My friend has just popped around and her sister has chicken pox. Although my friend has already had them is it safe for me to be around her ( my friend not her sister) ??
Worried for baby and my OH and daughter havnt had them.. Dont know if it can get passed by someone thats had them if you know what i mean
Firstly, if the mother has definitely had chicken-pox, there is no risk to the baby or her. In any case, even if she doesn't recall having had chicken pox, it is likely she has antibodies (80% do) from a silent (asymptomatic) infection. So if there's any doubt about it, she should see a doctor for a blood test to check if she's immune.
Risks to the baby are important at the following two times, if mum gets chicken-pox:
1. Before 20 weeks - risk of chicken pox syndrome. This is actually quite rare. Up until 14 weeks the risk is about 0.4%, whereas between 14-20 weeks it is 2%. If a woman has VZ-Ig treatment (see below) after being exposed, the risk is even lower.
2. Mum's rash developing within a week before delivery to a month afterwards. It takes about a week for mum to pass the protective antibodies to the baby, so if born before that time, the babe is at risk of overwhelming infection after birth.
Between 20 weeks and term there is no risk to the baby. The other big risk of chicken pox is to the mother. She is much more likely, during pregnancy, to get a chicken pox pneumonia (10%) which can be very severe (even life-threatening).
h2h xx
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