Chicken Pox Questions!!! more questions!!

I just found out inadvertently that my husbands niece's baby has the chicken pox - spots just came out yesterday. We will be visiting with them in nine days time so basically 9 days after her spots came out...do you know how long she would be contagious for?

Would my husband or I be able to pick them up in some form ( shingles etc) if we were to visit her and not let the kids play together?

I am nervous as my son is not vaccinated against the chicken pox yet plus I have a newborn niece ( different country) that I will be visiting with after we visit the child with chicken pox and even though the period from the spots popping to seeing the newborn will be over 2 weeks will I still be putting the newborn at risk?

Agggggghhhhhhh

UPDATE

So the nurse from the peds office called back and she was no help. She said once all the spots have crusted over the baby is no longer contagious BUT you have to wait a few days as new spots can appear. She also said that any of the kids who have been in contact with the infected baby can still get chicken pox even if they had them already especially if they only got a mild case the first time. So here is my dilemma..do we still go and visit with DH's family but not visit or see his niece and her baby - they live in another house and take the chance that the two kids who live in the house we will be staying with have not contracted it and neither have the parents. I know by doing so we are still taking a chance...DH is pushing for us to go but I am seriously on the fence and have gone as far as to cancel the tickets but can rebook them. If this was your situation what would you do? Sorry so long...

Message edited 7/30/2012 7:31:11 PM.

Chicken Pox Questions!!!

Ask your pediatrician.

I wouldn't risk it at all, personally. JMHO

Chicken Pox Questions!!!

I'm not sure about the shingles aspect but, I have had chicken pox experience.

DS had the chicken pox when he was 11 months old. One of his daycare classmates when to visit family in England and stayed with them while their kids had the chicken pox, came back, went to daycare, and infected DS and another girl - the two kids in the class who weren't old enough for the vaccine at the time (can you tell I'm annoyed still a year and a half later that they brought their kid into daycare knowing they had been exposed?).

There is a 10-14 day incubation period and you are contagious a day or two before the spots break out and while the spots are out.

DS had them for about a week - he still had the spots but, they were scabbed over. Daycare urges that you stay home for one week after the spots appear so I would think that most likely the baby wouldn't be contagious but, I don't know if I would chance it.

Message edited 7/30/2012 11:40:34 AM.

Re: Chicken Pox Questions!!!

Thanks...this happened in the UK too and I am kind of annoyed as Dh happened to see it on facebook so no one was going to tell us and when I emailed the mom this morning she was very blase and said " oh dont worry it will be all done and dusted by the time you get here"....

I am concerned because of my own son who is not vaccinated, my newborn niece who I will be seeing after I visit this child with the chicken pox plus I keep hearing about adults who get shingles when they are older!@!!

Typical as I booked our flights to the UK yesterday and they cost me $1000.....I wish they would have told us and at least given us the option...it's .typical of DH's family...

Chicken Pox Questions!!!

Has it been less than 24 hrs? Maybe you can get a refund on the flights.

That's horrible that they didn't tell you - they owed you that courtesy.

I ran into the mom of the girl in Babies R Us a few months after the pox incident - she recognized DS and introduced herself. She then asked if he had gotten the chicken pox and apologized profusely.

To get it randomly is one thing but, to knowingly be exposed and to expose your child to others isn't cool...

Re: Chicken Pox Questions!!!

Thank you SO much for the heads up on the cancellation policy...I was able to cancel the flights that I booked yesterday....now waiting to hear from the PED to see what is the next course of action.

My SIL says once the spots appear they are no longer contagious...anyone know if this is truth or SIL story?

Thanks again

Re: Chicken Pox Questions!!!

Posted by beachgirl

Thank you SO much for the heads up on the cancellation policy...I was able to cancel the flights that I booked yesterday....now waiting to hear from the PED to see what is the next course of action.

My SIL says once the spots appear they are no longer contagious...anyone know if this is truth or SIL story?

Thanks again

Re: Chicken Pox Questions!!! more questions!!

Thanks ali...I have updated in the original post after speaking to the nurse at the PEDs office.

Re: Chicken Pox Questions!!! more questions!!

Eh I can kind of see why they woldn't think it was a big deal to say anything, some peopledon't think chicken pox is a huge deal. I wouldn't risk it if you will be seeing a newborn after though. There's no cancellation policy? If so that stinks

Chicken Pox Questions!!! more questions!!

That's a tough one but I think I'd cancel the trip becuase I'm paranoid and overly cautious like that. I'd even be worried about seeing other relatives in the same family out of fear that one of them might be contagious also. The fact that you're seeing a newborn shortly after would DEFINITELY keep me from wanting to be around chicken pox. If I spent any time with the chicken pox family I don't think I'd go see the newborn afterwards. Sorry you're dealing with this, how annoying, especially about the plane tickets!

Re: Chicken Pox Questions!!! more questions!!

Chicken pox is no big deal to us in the UK, we don't do the vaccine for it. Once the spots are crusted over they are no longer contagious. I would not cancel anything, in 9 days she will be completely fine. Don't cancel a thing and don't worry about it,

Wait a minute...you aren't staying with them, so whats the big deal? If you are concerned, don't go to their house. Dn't cancel your trip. You could go into a store anywhere and someone could have the pox and anyone can get it. Stay with other family members and enjoy yourself. Once they scab over, they are no longer contagious. Seriously, just go and enjoy yourself. You can be exposed to it anywhere. My son got it when no one we knew had the pox, so we have no idea hiw he got it. Seriously, go, have fun, eat haggis.

Message edited 7/30/2012 9:58:04 PM.

Re: Chicken Pox Questions!!! more questions!!

I would book the trip for another time, especially since your kid hasn't had the vaccine yet. You don't want to fly all that way, and spend all that money, to only see some of the family.