In this article
- What causes chickenpox?
- Will it harm my baby if I catch chickenpox?
- How can I find out if my baby has been affected?
- I’m pregnant. Should I avoid contact with people having chickenpox?
- How will I know if I'm immune to chickenpox?
- If I haven’t had chickenpox, should I be vaccinated?
- How is chickenpox treated in pregnancy?
- How is chickenpox treated in newborns?
What causes chickenpox?Chickenpox is caused by an infection with the varicella zoster virus. The main symptom of chickenpox is an itchy rash, which turns to blisters. It progresses to scabs that fall off as the infection fades.
It is contagious for a couple of days before the rash appears, up until the rash crusts over.
Will it harm my baby if I catch chickenpox?If you’ve never had chickenpox before, and you catch it during pregnancy, it can be dangerous for you and your baby. Once you've had chickenpox, you can't catch it a second time.
If you're unsure whether you're immune, it’s vital to see your doctor straight away if you think you've been exposed to chickenpox or if you have caught it. It’s reassuring to know that when this does happen, most mums and babies are fine.
However, there is a small possibility that chickenpox could result in a condition called fetal varicella syndrome (FVS). Babies with FVS are born with serious abnormalities such as scars, eye problems, brain, bowel and bladder problems, and shortened limbs. They can also have learning difficulties.
The risks of FVS depends on your stage of pregnancy:
- Before 13 weeks in the womb (uterus), the risk is very small. Fewer than one in 200 babies are affected by FVS.
- Between 13 weeks and 20 weeks the chance of FVS increases slightly, with about two in 100 babies being affected.
- Between 20 weeks and 37 weeks your baby is very unlikely to be affected by FVS. But he may develop shingles in his first few years of life.
How can I find out if my baby has been affected?To check how your baby is doing during your pregnancy, your doctor will refer you for a detailed ultrasound scan. This scan will check that your baby's vital organs are healthy.
The scan may also show whether your baby's limbs and brain are developing as they should. However, ultrasound can't detect every type of birth defect, so a scan isn't a guarantee that your baby is unaffected by the virus.
If you catch chickenpox within seven days before or after giving birth, your baby may also go on to have severe chickenpox. In a newborn baby, chickenpox can cause severe or even life-threatening illness.
Chickenpox during pregnancy can be harmful for mums-to-be as well as their babies. Chickenpox can sometimes lead to serious complications. These complications could make you extremely ill. For example, there is a risk of a pregnant woman with chickenpox to develop pneumonia. Your brain and liver can also be affected.
It's very important to tell your doctor straight away if you have a rash of any kind during pregnancy. In addition to chickenpox, there are several medical conditions that cause a rash, and some can affect your baby or make you very ill.
Even if you do not have a rash yet, tell your doctor if you have been exposed and you’ve never had chickenpox before. If you are not sure, it’s safest to talk to your doctor.
I’m pregnant. Should I avoid contact with people having chickenpox?If you had chickenpox as a child, you have no reason to avoid people with chickenpox. Your body will have antibodies to the virus, which means you are immune and can't get chickenpox again.
If you're not sure whether you’re immune, speak to your doctor without delay to get advice. The chickenpox virus spreads easily in small droplets in the air, and by direct contact, from person to person.
If you never had chickenpox before, you have a high chance of catching the virus if you're in the same room with someone who has it. For example, you're likely to pick it up if you spend even a few minutes face-to-face having a chat with them.
You can also catch chickenpox from someone who has shingles, which is caused by the same virus as chickenpox. So you should avoid contact with people with shingles if you haven’t had chickenpox before. You can read our article on shingles during pregnancy to know more information.
How will I know if I'm immune to chickenpox?If you had chickenpox as a child, there is nothing to worry about. On an average, 68 percent of adults and children in India are known to be immune against chickenpox. For reasons unknown, chickenpox in adults is more common in regions with tropical climate like India. Whereas in non-tropical countries, chickenpox is more common in children.
If you're not sure whether you are immune to chickenpox, voice your concerns to your doctor. She will ask you to have a a blood test to check if you are immune or not.
If I haven’t had chickenpox, should I be vaccinated?If you’re already pregnant, you’ll need to wait until after your baby is born to be vaccinated against chickenpox. But if you’re not yet pregnant, it’s worth asking your doctor about vaccination.
It’s recommended that if you haven’t had chickenpox on a previous occasion, you should be immunised before you’re pregnant, or soon after the birth. But you’ll need to wait three months after having the vaccine before trying to conceive.
After you’ve had the vaccine, don’t have contact with other pregnant women, as they may not have immunity to chickenpox. You could develop a rash after you’ve had the vaccine, and if that happens, it’s possible for you to spread the virus.
How is chickenpox treated in pregnancy?It is safe to take paracetamol to treat the pain and fever you may have. You can use calamine lotion to reduce the itchiness of your spots. Meanwhile, try to drink plenty of fluids and get plenty of rest.
Your doctor may suggest that you have an injection of VZIG. This stands for varicella zoster immune globulin, and it is a blood product that contains chickenpox antibodies.
VZIG can make the infection milder and last for a shorter time. You should ideally have the injection within 72 hours of exposure to chickenpox, or at least within 10 days, for it to work.
It is not clear whether VZIG also protects your unborn baby. However, for women who go on to develop chickenpox after having VZIG, there is some evidence to suggest that it may offer protection.
Your doctor may offer you aciclovir, which is an anti-viral drug. This will reduce your fever and other symptoms. Treatment with aciclovir should happen quickly after chickenpox symptoms have appeared.
How is chickenpox treated in newborns?If your baby is born with a chickenpox infection, a doctor will give your baby an injection of VZIG to try to prevent him from getting chickenpox.
Even so, about half of newborn babies whose mums have chickenpox and who have the injection do still develop chickenpox. The VZIG injection can reduce the severity of the symptoms. Treatment with aciclovir is another option for newborns who have chickenpox.
Read more on:
- Can I care for my older child with chickenpox while I'm pregnant?
- How can I reduce my risk of getting chicken pox during pregnancy?
- Is it safe to have a flu vaccine during pregnancy?
Last reviewed September 2014
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