Is it safe to be around a child with the chicken pox when I’m pregnant?
Chicken pox is a highly contagious disease caused by virus. During pregnancy it is important not to expose one to such viruses as it may adversely affect the child. Whether or not an expectant mother can stay around a child with chicken pox depends on whether the mother had had chicken pox before.
Once a person is afflicted by chicken pox, their body gains the ability to produce anti-bodies against this virus. As a result, these people are generally immune to this virus and do not get affected by it. Thus, if the mother has experienced chicken pox at least once in her lifetime, she is not at the risk of catching the virus again. But, the ones who were not affected by it will do well not to expose themselves to it now. If these mothers stayed around children with chicken pox, they may easily catch the virus as during pregnancy their immunity system is weaker than usual. This could pose as a threat to their child.
The Risks Of Chicken Pox During Pregnancy:
Getting chicken pox during pregnancy makes the matters more complicated.If the mother catches it in her first trimester, the chances of harming the baby are very low. During this time antiviral drugs are given to the mother in order to recover from it. Only half percent of the children have a chance of getting any infection.
If the mother catches it in her second or beginning of her third trimester, the chances of infection in the child comparatively increases but is still very low at only one percent. The baby is at a risk of congenital-varitella syndrome which is characterized by malformed limbs, poor vision skin scars, bone defects etc.
If the mother catches the infection post 20 weeks, the risks increases comparatively with the baby having one in two chances of catching the infection. But the symptoms are not likely to be serious as some of the mother’s immunity will be passed to the child by this time.
However, if the mother catches this infection around a week or a few days before giving birth, the baby will be at a serious risk. Such babies are often born with infection and it gets serious because the baby will not have any of the mother’s antibodies to boost its immunity. Such serious complications can even be life threatening for the baby.
Safety Measures:
For the ones who have already experienced chicken pox, there are no risks as such. But the ones who have not, they should take a vaccine at least 3 months before conceiving. In case of the women who are already pregnant, they have to wait till the birth of their baby in order to take any vaccine. The best option is indeed to stay away from any person with chicken pox. If the mother accidentally comes in contact with such virus, you should consult your doctor immediately . Varicella immune globulin, if given within a few days, may stop the infection from developing.
