Chickenpox while pregnant

Can chicken pox be harmfull to my unborn baby? Can a lactating mother pass chicken pox to her baby? Can I have sex while having chicken pox? Does chicken pox harm sperm count? If you are pregnant and have chickenpox (varicella) — a highly contagious viral infection that causes an itchy, blister-like rash — you and your baby might face serious health risks.

If you develop chickenpox during pregnancy , you are at risk of complications such as pneumonia.

For your baby , the risks depend on the timing. What could happen to my baby if I got chicken pox in early pregnancy ? Chances are good that your baby would be fine. You will want to avoid contact with anyone who has chickenpox. If you are not sure if you have ever been infected with chicken pox , your doctor can perform a blood test to determine if you have the chicken pox antibodies.

Pregnant women should not have contact with anyone who has chickenpox if they are not sure if they are immune. The best way to protect against chickenpox is to get the chickenpox vaccine. Women should not get the vaccine during pregnancy or in the days before trying to get pregnant , unless she has been exposed to chicken pox.

Learn about the effects of chicken pox during pregnancy , and how to seek treatment.

If you have chickenpox within seven days before or after giving birth, your newborn baby may develop a severe form of chickenpox. However, chicken pox acquired during pregnancy causes an increased risk of complications for the mother and the infant. The time of infection, whether during early pregnancy or near delivery, plays a significant role in the risk to the mother and child. If the mother is infected by varicella during and weeks of gestation a serious condition called congenital varicella syndrome affects the fetus.

However, the actual risk of any complications occurring is low. The average incidence of chickenpox in pregnancy has been calculated to be 0. Pregnant women with VZV pneumonia should be hospitalized for monitoring and to initiate antiviral therapy because up to of women may need mechanical ventilation. It happens most often in childhood. Chickenpox ( varicella ) is a very contagious disease.

By adulthoo most people in the U. But about in 0pregnant women in the U. Usually chickenpox is a benign illness, but in a pregnant woman it can cause serious complications for mother and baby. About to of infected women can develop a condition called varicella pneumonia. Women who are immune are generally not at risk for complications, and about to of women are immune. Miscarriage and stillbirth can also occur after a mother contracts chickenpox during pregnancy,. It is often associated with other life threatening infections such as chicken pox pneumonia.

Fetal damage has not been documented with varicella vaccines. Chicken pox can prove to be fatal if it affects a pregnant woman. The risk of complications for the mother is higher if they’re more than weeks pregnant, during the second and third trimesters.

In very rare cases, complications of getting chickenpox while pregnant can lead to death. But in the worst cases, complications of chickenpox during pregnancy can include pneumonia, encephalitis and hepatitis and can cause fatalities. The risks of developing complications increase if you smoke, have a lung condition, have taken steroids in the last three months or are over weeks pregnant. You can have a simple study of this infectious disease to stay safe from chicken pox during pregnancy.

These complications could make you extremely ill. If a woman is infected with chickenpox whilst pregnant there are risks to both her and the baby. When chickenpox occurs between and weeks of pregnancy, the chance for birth defects related to the chickenpox infection is to ( of pregnancies do not have related birth defects). The chance for birth defects is greatest when the mother develops chickenpox between and weeks of pregnancy. If a susceptible pregnant woman is exposed to someone with chicken pox , prophylactic treatment is indicated.

The most well-studied method of prophylaxis is administration of varicella zoster immune globulin (VZIG). And if you’re pregnant, it’s not only uncomfortable, it could also spell trouble for your growing baby-to-be. Before you become pregnant, get checked by your doctor to see if you need the varicella vaccine (women who are already pregnant should not receive the vaccine).