
They also help to soothe a sore mouth that has chickenpox spots in it. Avoid anything that may make the mouth sore, such as salty foods. Soup is easy to swallow as long as it is not too hot. Chickenpox can be incredibly itchy, but it's important for children and adults to not scratch the spots, to avoid future scarring.
One way of stopping scratching is to keep fingernails clean and short. You can also put socks over your child's hands at night to stop them scratching the rash as they sleep.
If your child's skin is very itchy or sore, try using calamine lotion or cooling gels. These are available in pharmacies and are very safe to use. They have a soothing, cooling effect. A stronger medicine called chlorphenamine can also help to relieve the itching. It's available from your pharmacist over the counter or it can be prescribed by your GP. Chlorphenamine is taken by mouth and is suitable for children over 1 year old.
If your child has a fever, or if their skin is sore and aggravated, dress them appropriately so that they don't get too hot or too cold. Loose-fitting, smooth, cotton fabrics are best and will help stop the skin from becoming sore and irritated.
If your child has chickenpox, avoid sponging them down with cool water. This can make your child too cold and may make them shiver. Ideally, aciclovir needs to be started within 24 hours of the rash appearing. It does not cure chickenpox, but it makes the symptoms less severe. You normally need to take the medicine as tablets 5 times a day for 7 days.
If you are taking aciclovir, make sure you drink plenty of fluids. Side effects are rare, but can include nausea and diarrhoea. Immunoglobulin is a solution of antibodies that is taken from healthy donors. Varicella-zoster immunoglobulin VZIG contains antibodies to the chickenpox virus. Immunoglobulin treatment is given by injection. It is not used to treat chickenpox, but to protect people who are at high risk of developing a severe chickenpox infection.
This includes:. In the case of pregnant women, immunoglobulin treatment also reduces the risk of the unborn baby becoming infected. In some cases, newborn babies may be given immunoglobulin treatment without having a blood test first.
Read more about the complications of chickenpox. Complications of chickenpox are rare in healthy children. The most common complication is where the blisters become infected with bacteria. A sign that the blisters have become infected is when the surrounding skin becomes red and sore. If you think that your child's blisters have become infected, contact your GP as the child may need a course of antibiotics.
Very rarely, chickenpox can lead to more serious complications involving the nervous system brain and spinal cord in children. These include infections of the brain encephalitis , the protective membranes around the brain meningitis or part of the brain called the cerebellum cerebellitis.
Seek medical advice as soon as possible if your child develops any of these symptoms after having chickenpox. Chickenpox can be more serious in adults than in children.
Adults with the virus are more likely to be admitted into hospital. If you smoke, your risk of developing lung problems is much higher. Although it is more serious in adults, most people will still make a full recovery from the chickenpox virus. For example, your risk of developing pneumonia is slightly higher if you're pregnant, especially if you smoke. The further you are into your pregnancy, the more serious the risk of pneumonia tends to be.
If you get chickenpox while you're pregnant, there is also a small but significant risk to your unborn baby.
If you are infected with chickenpox during the first 28 weeks of your pregnancy, there is a risk that your unborn baby could develop a condition known as foetal varicella syndrome FVS. This syndrome is rare. If you are infected with chickenpox 7 days before or 7 days after giving birth, your newborn baby may develop a more serious type of chickenpox.
In a few severe cases, this type of chickenpox can be fatal. See your GP urgently if you're pregnant or have given birth in the last 7 days and you think you may have chickenpox, or if you've been exposed to someone who has chickenpox. If your immune system is weak or does not work properly, you are more susceptible to developing infections such as chickenpox. This is because your body produces fewer antibodies to fight off the infection.
Immunosuppressive medication such as steroid tablets may be used if, for example, you have an inflammatory condition such as rheumatoid arthritis , lupus or certain blood conditions. If you have a weakened immune system, you're also more at risk of developing complications from chickenpox. These complications include:. See your GP urgently if you have a weakened immune system and you've been exposed to the chickenpox virus. For more information, read about how to stop the spread of chickenpox.
If your child has chickenpox,it is recommended that you inform their school or nursery, and keep them at home for 5 days. If you have chickenpox, stay off work and at home until you're no longer infectious, which is until the last blister has burst and crusted over.
This usually happens five or six days after the rash begins. If you or your child have recently been exposed to the chickenpox virus, you may not be able to visit friends or relatives in hospital. Telephone the ward to check first. If you or your child have chickenpox, you may not be allowed to fly until 6 days after the last spot has appeared.
