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McKesson Clinical Reference Systems: Women's Health Advisor 2002.2
Chickenpox (Varicella) During Pregnancy
What is chickenpox (varicella)?
Chickenpox is a viral infection that a baby can get from the
mother before or during birth. If a baby becomes infected,
it can harm the baby.
Chickenpox is also called varicella.
How does it occur?
Chickenpox is caused by a virus called Varicella zoster.
The virus is spread by through the air by infected people
when they sneeze or cough. The disease also spreads through
contact with infected chickenpox blisters.
If you have chickenpox when you are pregnant, the virus can
infect the baby. It is very dangerous to the baby if you
get the disease early in pregnancy and close to the time of
delivery.
If you have already had chickenpox, you are probably immune.
This means that if you are exposed to chickenpox again, your
body can fight off the infection and you will not have
chickenpox again. However, once you have had chickenpox,
the virus stays in your body and can later cause another
disease called shingles, or herpes zoster. If you have
shingles while you are pregnant, the disease will not harm
the baby.
What are the symptoms?
Chickenpox is contagious for several days before symptoms
appear. Symptoms usually appear 10 to 21 days after
exposure to the virus.
Symptoms of chickenpox include:
- itchy, blisterlike spots on the skin, which later break
open and form a crust (scab)
- tiredness
- fever
- aches and pains.
When you have shingles, a group of sores forms on the skin.
The sores may be very painful, but there are few other
symptoms.
A newborn exposed to chickenpox during pregnancy may have
such birth defects as deformed arms and legs, scars on the
skin, eye problems, brain damage, or a small brain. In some
cases the baby may die.
How is it diagnosed?
Your health care provider will ask about your symptoms and
examine you. You may have a blood test. Currently there is
no sure way of determining whether the baby has been
infected until after the baby is born.
How is it treated?
There are no reliable treatments if you have chickenpox
while you are pregnant. If you develop life-threatening
complications from chickenpox, you may be hospitalized and
given antiviral medicine. There is also no specific
treatment for babies who are born infected with chickenpox.
How long do the effects last?
If the baby is infected with the virus early during your
pregnancy or around the time of delivery, the baby may have
severe problems. Some of these problems may be lifelong.
Possible problems include:
- skin scarring
- weak arms and legs
- eye problems.
If you have chickenpox within 5 days before delivery or
within 2 days after your child's birth, the baby may get
very sick and may die.
What can be done to prevent chickenpox?
If you are pregnant, avoid contact with children with
chickenpox unless you know you are immune. If you aren't
immune and you're exposed to the virus, you can be treated
with a shot of varicella zoster immune globulin (VZIG) while
you are pregnant.
If you develop a chickenpox rash 5 days before or 2 days
after the birth of your baby, the baby may be given VZIG
within 72 hours of birth. The vaccine might prevent the
baby from becoming severely infected.
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