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What is Chickenpox and how is it spread?
What are the symptoms and possible complications
of Chickenpox?
How can Chickenpox affect my unborn baby?
How can I protect my unborn baby from
Chickenpox?
For more information
What is Chickenpox and
how is it spread?
Chickenpox is an infectious disease.
Chickenpox is highly contagious and spreads from person to person by
direct contact or through the air from an infected person’s coughing
or sneezing. A person with chickenpox is contagious 1-2 days before
the rash appears and until all blisters have formed scabs. It takes
from 10-21 days after contact with an infected person for someone to
develop chickenpox.
What are the symptoms and
possible complications of Chickenpox?
The rash appears first on the trunk and face, but can spread over
the entire body typically causing between 250 to 500 itchy blisters
in persons who have never been vaccinated against chickenpox. In
persons who have been vaccinated, the rash can be quite mild, such
as only a few spots resembling mosquito bites. Getting chickenpox
even though you have been vaccinated is not uncommon, since the
chickenpox vaccine is not 100% effective in preventing disease.
Chickenpox most commonly causes an illness that lasts about 5-10
days. Other symptoms include high fever, severe itching, an
uncomfortable rash, dehydration from vomiting or diarrhea, headache,
infected skin lesions, exacerbation of asthma or more serious
complications such as pneumonia.
Certain groups of persons are more likely to have more serious
illness with complications. These include adults, infants,
adolescents and people with weak immune systems from either
illnesses or from medications such a long-term steroids.
Serious complications from chickenpox include bacterial infections
which can involve many sites of the body including the skin, tissues
under the skin, bone, lungs (pneumonia), joints and the blood. Other
serious complications are due directly to the virus infection and
include viral pneumonia, bleeding problems and infection of the
brain (encephalitis).
Many people are not aware that, before a vaccine was available,
there were approximately 11,000 hospitalizations and 100 deaths from
chickenpox in the U.S. every year. One child and one adult died each
week.
How can Chickenpox
affect my unborn baby?
If you get chickenpox while in the first or early second
trimester of pregnancy, there is a small chance (0.4 – 2.0%) that
your baby could be born with birth defects known as "congenital
varicella syndrome." This usually means the baby will have limb
atrophy and scarring of the skin. Sometimes there are problems with
the central nervous system and eye abnormalities.
How can I protect my
unborn baby from Chickenpox?
- If you’ve never had chickenpox, get
vaccinated at least one to three months before becoming
pregnant. Do not get vaccinated once you are pregnant or
less than one month before becoming pregnant.
- If you are susceptible to chickenpox
(you have never had chickenpox and have not been vaccinated),
and you live with someone who is susceptible, that person should
get vaccinated. Vaccinating close contacts of a
susceptible pregnant woman is the most effective way to protect
against the disease.
- If you are susceptible to chickenpox,
as soon as you deliver your baby, you should be vaccinated.
The first dose of vaccine can be given before you are discharged
from the hospital and the second dose at the 6-week post-partum
visit. The vaccine is safe even if you are nursing.
- Stay away from anyone who has
chickenpox. This includes people who have been vaccinated
and then get a very mild form of the disease (usually little or
no fever and fewer than 50 skin lesions), called “breakthrough”
chickenpox. “Breakthrough” chickenpox is still contagious and
can lead to serious complications.
- If you are susceptible to chickenpox
and find out that you have been exposed (or been in contact
with) someone who has chickenpox, call your doctor immediately.
More information for
researchers and healthcare professionals:
CDC’s National Immunization Program
Varicella Disease Home Page
http://www.cdc.gov/nip/diseases/varicella/
CDC’s National Immunization Program
Varicella Vaccine: Facts Related to Pregnancy
http://www.cdc.gov/nip/vaccine/varicella/faqs-clinic-vac-preg.htm#1-wait
Date: September 20, 2006
Content source: National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental
Disabilities
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