You and your child should be safe to fly once you're past the infectious stage and all of the blisters have crusted over. However, it's best to check the policy of your airline first. Inform the airline as soon as chickenpox is diagnosed. It is also important to let your travel insurer know if you or your child has chickenpox. You need to make sure that you'll be covered if you have to delay or cancel your holiday, or if you need to extend your stay until your child is well enough to fly home.
Chickenpox can sometimes be spread through contact with objects that have been contaminated with the virus, such as children's toys, bedding or clothing. If someone in your household has chickenpox, you can help stop the virus spreading by wiping any objects or surfaces with a sterilising solution and making sure that any infected clothing or bedding is washed regularly. There is a chickenpox vaccine that is used to protect people who are most at risk of a serious chickenpox infection or of passing the infection on to someone who is at risk.
The vaccine is not suitable for pregnant women. Avoid getting pregnant for 3 months after having the vaccine. The vaccine is also not suitable for people with weakened immune systems. Home Illnesses and conditions Infections and poisoning Chickenpox. Chickenpox See all parts of this guide Hide guide parts 1. About chickenpox 2. Symptoms of chickenpox 3. Causes of chickenpox 4. Diagnosing chickenpox 5.
Blisters open, dry up and form scabs in 4 or 5 days. Most children lose their appetite and have a headache during the first few days. How is it spread? The virus enters the body by the nose or mouth. It usually develops 2 to 3 weeks after contact with an infected person. The virus can survive in the air for several hours. It can be caught by being in a room with an infected person or in a room where someone with chickenpox has been recently. It also spreads from person to person through direct contact with the virus.
You can get chickenpox if you touch a blister, or the liquid or wet crust from a blister. A pregnant woman with chickenpox can pass it on to her baby before birth. Mothers with chickenpox can also give it to their newborn babies after birth.
Chickenpox cannot live on objects like sheets, counters or toys. Can chickenpox cause bigger problems? Babies who get chickenpox from their mothers before birth could be born with birth defects like skin scars, eye problems, brain damage or arms and legs that are not fully formed. Chickenpox can be very severe or even life-threatening to babies in the first month of life, to adolescents and adults, and to anyone who has a weak immune system.
Children with chickenpox can get pneumonia infection of the lungs or get inflammation of the brain. The blisters can get infected with bacteria and this can lead to lifelong scars.
Can you have chickenpox twice? What is shingles? How can I treat chickenpox? If your child gets chickenpox, do not give aspirin [acetylsalicylic acid ASA ] or any products that contain aspirin. This severe illness can damage the liver and brain. Encourage your child not to scratch. Scratching can cause infection from bacteria that get into the skin. Adding baking soda to bathwater can be soothing. Some members of the family may need to stay away from the child during this infectious stage.
Anyone taking long-term oral steroids or who is immunocompromised has a weakened immune system e. Children with chickenpox should not go to child care, kindergarten or school until the last blister has dried. A dry blister scab is not infectious. You should tell the school if your child gets chickenpox, as there may be other children who need to be immunised or treated. Chickenpox sometimes causes pockmark scars on the skin. Regular chicken pox blisters do not scar, but if they are scratched or become infected, they are more likely to leave permanent marks on the skin.
There are many medications and creams that you can buy from your local pharmacy to help with the itching — ask your pharmacist for advice. Young children and babies might need to wear mittens to help prevent them from scratching. Try giving your child paracetamol or ibuprofen to relieve the pain. If your child is in so much pain from mouth blisters that they are not drinking, they will need to be admitted to hospital to prevent dehydration.
Being immunised against varicella chickenpox will greatly reduce the chances that your child will catch chickenpox, but sometimes your child may be infected with the virus.
Children who have been immunised and still catch chickenpox will get a milder form of the virus, with a less severe rash, a lower fever and they will recover more quickly.
Having two doses of the chickenpox vaccine provides children with increased protection against the virus. The Australian government funds one free dose of chickenpox vaccine, and parents can purchase a second dose four to six weeks later if they choose.
One in people who catch chickenpox will develop a brain inflammation called encephalitis, and three in , will die. These complications are very rare and most children make a full recovery. We acknowledge the input of RCH consumers and carers.
To donate, visit www. This information is intended to support, not replace, discussion with your doctor or healthcare professionals. The authors of these consumer health information handouts have made a considerable effort to ensure the information is accurate, up to date and easy to understand. The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne accepts no responsibility for any inaccuracies, information perceived as misleading, or the success of any treatment regimen detailed in these handouts.
Information contained in the handouts is updated regularly and therefore you should always check you are referring to the most recent version of the handout.
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